In 1934, financier and longtime Kalmus associate
Jock Whitney decided to jump into the movie producer business
and make the first live action feature film and launch Technicolor.
Creating Pioneer Pictures, he first produced a two-reel short
subject, La Cucaracha, a musical comedy, which was a major color
breakthrough. The budget of $50,000 was more than triple that
of a black and white film of similar length. The film, released
through RKO, was successful and received favorable reviews.
In 1935, Pioneer Pictures joined
with David O. Selznick and others to form Selznick International
Pictures. The company produced a series of classic films, including
A Star is Born, Rebecca, and Gone With the Wind.
