Rank Organisation
 |
Rank Organisation logo (~1990) |
The
Rank Organisation was a
British entertainment company formed in
1937 and absorbed in
1996 by
The Rank Group Plc.
The
Rank Organisation was created by
J. Arthur Rank in
1937 to consolidate all of his interests in the film industry. A history of these interests prior to
1937 is found under the entry for J. Arthur Rank.
From its inception in
1937 the
Rank Organisation became a major force in
British film making, distribution and exhibition. Its trade mark was characterised by its corporate logo of the
Gongman and it acquired these properties:-
1938:
ODEON cinema chain. After its creation, it was allegedly named after its founder's own ambition: "
Oscar Deutsch Entertains Our Nation", but this was just a publicity myth.
1939:
Amalgamated Studios in
Borehamwood.
1941:
Gaumont-British Picture Corporation, who owned 251 cinemas and the
Shepherd's Bush Studios. Sold in
1949 to
BBC Television.
1942:
Paramount cinema chain.
Late 1940s: majority share in Allied Cinemas and Irish Cinemas Ltd., becoming the largest exhibition circuit in Ireland (a position it maintained until the early 1980s).
Eventually the
Rank Organisation owned five major film studios, which included both
Pinewood Film Studios and
Denham Film Studios and 650 cinemas. Independent Producers Ltd. employed some of Britain's greatest directors, such as
Michael Powell and
Emeric Pressburger (
Black Narcissus,
The Red Shoes,
I Know Where I'm Going!),
David Lean (
Brief Encounter,
Great Expectations),
Frank Launder and
Sidney Gilliat (
I See A Dark Stranger,
The Happiest Days of Your Life),
Ken Annakin (
Holiday Camp) and
Muriel Box (
The Seventh Veil).
1945:
The Company of Youth, the
Rank Organisation acting school often referred to as "The Charm School", launched several careers including those of
Diana Dors and
Christopher Lee. Although she was not a member of the school,
Petula Clark was under contract to Rank for a period of time and starred in a number of films released by the studio, including
London Town, one of the costliest flops in British film history. Also under contract to Rank was the Canadian actor
Philip Gilbert.
1959 to
1969: the company made over 500 weekly short cinema films in a series entitled
Look At Life, each film depicting an area of British life.
1966 to
1978, the Rank Organization took over production and distribution of the
Carry On films, after
Anglo-Amalgamated announced, after the death of
Nat Cohen, they did not want any more
Carry On titles produced under them.
1949: a financial crisis forced the
Rank Organisation to sell its studios in Islington and Shepherd's Bush. Beginning that same year, the company bought the
Bush Radio manufacturing facility and began to diversify its interests. In the
1960s Rank took over the radio manufacturer
Murphy to form the
Rank Bush Murphy Group, which was eventually sold to Great Universal Stores in
1978.
1952: J. Arthur Rank stepped down as
CEO of the
Rank Organisation, but remained as Chairman until
1962. Under the management of
John Davis (
1906-
1993), the
Rank Organisation moved its production exclusively to
Pinewood Studios and closed Independent Producers Ltd.
1956: Rank began a partnership with the Haloid Corporation to form
Rank Xerox.
The Rank Organisation ceased film production in
1980. In October
1996,
The Rank Group Plc became a holding company, owning all the outstanding shares of The Rank Organisation.
Between 1997 and 2000, the traditional businesses of the Rank Organisation were sold by the newly formed Rank Group. Of the assets, the film library and distrubution division was sold in 1997 to
Carlton Television, now
ITV plc.
Pinewood Studios was sold to a consortium led by Michael Grade in February 2000 and the
ODEON cinema chain was sold that same year.
*
RHM - formerly Rank Hovis McDougall, the family flour milling company of J. Arthur Rank
*
Rank Group*
ODEON Cinemas
