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Mini-Major Studios Amblin • Goldwyn • Imagine • Lions Gate • Picturehouse • Revolution • Weinstein historic studios foreign studios Major Studios {on Page One}:
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Mini-Major Film Studios
Amblin Entertainment
| Founded in 1982 by Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy & Frank Marshall; the company produces films that are distributed by other companies. |
Amblin Entertainment entry at Wikipedia
Imagine Entertainment
Lionsgate Entertainment Corp.
| Founded in 1976 in Vancouver, BC Canada as Lions Gate Entertainment by director Robert Altman [1925-2006], who sold the company in 1981; a Vancouver banker gained control in 1996 and began buying up studio facilities & production support companies, and producing independent films; sold to experienced TV & film exec Jon Feltheimer, the studio expanded its library to 7,800 titles by purchasing small companies such as Trimark Pictures (in 2000) & Artisan (in 2003); in 2006, the company sold its Canada studio facility (now called North Shore/Mammoth), and announced plans to build a new studio in Rio Rancho, New Mexico; the company also has a television division, recently launched a record label, and is based in Santa Monica, California. |
Lions Gate official website {requires Flash}
Lions Gate entry at Wikipedia
Lionsgate Movie Studio [ann. 2006] in Rio Rancho, NM
Picturehouse
| Founded in 2005 as a joint venture of H.B.O. & New Line Cinema, effectively a merger of H.B.O. subsidiary Newmarket Films [est. 1994] and New Line subsidiary Fine Line Features [est. 1972]. |
Picturehouse official website {requires Flash}
Picturehouse entry at Wikipedia
Revolution Studios [est. 2000]
| Founded in 2000 by former studio head Joe Roth and others; the distribution deal with 'strategic partner' Sony Pictures expires in October 2007. |
Revolution Studios official website
Revolution Studios entry at Wikipedia
The Weinstein Company
| Brothers Harvey & Bob Weinstein founded Miramax Films in 1979, and sold it to Disney in 1993, remaining to run the division until September 2005; they then founded the Weinstein Company and released two films that year. |
Weinstein Co. official website {requires Flash}
Weinstein Co. entry at Wikipedia
Dimension Films
| Founded in 1993 as a division within Miramax Films for Bob Weinstein's use in releasing genre films; taken along when the Weinstein brothers left Miramax in 2005. |
the domain www.DimensionFilms.com redirects to the main Weinstein Co. website
Dimension Films entry at Wikipedia
Historic Movie Studios
pioneer movie studios in Ft. Lee, New Jersey
American International Pictures
| Founded in 1954 by James H. Nicholson and Samuel Z. Arkoff as American Releasing Corp.; renamed American International Pictures in 1956; known for making low-budget features aimed at teens, horror fare by Bert I. Gordon & Roger Corman, and 'biker' movies; attempted bigger-budget films but failed, and A.I.P. was merged in 1979 into Filmways, which was bought by Orion in 1982; Sam Arkoff formed Arkoff International Pictures {same initials} in 1980, but produced only a handful of films before his death in 2001. |
American Intl. Pictures entry at Wikipedia
American Mutoscope & Biograph Co.
