| Republic Entertainment, Inc. | |
|---|---|
| Type | subsidiary |
| Founded | 1935 |
| Headquarters | |
| Owner | Viacom |
| Parent | Paramount Motion Pictures Group |
Republic Pictures (also known as Republic Entertainment, Inc. Ownership is the state or fact of exclusive rights and control over Property, which may be an object, land/real estate, Intellectual property Viacom ( ( short for " Vi deo & A udio Com munications" is an American Media conglomerate with various worldwide interests A holding company is a company that owns part all or a majority of other companies' outstanding Stock. ) is an independent film, television, and video distribution company that was originally a movie production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, best known for its specialization in quality B pictures, westerns and movie serials. A B movie is a motion picture made on a low or modest budget Originally the term was used for films intended for distribution as the less-publicized second half of a Double The Western is a fiction Genre seen in Film, Television, Radio, Literature, Painting and other Visual arts. Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials or Film serials, were Short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a Feature
They were also responsible for one notable Shakespeare film, Orson Welles' Macbeth. William Shakespeare ( baptised Macbeth is a 1948 film adaptation of William Shakespeare 's Tragedy Macbeth made by Orson Welles.
Contents |
Corporate History
Created in 1935 by Herbert J. Yates, a longtime investor in film and music properties and founder and president of Consolidated Film Industries, Republic was the result of a union of six smaller Poverty Row studios. Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Herbert John Yates (1880-1966 was the founder and president of Republic Pictures, famous for being the home of John Wayne, Gene Autry, and Roy Rogers Consolidated Film Industries was a film laboratory and film processing company and was the leading film laboratory in the Los Angeles area for many decades Poverty Row is a slang term used in Hollywood from the late silent period through the mid-fifties to refer to a variety of small and mostly short-lived B movie In its early years Republic was itself sometimes labeled a "poverty row" company as its primary product were B movies and serials. A B movie is a motion picture made on a low or modest budget Originally the term was used for films intended for distribution as the less-publicized second half of a Double Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials or Film serials, were Short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a Feature Republic, however, showed more interest in, and provided larger budgets to, these films than many of the larger studios were doing, and certainly more than other independents were able to. The heart of the company was its B-westerns, and many western-film leads, among them John Wayne, Gene Autry, Rex Allen, and Roy Rogers, became recognizable stars at Republic. John Wayne ( May 26, 1907 &ndash June 11, 1979) was an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award -winning American Orvon Gene Autry ( September 29 1907 &ndash October 2 1998) was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy Rex Allen ( December 31, 1920 – December 17, 1999) was an American Actor, Singer, and Songwriter Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye) (November 5 1911 &ndash July 6 1998 was a singer and Cowboy Actor. However, by the mid-1940s Yates was producing better-quality pictures, even mounting big-budget fare like The Quiet Man, Sands of Iwo Jima, Johnny Guitar, and The Maverick Queen. The 1940s decade ran from 1940 to 1949 Events and trends The 1940s was a period between the radical 1930s and the conservative 1950s which also leads the period to be The Quiet Man is a American film starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen, and Barry Fitzgerald, and directed Sands of Iwo Jima is a 1950 War film which follows a group of Marines from training to the Battle of Iwo Jima during World Johnny Guitar ( 1954) is a Republic Pictures Feature film starring Joan Crawford, Sterling Hayden, Mercedes McCambridge
In the depths of the 1930s depression, Yates's laboratory was servicing many poverty-row studios. In 1935 Yates saw a chance to become a production head himself. Six established poverty-row companies (Monogram, Mascot, Liberty, Majestic, Chesterfield, and Invincible) were all dependent on Yates's lab. Yates prevailed upon his clients to merge under his leadership (or otherwise face foreclosure on outstanding lab bills). Yates's new company, Republic Pictures Corporation, was established as a collaborative enterprise focused on low-budget product.
