J. Arthur Rank facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Rank
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| Born | 22/23 December 1888 Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England
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| Died | 29 March 1972 (aged 83) Winchester, Hampshire, England
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| Years active | 1932–1972 |
| Known for | Founder of the Rank Organisation |
Joseph Arthur Rank (born December 22 or 23, 1888 – died March 29, 1972) was an important English businessman. He is best known for starting and leading the Rank Organisation, a huge company that became famous for making and showing movies. He was also known as the 1st Baron Rank.
Contents
Early Life and Family Business
Arthur Rank was born in Kingston upon Hull, England, in 1888. His father, Joseph Rank, had built a very successful business making flour. Arthur went to school at The Leys School in Cambridge. His father once told him he wasn't very good at school. He said the only way Arthur would succeed was by working in the family flour mill.
Arthur tried to start his own business selling self-raising flour, but it didn't work out. So, he went back to work for his father's company, Joseph Rank Limited. This was the business he later inherited. It eventually became known as Rank Hovis McDougall, which is now part of Premier Foods.
A Challenge from Faith
Arthur Rank was a very religious man and a dedicated member of the Methodist Church. When he was older, he taught at Sunday School. He started showing religious films there. This idea grew, and he began showing these films in other churches and schools too.
In 1933, he created the Religious Film Society to share and distribute the films he made. His first film was called Mastership.
The Methodist Times newspaper complained that British and American movies were having a bad influence on families. The London Evening News suggested that instead of complaining, the Methodist Church should offer a solution. Arthur Rank took on this challenge. He met with Lady Yule and a young film producer named John Corfield. Together, they decided to form the British National Films Company.
Their first commercial movie was Turn of the Tide (1935). It was based on a book called Three Fevers. But after making the film, they found it hard to get it shown in cinemas. Some cinemas showed it as a second movie, but it wasn't enough for the company to make money.
Starting Pinewood Film Studios
Because it was so hard to get their films shown, Arthur Rank, Lady Yule, and John Corfield looked for another solution. They talked to Charles Boot, who had bought a large estate called Heatherden Hall in Buckinghamshire. Charles Boot wanted to turn it into a movie studio that could compete with the big studios in Hollywood.
In 1935, the three of them became owners of Pinewood Film Studios. Later, Lady Yule sold her shares to Rank, and John Corfield left the company.
Taking on the Film Industry
Arthur Rank realized that the people controlling the British film industry were closely connected to American movie companies. This meant it was difficult for him to get his films shown in his own country. Before World War II, American films took up 80% of screen time in Britain.
In 1935, Rank found a way to solve his distribution problems. Since middlemen controlled how films went from being made to being shown, he decided to buy parts of both the distribution and cinema systems. He teamed up with filmmaker C. M. Woolf to create General Film Distributors. This company handled all distribution for Rank's businesses until 1955.
The Rank Organisation
In 1939, Rank brought all his film production companies together, including Pinewood Film Studios and Denham Film Studios. In 1938, he bought the Odeon Cinemas chain. By 1942, the Rank Organisation owned 619 cinemas! He also bought other businesses, like the Bush Radio company in 1949. All these businesses became part of a new company called the Rank Organisation.
Arthur Rank stepped down as Chairman in 1962. John Davis, who had been the Managing Director since 1948, took over.
Rank also helped develop a special prism for a film special effect called the Sodium Vapour Process. This method used amber light to make it look like actors were in front of a different background. Only three of these prisms were ever made. Rank licensed them for use by Walt Disney Studios. This process was first used for the 1964 film Mary Poppins. It was also used in the 1990 film Dick Tracy.
Famous Films
During the 1940s, the companies controlled by Rank produced some of the best British films of that time. These included:
- The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)
- Henry V (1944)
- A Matter of Life and Death (1946)
- Black Narcissus (1947)
- The Red Shoes (1948)
From the 1950s, Rank focused on making more commercial films, especially for families. These included the popular Norman Wisdom comedies and the Doctor... films. However, they also made some serious films like Carve Her Name With Pride (1958), A Night to Remember (1958), and Victim (1961). They also filmed important events like the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953 and performances by The Royal Ballet.
Beliefs and Legacy
Some people said that many of the films Rank produced weren't exactly "family-friendly," which was supposed to be the company's goal. However, Arthur Rank always stuck to his core beliefs. In 1953, he set up the J. Arthur Rank Group Charity to promote Christian beliefs. This charity is now known as The Rank Foundation.
In 1957, J. Arthur Rank was given the title of Baron Rank, of Sutton Scotney. Sutton Scotney is a small village in Hampshire, England.
The Rank Foundation and Prizes
Arthur Rank and his wife, Nell, were philanthropists. This means they gave a lot of money and time to help others. In 1953, they started the J. Arthur Rank Group Charity, which is now called The Rank Foundation. This Foundation continues to support young people and other groups who need help. It also supports activities that promote Christian values through media like film. As of July 2020, Rank's son-in-law, Robin Cowen, and his grandsons, Fred Packard and Joey Newton, lead the organization.
Just before Arthur Rank died, in February 1972, donations from The Rank Foundation created The Rank Prize Funds. These two Funds support sciences that relate to Rank's business interests, like flour milling, cinema, and electronics. Rank believed these areas would greatly benefit humanity. There are two Rank Prizes:
- The Rank Prize for Optoelectronics: This prize encourages and rewards researchers working on advanced light and electronics technology. It is awarded every two years and is worth £30,000.
- The Rank Prize for Nutrition: This prize supports research in human and animal nutrition and farming. It is also awarded every two years and is worth £40,000.
The Arthur Rank Centre was founded in 1972 with support from The Rank Foundation. It helps rural Christians, churches, and their communities across England and Wales.
The Rank Fellowship
In 2003, Rank's oldest grandson, Fred Arthur Rank Packard, created the Rank Fellowship. Fred became Chairman of the Rank Foundation in 2000. He was inspired by a Brazilian organization called Fundação Estudar.
Family Life
Arthur Rank married Nell (1890–1971). They had two daughters, Shelagh and Ursula (born 1920). Shelagh was married first to Fred Packard and then to Robin Cowen. When Arthur Rank died in March 1972 at the age of 83, his title of Baron ended because he had no sons to inherit it.
Arms
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