United Artists and Warwick Productions
In March 1955, while making Last Frontier, Mature announced he had also signed a contract with United Artists for them to finance and distribute six films over five years for Mature's own company.
In May 1955, Mature signed a two-picture contract with Warwick Productions. Warwick was an English company that had success making films aimed at the international market with American stars; they released their films in the USA through Columbia Pictures. The first of Mature's films for Warwick was to be Zarak. He ended up making Safari beforehand, a tale of the Mau Mau, filming on location in Kenya. Both Safari and Zarak were successful.
Sam Goldwyn Jr, hired him to make The Sharkfighters, released through United Artists and shot on location in Cuba. He was back with Warwick for Interpol, reteaming him with his Zarak co-star, Anita Ekberg, filmed in locations throughout Europe. In London, he made The Long Haul, a truck-driving drama with Diana Dors, the second film under his deal with Columbia.
Mature finally made a movie for his own production company, Romina Productions, in conjunction with United Artists and Batjac Productions: China Doll, directed by Frank Borzage, with Mature as co-producer. Mature and Borzage announced they would also make The Incorrigibles and Vaults of Heaven.
Mature signed to make two more films with Warwick Productions, No Time to Die (Tank Force) and The Man Inside. He ended up only making the first, a World War II film with Libyan locations; Jack Palance took his role in The Man Inside. Mature made another movie for Romina and Batjac, a Western, Escort West. It was released by United Artists, which also distributed Timbuktu, a French Foreign Legion adventure tale that Mature made for producer Edward Small and director Jacques Tourneur.
Mature was reunited with producer Irwin Allen for The Big Circus, shot in early 1959. He then made his second film for Warwick under his two-picture contract with them, The Bandit of Zhobe. Mature was developing a project called Cain and Able around this time but it was never made. In 1959 Warwick's Irving Allen said "You think I employ Victor Mature because I like that big lug? I employ him because he brings in the money and he isn't a genius boy."
Mature followed this with an Italian peplum, aka "sword-and-sandal" movie, Hannibal, playing the title role. It was shot in Italy, as was The Tartars with Orson Welles. Mature then retired from acting.
In a 1978 interview, Mature said of his decision to retire from acting at age 46: "It wasn't fun anymore. I was OK financially so I thought what the hell – I'll become a professional loafer."
