John Stahl was the last executive in charge of Tiffany Pictures, a prominent studio located on the Talisman lot, which was later acquired by Monogram Pictures. During his tenure, Tiffany Pictures was a major player in the "Poverty Row" film industry, alongside Columbia Pictures. With a rich history of producing B-movies dating back to the silent era, Tiffany Pictures had made over 70 talkies before its eventual demise in 1932, amidst the Great Depression.
As the studio's fortunes declined, it found itself producing the "Chimp Comedies" series of short films, which featured chimpanzees lip-syncing to dubbed actors' voices, scripted to corny plots. These simian shorts were initially popular as filler in second-run movie houses, but their novelty eventually wore off.
Despite its decline, Tiffany Pictures had once been home to a roster of notable stars, including Rex Lease, Ken Maynard, Conway Tearle, Bob Steele, and Mae Murray.
After leaving Tiffany Pictures, Stahl joined MGM, where he produced and directed the notable flop Parnell in 1937, which is still widely regarded as the studio's worst effort to date. Despite this setback, Stahl continued to work in the film industry as a producer and director until his death in 1950.