| Founded in 1895 in New Jersey as the American Mutoscope Co., to market nickelodeon machines; added the Biograph brand in 1896, changed name to American Mutoscope & Biograph Company in 1899, shortened to Biograph Company in 1909; joined Edison in forming the Motion Picture Patents Co. monopoly in December 1908; film pioneer D.W. Griffith [1875-1948] joined Biograph in 1908, and while filming "Ramona" on location in California, discovered the farming community of Hollywood and quickly made the first film there, "In Old California" [1910]; Biograph operated film studios in New York City, opened a studio on Pico Blvd. in Los Angeles in 1911, and moved to a new facility in the Bronx in 1913; Griffith left in 1913 in a dispute over budgets & credits, taking his crew & actors with him; the 'Edison Trust' was dissolved by court order in October 1915, and Biograph went into decline, re-releasing old films and renting the studios to other producers; in 1928, C.F.I. (later Republic) bought the studio property, which was active until burning down in 1980; a new company with the same name was incorporated in California in 1990, its film & video product based on or related to the historic (public domain) Biograph film library. |
Projection Box (U.K.) fansite
Biograph Motion Pictures & Entertainment [est. 1990]
Astoria Studios
| Built in 1920 by Adolph Zukor's Paramount Pictures in Astoria, Queens, New York; operated from World War II as the U.S. Army Signal Corps Pictorial Center, until declared surplus in 1972; designated a National Historic Landmark in 1978; New York City asked real estate developer George S. Kaufman to restore the property in 1980, and groundbreaking for the $50 million expansion occured December 1983. |
Kaufman Astoria Studios entry at Wikipedia
The Museum of The Moving Image [est. 1977, opened 1988] at Kaufman Astoria Studios
Culver Studios
| Original 14-acre property built by Thomas H. Ince in 1918; taken over by R.K.O. Pathé, circa 1926; the '40-Acres Backlot' was built circa 1931; later became DeMille Studios, Selznick International {below}, Desilu [1956], and Culver Studios since 1970. The backlot was sold in 1976 and is now an industrial park. |
The Culver Studios official website
Thomas Ince Studios [est. 1918] in Culver City, California
Ince-R.K.O.-Selznick-Desilu Studios history page on Culver City website
Culver City '40 Acres' Backlot [1931-1976]
'40 Acres' fansite at RetroWeb
Essanay Studios
| Founded in 1907 as Essanay Film Manufacturing Co, a name based on the initials of owners George K. Spoor and actor-director Broncho Billy Anderson; joined Edison in forming the Motion Picture Patents Co. monopoly in December 1908; opened Essanay West Studios in Niles, California in 1912; signed Charlie Chaplin in December 1914, but refused Chaplin's salary demands when the contract ended in December 1915; the 'Edison Trust' was dissolved by court order in October 1915; Essanay quickly collapsed and closed its doors in February 1916 - after producing 1,400 titles. |
Essanay Studios entry at Wikipedia
Niles [CA] Essanay Silent Film Museum [est. 1998]
{unrelated} modern Essanay Films [est. 1967] of San Francisco, CA
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"Broncho Billy & The Essanay Film Company" [2003] by David Kiehn Farwell 10x7 hardcover [6/2003] for $32.50 |
Famous Players - Lasky
| Founded in 1916 as Famous Players-Lasky Corp. in a three-way merger engineered by Adolph Zukor: the Famous Players Film Co. was founded in 1912 by Zukor & the Frohman brothers; the Feature Play Co. was a joint venture formed in 1913 by Jesse L. Lasky, Samuel Goldwyn & Cecil B. DeMille; and Paramount Pictures was a successful film distributor based in Utah; built a movie studio in 1920 in Astoria, Queens, New York that is today known as Kaufman Astoria Studios (above); purchased several theater chains, constructed a new Paramount Studio facility in Hollywood [1927], and purchased 50% interest in fledgeling Columbia Broadcasting System [1928], which in combination with the Great Depression forced the company into bankruptcy in 1932, and Zukor was replaced. (Paramount emerged from bankruptcy in 1935.) |
Filmways
| Founded in 1960 by producer Martin Ransohoff, who left in 1972; purchased several TV production and TV syndication companies, and the independent movie studio American International Pictures (in 1979); merged into Orion Pictures in 1982, which was sold to MGM in 1998. |
First National Pictures
Thomas H. Ince [1882-1924]
explore videos/DVDs •
IMDb listing •
Wikipedia
