The Rank Organization

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German Top Rank record with the Gongman , the Rank Organization logo, 1959

The Rank Organization was a British entertainment company founded in 1937 by industrialist and film producer Joseph Arthur Rank to bring its various companies under one umbrella. In the opening credits, the so-called "Gongman", played by Kenneth Richmond , announced the films that Rank had brought to distribution.

Corporate development

After the company's inception, the Rank Organization became an important factor in the UK film industry in the production, distribution and showing of films. In addition, the company brought the US films from Universal Pictures to Great Britain for distribution.

In 1939, Rank bought Amalgamated Studios in Borehamwood . Two years later, after Oscar Deutsch's death, Rank took over the cinemas of the Odeon chain, and he also acquired the Gaumont- British Picture Corporation , which owned 251 cinemas, and the Shepherd's Bush Studios film studio . Also in 1941, the Paramount cinemas became the property of the company (which were sold to the BBC in 1949 ). By acquiring the majority voting rights in the companies Allied Cinemas and Irish Cinemas Ltd. Rank was also Ireland's largest film supplier until the early 1980s .

The Rank Organization also included the five largest British film studios, including Pinewood Film Studios and Denham Film Studios , which had 650 cinemas attached.

The Independent Producers Ltd. had the most important film directors in Great Britain under contract, including Michael Powell , Emeric Pressburger , David Lean , Frank Launder , Sidney Gilliat , Ken Annakin and Muriel Box .

In 1945 Rank founded The Company of Youth, a drama school also known as The Charm School , to which numerous actors owed the start of their careers, such as Diana Dors and Christopher Lee . Although she was non-school, the singer Petula Clark was also signed to Rank and appeared in various films of the organization, including the musical film London Town (1946), one of the most expensive flops in the British film industry.

Between 1959 and 1969 Rank made over 500 weekly short films in the Look At Life series , each of which represented a part of British life. After the previous production company Anglo-Amalgamated ceased production, Rank also took over the production of the popular parody series " Carry-on ... " from 1966 to 1978 , many of which began in German with the title "Ist ja crazy ...".

expansion

After a financial crisis in 1949, Rank was forced to sell the studios in Islington and Shepherd's Bush . A year earlier, the Amalgamated Studios were taken over by MGM . But also in 1949 Rank bought the production company Bush Radio and started a new branch of the radio industry. After taking over the radio manufacturer Murphy , the Rank Bush Murphy Group was founded in 1960 , and in 1978 it was incorporated into the Great Universal Stores .

In 1952, J. Arthur Rank resigned as CEO , but remained Chairman until 1962. Under the leadership of Sir John Davis, Rank moved his productions exclusively to Pinewood Studios and closed the Independent Producers Ltd. The company history of Rank Xerox began in 1956 with a partnership with Haloid Corporation and in 1958 Rank became a partner in the consortium that successfully participated in the division of the channel ITV , which led to the establishment of the channel Southern Television .

From the late 1950s, Rank was also involved in music productions with the Rank Records Ltd. label . involved, which traded under Top Rank and Jaro Records . Top Rank was taken over by EMI in 1961 . Rank Audio Visual was founded in 1960 and combined Rank's multimedia interests, which, since the acquisition of Gaumont British in 1941, have included Bell and Howell and Andrew Smith Harkness Ltd. and Wharfedale Ltd. On Rank's shopping list in 1968 were Strand Electric Holdings and in 1969 HJ Leak & Co.

resolution

In 1980 the Rank Organization stopped its film production. In 1995, the organization went into " The Rank Group ", which took over all shares. In the next few years the Rank Group sold all of the traditional business units of the Rank organization. Rank Filmverleih went to Carlton Communications for £ 65 million. This company then became part of Granada International . 1996 Rank Xerox went completely to the US parent company Xerox . As of 1998, 53 nightclubs were sold by Rank and the American holiday chains by Oasis . Since 1998, Rank has been considered a takeover candidate by various companies.

In February 2000, the Odeon Cinemas were sold for £ 280 million and Pinewood Studios were sold for £ 62 million to a consortium led by Michael Grade (nephew of Sir Lew Grade ). A portion of the Universal Theme Park in Orlando , Florida was also sold and the Tom Cobleigh restaurants went to new owners for £ 90 million. The remaining British vacation properties in Butlin , Haven and Oasis were sold for £ 700 million. The operating company Rank Leisure Machine Services , which among other things took care of the supply and repair of the game machines in the amusement parks, was sold in 2004 for 30 million pounds. In 2006 the Hard Rock businesses were sold to the Seminole Tribe in Florida for £ 965 million. This included 124 Hard Rock Cafes , four Hard Rock Hotels, two Hard Rock Casino Hotels and also two Hard Rock Live! Concert venues. The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas was sold to the Morgans Hotel Group in May 2006.

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