in two films a year over three years. Earlmar signed a six-picture deal with United Artists, under which Chandler was to appear in at least three of the films. He acted in and produced the first Earlmar production, a Western, Drango. "It's no Indian story," said Chandler, "let Cochise rest in peace." Chandler bought the rights to a novel, Lincoln McEever, but it was never made; Drango turned out to be Earlmar's sole production. After Drango, Chandler made the final two films owed under his original contract with Universal: The Tattered Dress, playing a lawyer in a melodrama, and Man in the Shadow, co-starring opposite Orson Welles. He had commitments to make two films per year at Universal until 1959. Freelance star Chandler moved to Columbia and acted with Kim Novak in Jeanne Eagels. He followed this with two films for Universal, The Lady Takes a Flyer with Lana Turner, and Raw Wind in Eden with Esther Williams. A Motion Picture Exhibitor Poll listed him as the tenth-most popular male star in the US in 1957. Chandler made another for Universal, A Stranger in My Arms with June Allyson. He was to star opposite Tony Curtis in Operation Petticoat (1959), but fell ill and had to withdraw. Chandler's next two movies were made for a brand new company, Seven Arts: Ten Seconds to Hell, a drama with Jack Palance for director Robert Aldrich, and Thunder in the Sun, a Western with Susan Hayward. The last of those was distributed by Paramount, which released Chandler's next film, another Western, The Jayhawkers! In Ten Seconds to Hell and The Jayhawkers! Chandler played villains. He later reflected "I've tried heavies – but audiences didn't seem to take to that." Chandler formed another production company, August, for which he made The Plunderers, a Western, distributed by Allied Artists. Allied was so pleased with the film, they requested three more movies from August, but Chandler never got to make them. His next film, The Story of David, was filmed for American TV, his first work in that medium, but was shown theatrically in other countries. It was shot in London and Israel. Chandler stated: I don't want to make pictures in other countries; I want to stay home. But suddenly there are not enough pictures being made here. All other countries are giving inducements to companies and to players; even a little country like Israel