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Martin N. Leeds

Martin N. Leeds, CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System) and Desilu Executive, entertainment attorney.

Born April 6, 1916, New York City, New York, died January 28, 1999 in Los Angeles, California .

Graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Science and law degree (LLB).

Before joining the law firm of Davis & Gilbert LLP in New York City for a two year stint, he was labor counsel and the Director of Personnel at Wabash Appliance Corporation in Brooklyn, New York.

In March of 1946, he moved from New York City to Los Angeles, California. He joined the Flying Tiger Line in Burbank, California, the first air freight carrier in the United States, which had been formed by ten returning pilots from WWII. He served as Director of Labor Relations and Personnel for the Flying Tiger Line during a brief stay while waiting for an opportunity to work in the entertainment industry. As was reported in the Daily Variety trade publication on December 9, 1947, he was hired by the CBS Network Program Department to become the Business Manager of its new west coast office. As Business Manager for CBS the job required Leeds to head talent negotiations and program packaging for network radio and television programming.

During the early days of television Martin Leeds met Desi Arnaz who was trying to get a pilot financed for a new program to be called "I Love Lucy" to be produced by Desilu Productions, a new company formed by Desi Arnaz and his wife, Lucille Ball. Desilu did not have the funds to make the pilot and Desi Anaz asked Leeds if CBS would provide the financing for the initial pilot of the proposed new series, "I Love Lucy." Leeds called his bosses back in New York and they told him to make the decision; he was responsible for the money and programming on the west coast. Desi Arnaz got his money and the longest running television series in television syndication history. The show still can be seen on television today.

Desi Arnaz wanted to build an entertainment production company that was more than just the "I Love Lucy" show. During the first two years of the show's existence, Desilu Productions produced only the "I Love Lucy" show. Desi and Lucy were full time actors, working most of the year to produce, film and star in the 39 annual episodes of the "I Love Lucy" show. They needed a key executive that could spring the company into the big leagues as a television production company. Desi Arnaz had found his man in Martin Leeds, his adversary at CBS. Desi Arnaz had been trying to hire Martin Leeds away from CBS and had been turned down twice by Leeds in 1951 and 1952. Finally, at the end of 1952 Leeds agreed to join Desi Araz and Desilu Productions. The Hollywood Reporter on February 17, 1953, reported that Leeds who had become Director of Business Affairs at the CBS network and had been offered the post of CBS Network Vice President of Legal Affairs and Business Affairs if he remained at CBS, was in fact "leaving CBS to become Executive Vice President in charge of production for Desilu Productions."

During the 1950's as Desilu's executive in charge of production, Martin Leeds guided Desilu to the top ranks of television production. Desilu became the biggest television production company in the United States. Desilu created, produced and filmed: I Love Lucy, the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show, the Desilu Playhouse, Ann Southern Show, The Texan, Whirlybirds, the Walter Winchell File, the Sheriff of Cochise, U.S. Marshal, This Is Alice, Grand Jury, Official Detective, Those Whiting Girls, Willy and the Untouchables.

Desilu Productions also filmed for other producers: The Californians, The Betty Hutton Show, The Barbara Stanwyck Show, The Danny Thomas Show, December Bride, The Lineup, Love and Marriage, Man With A Camera, The Millionaire, The Real McCoys, Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp and Yancy Derringer.

Many other pilots were made for series that never saw the light of day.

On November 20, 1957, the Hollywood Reporter and New York Times reported that Desilu Productions was acquiring the RKO Studios where "Gone With The Wind" and many other motion pictures had been filmed. Those negotiations for the landmark studio complex were "being conducted in New York by Daniel O'Shea for RKO and Martin Leeds for Desilu". When those negotiations were concluded and with previous acquisition by Desilu of the Motion Picture Center Studios in Hollywood, Desilu Productions would have over 1,200,000 square feet of buildings and sound stages (35) at three studio locations, situated on 63 acres of land in the heart of the motion picture and film production capital of the world. Desilu was larger than MGM Studios or Fox Studios, the next ranking studios in physical size. In addition to being the largest production company in the United States, Desilu Productions had become the largest production facility in the United States with 1800 employees.

During the year 1958, the Hollywood Reporter and Variety trade papers reported that Desilu was the leading production company providing evening programming to the networks. Also, in 1958 Desilu Productions filed a registration statement with the Securities Exchange Commission to take the Company public as noted in the SEC News Digest dated November 10, 1958. The company was going to issue shares to the public, and for the first time America would see the inside of the largest television production company operating in the United States. Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball and Martin Leeds were listed as the current shareholders of the privately owned corporation in the Registration statement that had been filed with the SEC.