Inceville Studios, north of Santa Monica, California
Triangle Studios [est. 1915] in Culver City, California
Triangle Films entry at Wikipedia
Ince-Triangle-M.G.M. Studios history page on Culver City website
Thomas Ince Studios [est. 1918] in Culver City, California
Ince-R.K.O.-Selznick-Desilu Studios history page on Culver City website
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"The Cat's Meow" [Lionsgate April 2002]
A version of events on Wm. Randolph's Hearst's yacht Oneida, during a star-studded party off the coast of California in November 1924, and the possible connection to the death of studio head Thomas H. Ince; real-life passengers included Hearst, his girlfriend actress Marion Davies, Charlie Chaplin, Ince, actress Margaret Livingston, columnist Louella Parsons, author Elinor Glyn and others. Directed by Peter Bogdanovich; script by Steven Peros, based on his stage play; starring Cary Elwes, Kirsten Dunst, Edward Herrmann, Eddie Izzard, Joanna Lumley, Jennifer Tilly, Claudia Harrison, Victor Slezak & James Laurenson Lionsgate widescreen color DVD [9/2003] for $12.99 Vidmark/Trimark color VHS [8/2002] out of prodn/used R.C.A. soundtrack CD [4/2002] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb |
Keystone Studios
explore Keystone Kops videos & DVDs
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"Keystone: The Life & Clowns of Mack Sennett" [2004] by Simon Louvish Faber & Faber 7¾x5 pb [1/2005] for $13.30 Faber & Faber 8½x5¾ hardcover [2/2004] out of print/used |
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"Kops and Custards: The Legend of Keystone Films" [1968] by Kalton C. Lahue & Terry Brewer Univ OK Press pb [1/68] out of print/used Univ OK Press hardcover [6/77] out of print/used |
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"Krazy Keystone Komedies: Classic Short Subjects From The King of Comedy" [2007]
14 silent shorts starring (in various combinations) Fatty Arbuckle, Billy Bevan, Charlie Chase, Andy Clyde, Chester Conklin, Minta Durfee, Louise Fazenda, the Keystone Kids, Mabel Normand, Mack Swain & others Televista b&w DVD [9/2007] for $12.99 |
Liberty Pictures
Liberty merged in 1935 with Monogram Pictures and Mascot Pictures to form Republic Pictures.
Mascot Pictures Corp. [1926-35]
Mascot merged in 1935 with Monogram Pictures and Liberty Pictures to form Republic Pictures.
Mascot Pictures entry at Wikipedia
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"The Vanishing Legion: A History of Mascot Pictures, 1927-1935" [1982] by Jon Tuska McFarland & Co. 9x6 pb [10/99] for $30.00 McFarland & Co. 9½x6½ hardcover [4/82] for $32.50 |
Monogram Pictures / Allied Artists
| Founded in 1931 as Monogram Pictures Corp. to make low-budget features; Monogram merged in 1935 with Mascot Pictures and Liberty Pictures to form Republic Pictures, but pulled out and re-incorporated as Monogram in 1937; making serials, especially Westerns, and 17 Charlie Chan features, kept the studio profitable; founded subsidiary Allied Artists Pictures in 1946 to make higher-budget features; Monogram became known as Allied Artists in 1953; financial problems led to bankruptcy in 1979; Lorimar TV purchased Allied Artists in 1980; when Warner Bros. took over Lorimar, the Allied Artists library was absorbed into Warner's. |
Monogram Pictures entry at Wikipedia
CSL's Monogram Pictures fansite
history of Monogram's Ranch [1936-62] in Newhall, CA
Allied Artists entry at Wikipedia
Allied Artists Intl. company [reborn 1999] website
Mutual Film Corp.
| Founded as distributor Western Film Exchange in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1906; acquired Thanhouser Studios in 1912; merged with Majestic Motion Picture Co. and Reliance Motion Picture Co. in 1915 as Mutual Film Corp.; Mutual signed Charlie Chaplin and built him a studio in Hollywood and gave him full artistic freedom; by 1919, Chaplin moved on and Mutual ceased film production; the library was eventually absorbed by R.K.O. |
Nestor Studios
Nestor Studios entry at Wikipedia
New World Communications [1970-97]
| Founded as New World Pictures by B-movie producer Roger Corman in 1970; sold in 1983 to new owners who went public; name changed to New World Entertainment in 1987; financially troubled company rescued by sale to financier Ronald Perelman in 1990; sold off assets, purchased TV stations, name changed to New World Communications in 1993; News Corp. completed purchase of the company in January 1997, and production was shut down and the stations merged into the Fox network. |
Orion Pictures [1978-98]
Republic Pictures Corp.