The largest of Republic's components was Monogram Pictures, run by Trem Carr and W. Monogram Pictures Corporation was a Hollywood studio that produced and released films most on low budgets between 1931 and Ray Johnston, specializing in "B" films, and controlling a nation-wide distribution system. The most advanced technically was Nat Levine's Mascot Pictures Corporation, which had been making serials almost exclusively since the mid-1920s and had a first-class production facility, the former Mack Sennett-Keystone lot in Studio City. Nat Levine ( 26 July, 1899 &ndash 6 August, 1989) was an American Film producer. The Mascot Pictures Corporation was a minor film company of the 1920s and 1930s best known for producing Film serials and B-westerns. Mascot also had just discovered Gene Autry and signed him to a contract as a singing cowboy star. Larry Darmour's Majestic Pictures had developed a following, with big-name stars and rented sets giving his humble productions a polished look. Republic took its original "Liberty Bell" logo from M. H. Hoffman's Liberty Films (not to be confused with Frank Capra's short-lived Liberty Films that produced his It's a Wonderful Life, ironically now owned by Republic), Chesterfield Pictures and Invincible Pictures, two sister companies under the same ownership, were skilled in producing low budget melodramas and mysteries. Frank Russell Capra ( May 18, 1897 &ndash September 3, 1991) was an Academy Award winning Italian-American Film Liberty Films was an independent motion picture production company founded in California by Frank Capra and Samuel J It's a Wonderful Life is a 1946 American Film produced and directed by Frank Capra and based on the short story " The Greatest Acquiring these six companies allowed Republic to begin life with a skilled production staff, a company of experienced B-film supporting players and at least one highly promising star, a complete distribution system, and a functioning studio. In exchange for merging, the principals were promised independence in their productions under the Republic aegis, and higher budgets with which to improve the quality of the films.
After he had "learned the ropes" of film production and distribution from his partners, Yates began asserting more and more authority over "their" film departments, and dissension arose in the ranks. Carr and Johnston left and reactivated Monogram Pictures; Darmour resumed independent production for Columbia Pictures; Levine left and never recovered from the loss of his studio, staff, and stars, all of whom now were contracted to Republic and Yates. }} Columbia Pictures Industries Inc is an American Film production and distribution company Freed of partners, Yates presided over what was now *his* film studio and acquiring senior production and management staff who would service him as employees, not experienced peers with independent ideas and agendas.
Republic also acquired Brunswick Records to record their singing cowboys Gene Autry and Roy Rogers and hired Cy Feuer as head of their music department. Brunswick Records is a United States based Record label. The label is currently distributed by Koch Entertainment. Orvon Gene Autry ( September 29 1907 &ndash October 2 1998) was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye) (November 5 1911 &ndash July 6 1998 was a singer and Cowboy Actor. Cy Feuer ( January 15, 1911 – May 17, 2006) was a Tony Award -winning American theatre producer, director [1]
From the mid-1940s. Republic films often featured Vera Hruba Ralston, a former Czechoslovakian ice-skater who had won the heart of the studio boss, becoming the second Mrs. Vera Ralston (born Věra Helena Hrubá, born July 12, birth year unknown died February 9, 2003) was a Czech Figure skater Yates in 1949. She was originally featured in musicals as Republic's answer to Sonja Henie, but Yates tried to build her up as a dramatic star, casting her in leading roles opposite important male stars. Sonja Henie ( April 8, 1912 - October 12, 1969) was a Norwegian figure skater and actress Yates billed her as "the most beautiful woman in films," but her charms were lost on the moviegoing public, and exhibitors complained that Republic was making too many Ralston pictures. Years later, John Wayne allowed that the reason he left Republic in 1952 was the threat of having to make another picture - he had endured two - with Miss Ralston. Yates remained Ralston's biggest supporter, and she continued to appear in Republic features until its very last production.
Although Republic made most of its films in black and white, it very occasionally would produce a higher-budget film, such as The Red Pony (1949) and The Quiet Man (1952), in Technicolor. "The Red Pony" is a novella written by American author John Steinbeck in 1933. The Quiet Man is a American film starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen, and Barry Fitzgerald, and directed Technicolor is the trademark for a series of color film processes pioneered by Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation During the 1940s and 1950s, Yates also utilized a low-cost Cinecolor process called Trucolor in some of his films, notably Johnny Guitar (1954), The Last Command, and Magic Fire (1956). Cinecolor was an early Subtractive color -model two color Film process based upon the Prizma system of the 1910s and 1920s and the Multicolor Trucolor was a process used and owned by Consolidated Film Industries division of Republic Pictures. Johnny Guitar ( 1954) is a Republic Pictures Feature film starring Joan Crawford, Sterling Hayden, Mercedes McCambridge The Last Command is a 1955 film about Jim Bowie and the fall of the Alamo. Magic Fire is a biographical film about the life of composer Richard Wagner, released in the United States on March 29, 1956 by
In the television era