By the end of the decade, Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball were divorcing. Martin Leeds had tried to be an intermediary for several years between the two stars, but Desi's drinking and philandering were making the relationship between Arnaz and Ball and Arnaz and Leeds problematic. It was difficult to run the largest creative production studio and largest tv production facility and contend with the personality issues. A disagreement between Arnaz and Leeds resulted in Leeds walking away. One of the industry trade journals reported the event on September 29, 1960, "No man in Hollywood deserved his salary more than executive vice president Martin Leeds of Desilu...To many at Desilu this is a worry, as some feel Martin Leeds was and is the real brains behind this Cinderella organization." Another trade paper reported: "Desi Arnaz and executive vp Martin Leeds, once one of the most successful production combinations in Hollywood TV film, reached the parting of the ways last week after 7 years during which Desilu grew from a small company to a TV-film power." The trade journal further reported that the breach was "probably triggered by Arnaz's prolonged absences from the studio."

Leeds left Desilu, selling his shares in the company to Lucy and Desi. With Leeds' departure from Desilu and Desi's personal issues, Lucy no longer wanted Desi Arnaz as titular head of the studio, occupying the leadership title of President at Desilu. Programming created and produced by Desilu continued to decline from its previous levels. Lucille Ball took over as president of Desilu in 1962 and finally in 1967 she sold the company for approximately $17,000,000, pocketing approximately $10,000,000 for her shares in Desilu. Was it a good business decision? The buyers would eventually reap over $1 billion in revenues from the exploitation of properties licensed or owned by Desilu. The buyer was Gulf+Western. Desilu and the empire created during the golden age of television disappeared from the scene. All that is left today are syndication re-runs and the memories so many have of arguably the greatest entertainment couple to grace the screens of American television.

After departing Desilu as Executive in Charge of Production and Member of the Board of Directors, Leeds joined the board of Directors of National Telefilm Associates. He also purchased a 25% interest in Home Entertainment Co. and became its President. The Los Angeles Times reported on June 27, 1962, "that Home Entertainment Co., Inc., Beverly Hills had reached agreement with General Telephone Co. of California to install up to 17,400 service connections in Santa Monica." The Home Entertainment Company would become the first cable TV company to operate in California. Leeds' plan was to expand cable TV to include all of Los Angeles and take the system then to San Francisco. Unfortunately for Leeds, the motion picture theater owners of America were afraid of the new "pay TV" or cable TV as it was to be known. Theater owners were afraid the new medium of entertainment delivery would take away theater goers from their theaters. The motion picture theater owners organized a ballot initiative in California and collected voter signatures to qualify the initiative for the ballot in order to keep TV free. The initiative was qualified for the next election. Voters passed the proposition to keep TV free, which was the slogan of theater owners. Cable television was delayed in California for another decade while cable television took hold over the next decade in other states around the country. Martin Leeds, who hoped to build another entertainment powerhouse after Desilu was derailed on his endeavor to create a cable TV company for the west coast.

After being derailed from his start-up for cable television in California, in late 1962, Leeds joined Talent Associated-Paramount Ltd., as Executive Vice President. The venture was an effort by the motion picture company Paramount to revitalize its dormant television production operation. The television production company was headquartered at the Paramount Studios Hollywood lot, which was ironically, located next door to Desilu Productions which would become a part of Paramount five years later when Desilu was acquired by Gulf+Western, the holding company of both Desilu and Paramount after the 1967 acquisition of Desilu. The following year Paramount wanted to move its television production to New York City, and Leeds declined to move east according to a front page story in the trade journal, Daily Variety. Leeds left TA-Paramount to practice entertainment law.

On March 18, 1969, just two years after the demise of Desilu Productions, the Daily Variety, trade journal reported on its front page the following headline: "Leeds Heads Firm Buying Culver Lot". They reported that one of the oldest studios, which had been built by Tom Ince and subsequently owned by David O. Selznick, RKO, Desilu and Paramount had been purchased by a Toronto, Canada company, and the new owner-operator of the studio would be the Beverly Hills Studios. The studio would be called Beverly-Culver Studios, and Martin Leeds would be president and chief executive officer of the company.

Martin Leeds, entertainment executive and entertainment attorney, served on the Board of Directors of: Desilu Productions, National Theaters and Telefilm, Talent Associates-Paramount, Home Entertainment Corporation and Beverly Hills Studios. He also was elected a Director of the Motion Picture Permanent Charities Board for 1960-1961 as a representative of the Alliance of TV Film Producers.