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Nat Levine, born in New York, began his career in show business after leaving high school to work as an accountant for the Loew's theater chain. He eventually became personal secretary to Marcus Loew, absorbing extensive knowledge about the film industry. In 1926, Levine and several investors produced a serial titled The Silent Flyer, which they sold to Universal Pictures. Encouraged by its success, Levine founded Mascot Pictures in 1927, a company focused on serial productions. The transition to talking pictures did not stop Mascot, which in 1931 released The Phantom of the West, its first all-talking film. While Mascot produced some feature films, most of its output consisted of serials starring actors such as Tom Tyler, Harry Carey, and John Wayne. Levine also played a key role in launching the "singing cowboy" genre by introducing Gene Autry to the screen.
Levine's biggest hit was the Tom Mix serial The Miracle Rider (1935), which earned over $1 million. Levine enticed the financially struggling Mix out of retirement with a $10,000 weekly offer and filmed the serial rapidly. Mascot's western, action, and sci-fi serials were very popular. To expand production, Levine leased the former Mack Sennett Studios, aiming to unite several independent companies into a film studio modeled after General Motors. In 1935, Levine and Herbert J. Yates, president of Consolidated Film Labs, merged Mascot with Monogram Pictures, Victory Pictures, and other independents to form Republic Pictures. Although the merger appeared promising on paper, Levine soon found himself under the control of Yates, a domineering businessman who maintained authority over the studio despite Levine being named head of westerns and serials production. Levine brought to Republic his efficient method of using two separate units to shoot serials—one for exposition and dialogue, the other for action scenes. However, Yates proved difficult to work with, causing producers Trem Carr and W. Ray Johnston of Monogram to leave Republic within a year and revive Monogram.
By late 1938, Yates wanted Levine out. The two agreed on a buyout, reportedly earning Levine over $1 million. Unfortunately, this windfall was not a blessing. A lifelong gambler, Levine now had both ample money and free time, which he mostly spent at the racetrack. Eventually, he lost all his buyout money gambling, leaving him unemployed, divorced, and broke. However, his friendship with MGM head Louis B. Mayer—who shared his passion for horses, Mayer in breeding and Levine in betting—secured him a position in MGM's "B" unit. Unable to adapt to working as an employee after years of running his own company, Levine soon parted ways with MGM. He then managed a movie theater in Redondo Beach, California, a role he held for about 20 years. By the late 1960s, his health declined, and he was admitted to the Motion Picture Country Home in Woodland Hills, California. While there, he gave a few interviews but remained wary of those seeking to use him to connect with more famous residents. He passed away at the facility in 1989.