| Formed in 1935 by the merger of Monogram Pictures (who pulled out in 1937), Mascot Pictures & Liberty Pictures; successful at producing serials, especially Westerns, thru 1955 at their studio in Studio City, California; converted to TV distribution in 1951 and TV production in 1952; ended feature & TV production in 1958, halted distribution in 1959, and survived as a holding company; sold the studio property to C.B.S. Television in 1967; bought circa 1990 by Spelling Entertainment (partly-owned by Paramount); when Viacom split in 2005, Republic's television library went to C.B.S. and the theatrical library went to Paramount; the company is today effectively dormant. |
Republic Pictures entry at Wikipedia
R.K.O. Radio Pictures
| Founded in 1928; purchased Pathé Pictures in 1930; Howard Hughes purchased control in 1948, managed the studio badly, and sold to General Tire & Rubber in 1955; production ceased in 1957; company revived in 1983; currently a small holding company, R.K.O. Pictures LLC. |
R.K.O. Pictures entry at Wikipedia
official R.K.O. Pictures LLC website
Culver City '40 Acres' Backlot [1931-1976]
'40 Acres' fansite at RetroWeb
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"R.K.O.: The Biggest Little Major of Them All" [1984] by Betty Lasky Roundtable 8¾x6 pb [11/89] out of print/used Prentice Hall hardcover [9/84] out of print/used |
Hal Roach Studios
[1914-63] in Culver City, California
| Founded in 1919 with partner Harold Lloyd; property leased to the U.S. Army during World War II {see F.M.P.U. Page); converted to TV production in 1948; sold to Hal Roach Jr. in 1955; sold to creditors in 1962 and developed as an industrial park. |
Hal Roach Studios history page on Culver City website
First Motion Picture Unit {F.M.P.U.} Page
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"A History of The Hal Roach Studios" [2005] by Richard Lewis Ward S.I.U. Press 9x6 pb [8/2006] for $16.88 S.I.U. Press 9¼x6¼ hardcover [3/2005] out of print/used |
explore videos/DVDs • IMDb listing • Wikipedia
The Samuel Goldwyn Company
| Samuel Goldwyn [1882-1974] ran his company for 30 years on the studio lot of Pickford-Fairbanks in Hollywood, renamed United Artists, eventually gaining ownership of the facility; his high-class, often-literary films were released by U.A and later by R.K.O.; Warner Bros. purchased the property in 1980; son Samuel Goldwyn, Jr. founded an independent company in 1979 to produce new films & TV shows while purchasing the rights to his father's film library; the company went public in 1991; broadcaster Metromedia purchased the company, then was sold in 1996 to M.G.M., which retains the film library. |
Samuel Goldwyn Company entry at Wikipedia
Samuel Goldwyn Studios entry at Wikipedia
Selznick International Pictures [1935-40]
Selznick International entry at Wikipedia
click here for screen shot of Selznick International's color opening credit logo in a new window
"David O. Selznick's Hollywood" [1980] by Ronald Haver
Random House hardcover [6/87] out of print/used
Knopf hardcover [10/80] for $85.00
David O. Selznick [1902-65]
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IMDb listing •
Wikipedia
Thanhouser Film Corp. [1909-17]
Thanhouser Company Film Preservation, Inc.
Thanhouser Company entry at Wikipedia
Vitagraph Studios
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"The Big V: A History of The Vitagraph Company" [1976] by Anthony Slide Scarecrow Press 'new & revised' 8¾x5½ hardcover [9/87] for $59.50 |
Foreign Studios
Fox Studios Australia [est. 1998]
Cinecittà Holding of Italy • Cinecittà Studios in Rome • Filmitalia Distribution
Churubusco Studios Azteca in Mexico City
Fox's Baja Studios [est. 1996] in Mexico + Foxploration/Cinemágico theme park
Pinewood Studios Group, U.K.
Shepperton Studios [est. 1931] outside London, UK
Teddington_Studios [est. 1931] outside London, UK
Pinewood Studios [est. 1936] outside London, UK
Ealing Studios [est. 1931] in London, UK
studios at Elstree & Borehamwood, north of London, UK
general entry at Wikipedia
Elstree Film & Television Studios [est. 1925]
Twickenham Film Studios [built in 1912], London UK
Kadokawa Herald Pictures [est. 1942] of Japan
Japanese-language website •
Wikipedia
![Toho Company Ltd. [est. 1932] of Japan](images/TohoJP.jpg)
| official website
Toho Kingdom fansite |
![Shochiku Films [est. 1895] of Japan](images/shokichufilms.gif)
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