Republic was the first Hollywood studio to offer its film library to television. In 1951 Republic established a subsidiary, Hollywood Television Service, to peddle its vintage westerns and action thrillers. Republic Pictures (also known as Republic Entertainment Inc) is an independent film television and video distribution company that was originally a movie production-distribution Hollywood Television Service also produced television shows filmed in the same style as Republic's serials such as The Adventures of Fu Manchu (1956). The Adventures of Fu Manchu was a 1956 American television series Also, in 1952 the Republic studio lot became the first home of MCA's series factory, Revue Productions. MCA Inc (or Music Corporation of America) was an American Corporation in the music and television businesses NBC Universal Television Group is an American and global television production/distribution company and a subsidiary of NBC Universal. While it would appear that Republic was well suited for television-series production, it did not have the finances or vision to do so. Yet by the mid-fifties, thanks to its sale of old features and leasing of studio space to MCA, television was the prop holding up Republic Pictures. During this period, Republic produced Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe; unsuccessful as a theater release, the 12-part serial was later sold to NBC for television distribution. Commando Cody Sky Marshal of the Universe (or Commando Cody) is a Science fiction Television series or serial. Talent-agent MCA exerted influence at the studio, bringing some high-paid clients in for occasional features, and it was rumored at various times that either MCA or deposed MGM head Louis B. Mayer would buy the studio outright. Louis Burt Mayer (born Lazar Meir July 4, 1884 &ndash October 29, 1957) was an early Film producer, most
As the demand and market for B-pictures declined, Republic began to cut back, slowing production from 40 features annually in the early 1950s to 18 in 1957. A tearful Herbert Yates informed shareholders at the 1958 annual meeting that feature-film production was ending; the distribution offices were shut down the following year. In the early 1960s, Republic sold its library of films to National Telefilm Associates (NTA). National Telefilm Associates (otherwise known by its initials NTA was an independent distribution company that handled reissues of American film libraries including Having used the studio for series production for years, CBS bought Republic's studio lot; today it is known as CBS Studio Center, and in 2006 became home to the network's Los Angeles stations, KCBS and KCAL. CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. CBS Studio Center is a television and film studio located in the Studio City district of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley.
The studio's parent company, Republic Corporation, survived for some years on Yates's other interests, among them Consolidated Film Laboratories and the manufacture of household appliances. Other than producing a 1966 package of 26 "Century 66" 100 minute made-for-TV movies edited from some of the Republic serials to cash in on the popularity of the Batman television series, its role in Hollywood ended with the sale of the studio lot. Batman is a 1960s American Television series, based on the DC Comic book character of the same name.
Aftermath
During the early 1980s, NTA re-syndicated most of the Republic film library for use by then-emerging cable television, and by 1986 found itself so successful with these product lines that it bought the Republic Pictures name and logo. A television-production unit was set up under the Republic name, and offered, among other things, the CBS series Beauty and the Beast and game show Press Your Luck (the rights to the latter series have since reverted to FremantleMedia). Press Your Luck was an American television daytime Game show that ran weekdays on CBS from September 19 1983 to September 26 1986 where contestants FremantleMedia (previously known as All American Television, LBS Communications, and Pearson Television) is the content There were also a few theatrical films, including Freeway, Ruby in Paradise, and Bound. Freeway is a 1996 thriller film starring Kiefer Sutherland Reese Witherspoon, and Brooke Shields. Ruby in Paradise is a 1993 film written directed and edited by Victor Nuñez, and starring Ashley Judd, Todd Field, Bentley Bound is a 1996 Neo-noir crime Thriller film directed by the Wachowski Brothers. The "new" Republic also began marketing the original's serial library on videotape.
Bought by Aaron Spelling's Spelling Entertainment, Republic won a landmark legal decision reactivating the copyright on Frank Capra's 1946 RKO film It's a Wonderful Life; (under NTA, they had already acquired the film's negative, music score, and the story on which it was based, "The Greatest Gift"). Founded by television producer Aaron Spelling in 1969, Spelling Television Inc Frank Russell Capra ( May 18, 1897 &ndash September 3, 1991) was an Academy Award winning Italian-American Film It's a Wonderful Life is a 1946 American Film produced and directed by Frank Capra and based on the short story " The Greatest
Soon after, Spelling consolidated its many divisions, reducing Republic Pictures to a marketing brand-name. Republic's video division shut down in 1995, allowing the video rights to the Republic library to be leased to Artisan Entertainment, while the library itself continued to be released under the Republic name and logo. Artisan Entertainment was a privately held independent American Movie studio until it was purchased by Lionsgate & Universal Studios By the end of the decade, Viacom bought the portion of Spelling it did not own previously, thus Republic became a wholly owned division of Paramount. Viacom ( ( short for " Vi deo & A udio Com munications" is an American Media conglomerate with various worldwide interests Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and Distribution company, based in Hollywood California. Artisan (later sold to Lions Gate Home Entertainment) continued to use the Republic name, logo, and library under license from Paramount. Lionsgate Home Entertainment is the home Video and DVD distribution arm of the Canadian-based Lions Gate Entertainment.
Republic Pictures' holdings consists of a catalog of 3,000 films and TV series, including the original Republic library (except for the Roy Rogers and Gene Autry catalogs, owned by their respective estates), and the holdings of Worldvision Enterprises, which includes in its library the pre-1973 NBC catalog (including Bonanza and Little House on the Prairie, the latter premiering in 1974), most of the Quinn Martin (The Fugitive, The Streets of San Francisco, etc. Worldvision Enterprises Inc was a Television program and Home video distributor established in 1962 as ABC Films, the syndication arm of the The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Bonanza is an American television series that ran on NBC from September 12 1959 to January 16 1973 Little House on the Prairie is an American one-hour dramatic Television program that aired on the NBC network from September 11 1974 to Quinn Martin ( May 22, 1922 &ndash September 6, 1987) born Irwin Cohn was one of the most successful The Fugitive is an American Television series produced by QM Productions and United Artists Television that aired on ABC The Streets of San Francisco is a successful 1970s Television Police Drama filmed on location in San Francisco California, ) and Aaron Spelling (The Love Boat, Twin Peaks, Beverly Hills 90210, etc. Aaron Spelling' (April 22 1923 – June 23 2006 was an American film and Television producer. The Love Boat (simply Love Boat in its final season is an American Television series set on a Cruise ship, which Twin Peaks is a Television Serial drama that follows the investigation of the brutal murder of popular respected Teenager and homecoming queen Beverly Hills 90210 was a Prime time television drama series that aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on ) catalogs, select pre-1952 UA (High Noon, Copacabana, etc. High Noon is a 1952 Western film directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly. ) and NTA holdings (Fleischer cartoons, It's a Wonderful Life, etc. ), and the international rights to the 1982 horror anthology Creepshow (owned domestically by Warner Bros. Pictures). Tagline General information Stephen King's Creepshow is a 1982 anthology Horror movie directed by George A Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and
Today, as a result of the Viacom/CBS corporate split of 2006, Republic's holdings are divided. As is the case with the Paramount film libraries, CBS Paramount Television owns Republic's television output, while the theatrical side is owned by Viacom's Paramount Pictures. CBS Paramount Television (formerly Desilu Productions, Paramount Television, among other companies is an American Television production
Lions Gate Home Entertainment's home video rights initially expired in late 2005, but have since regained video rights to Republic's theatrical film library (except It's a Wonderful Life--the video rights to that and several other films, as well as Republic's TV library now are with Paramount Home Entertainment, with the TV shows released through the CBS DVD label). CBS Home Entertainment is the new Home video entertainment arm of CBS Corporation. Television distribution is now the responsibility of CBS Television Distribution. CBS Television Distribution (CTD is a United States and Global Television Distribution company, a merger of CBS Corporation 's three
As of 2007, Republic remains an in-name-only distribution company under Paramount Motion Pictures Group, a division of Viacom.
Outside the US, video rights to the Republic film library are divided. For example, Universal Studios Home Entertainment owns the UK rights, and Paramount themselves handles distribution in Latin America and Australia. Universal Studios Home Entertainment (formerly Universal Studios Home Video or MCA/Universal Home Video) is a Home video company founded in 1980
Notable Republic Pictures
1930s and 1940s
- Under Western Skies (1938)
- Melody Ranch (1939)
- Dark Command (1940)
- Ice Capades (1941, the debut of Vera Hruba)
- Flame of the Barbary Coast (1944)
- Angel and the Badman (1947)
- Macbeth (1948), directed by and starring Orson Welles
- Wake of the Red Witch (1948)
- The Fighting Kentuckian (1949)
- Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)
- The Red Pony (1949)
1950s
- Rio Grande (1950)
- The Wild Blue Yonder (1951)
- I Dream of Jeanie (1952)
- The Quiet Man (1952)
- Johnny Guitar (1954)
- The Last Command (1955)
- Track the Man Down (1955)
- Maverick Queen (1956)
1990s
- Ruby in Paradise (1993)
- The Tin Soldier (1995)
- Bound (1996)
- Freeway (1996)
Republic Serials
References
Mathis, Jack Republic Confidential Volume One The Studio and Republic Confidential Volume Two The Players (1992) Empire Publishing Company
Notes
- ^ Feuer, Cy and Gross, Ken I Got The Show Right Here: The Amazing, True Story of How an Obscure Brooklyn Horn Player Became the Last Great Broadway Showman Simon & Schuster 2003
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