The Rank Organisation facts for kids
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| Public | |
| Industry | Film and media industry |
| Fate |
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| Successor | Company: Rank Group Library: ITV Studios |
| Founded | 23 April 1937 as J. Arthur Rank |
| Founder | J. Arthur Rank |
| Defunct | 7 February 1996 |
| Headquarters | London, England, United Kingdom |
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Key people
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J. Arthur Rank (chairman) |
| Products | Film production, distribution and exhibition (diversified: radio, television and photocopying manufacturing, record label) |
| Subsidiaries |
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The Rank Organisation was a huge British entertainment company. It was started by a businessman named J. Arthur Rank in April 1937. The company quickly became the biggest film business in the United Kingdom.
Rank Organisation did everything related to movies. They made films, distributed them to cinemas, and even owned the movie theaters themselves. They also made equipment like projectors and cinema chairs. Over time, the company grew into other areas, like making radios, TVs, and photocopiers through a partnership called Rank Xerox. The name "The Rank Organisation" was used until February 1996. After that, its remaining parts became part of a new company called Rank Group plc.
The company's famous logo was the Gongman. This image showed a person hitting a large gong. It appeared at the start of many films and became a well-known symbol in movies.
Contents
How Rank Organisation Started
J. Arthur Rank, the company's founder, was born in Kingston upon Hull, UK. He was already rich from his father's flour business, Joseph Rank Ltd.
Rank first got into filmmaking by paying for short religious films. He was a Sunday School teacher and wanted to share his Methodist beliefs with more people.
The Rank Organisation was officially set up in 1937. This allowed Rank to bring all his filmmaking interests together under one company.
Filmmaking in the 1940s
Rank brought together many talented filmmakers. They worked under a group called Independent Producers Ltd. Famous names included The Archers (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger) and Cineguild Productions (David Lean).
In 1945, Rank Organisation started an acting school. It was called The Company of Youth, but people often called it "The Charm School." This school helped start the careers of many actors. Some famous ones were Donald Sinden, Dirk Bogarde, Diana Dors, and Christopher Lee.
Even though she wasn't part of the school, Petula Clark also worked for Rank. She starred in several of their films. One of these was London Town (1946), which was a very expensive movie that didn't do well.
How the Company Grew
The Rank Organisation grew very fast, mostly by buying other companies. Here are some important things they bought:
- 1938 – They bought Odeon Cinemas.
- 1939 – They combined Denham Film Studios with Pinewood. They also bought Amalgamated Studios in Borehamwood.
- 1939 – They bought the UK cinemas owned by Paramount Pictures.
- 1941 – They bought the Gaumont-British Picture Corporation. This company also owned Gainsborough Pictures, 251 cinemas, and Lime Grove Studios.
- Mid-1940s – Two Cities Films joined Rank Organisation. They made important films like Odd Man Out (1947) and Hamlet (1948).
- 1946 – Rank bought a 50% share in 133 cinemas in New Zealand and Australia. This chain was renamed Kerridge Odeon.
- Late 1940s – Rank gained control of the largest cinema chain in Ireland.
By the late 1940s, The Rank Organisation owned a lot:
- Five major film studios, including Pinewood and Denham Film Studios. (Some studios were later sold, like Lime Grove to the BBC in 1949).
- 650 cinemas in the UK, like Gaumont and Odeon. They also owned cinemas in other countries.
- General Film Distributors, which later became Rank Film Distributors.
- Other companies that made film equipment and advertising.
Challenges and New Businesses
Even though Rank made popular and praised films, the company faced big problems by 1949. They had a lot of debt and lost a lot of money. The managing director, John Davis, cut staff and budgets. He focused film production at Pinewood Studios. Other studios were closed or sold.
These changes made many people in the film industry unhappy. Film director David Lean, who made some of Rank's most successful films, started looking for other companies to work with. J. Arthur Rank stepped down as managing director in 1952. However, he remained the chairman until 1962.
In October 1955, the company said its film production was "satisfactory."
New Business Areas
In 1945, Rank bought the Bush Radio factory. This was the start of them trying out new types of businesses. In the early 1960s, Rank took over Murphy Radio. They formed the Rank Bush Murphy Group, which made radios and TVs.
In 1956, Rank started a partnership with Haloid Corporation. They created Rank Xerox to make and sell photocopying machines. This was a big risk, but it ended up saving the company. Rank Xerox became very successful. Over time, Rank sold more and more of its share in Rank Xerox. Eventually, it became fully part of Xerox in the late 1990s. Rank also owned a part of Southern Television, one of the first ITV television companies.
Rank Records
In the late 1950s, The Rank Organisation started its own music company called Rank Records Ltd.. Their record labels were Top Rank Records and Jaro Records (in the US).
In 1960, EMI took over Top Rank Records. Some artists who recorded for Top Rank Records included Gary U.S. Bonds and the Shirelles.
Rank Audio Visual
Rank Audio Visual was created in 1960. It brought together Rank's businesses that dealt with sound and visual equipment. This included companies like Bell & Howell and Wharfedale Ltd. In the 1970s, Rank Audio Visual made stereo music systems and TV sets.
Motoring Services
Top Rank was one of the first companies to run service areas on motorways in the UK. They opened their first services in 1963. Top Rank ran 10 service areas until 1991. These were later sold and became part of Moto Hospitality. Rank also had other specialized groups. For example, Rank Taylor Hobson made inspection equipment.
Less Focus on Films
During this time, Rank started to focus more on movies that would make money easily. These were often family-friendly films. They made popular comedies starring Norman Wisdom and the Doctor film series. Later, Rank took over the Carry On film series.
Some important films were still made during this period. These included Carve Her Name with Pride and A Night to Remember. They also filmed the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and performances by the Royal Ballet.
In February 1956, John Davis announced that Rank would make 20 films. He said they would try to make films that would be popular around the world. That year, Rank also said it would start distributing films in the US.
However, fewer people were going to the cinema. In September 1958, the company lost a lot of money on films. John Davis ended many long-term contracts with actors. To get back some money, Rank sold Ealing Studios and its film library.
In January 1960, John Davis said that Rank would focus on bigger films. These films would be aimed at an international audience.
In October 1962, Lord Rank stepped down as chairman. John Davis took his place. That year, the company made a good profit. About 41% of its film income came from outside the UK.
From 1959 to 1969, the company made over 500 short films called Look At Life. Each film showed a part of British life. From 1971 to 1976, Rank invested less money in making films.
However, in 1976, Rank had a big success with Bugsy Malone. This encouraged them to start making more films again.
Last Years of the Company
In 1977, Rank tried to make more films. Over two years, they made eight films. These included The Thirty Nine Steps and Silver Dream Racer. Many of these stories were set in the past. However, most of these new films did not do well at the box office.
By June 1980, Rank decided to stop making films again. A spokesperson for Rank said, "It now takes too long to get money back from films."
In 1982, the company partnered with Andre Blay Corporation. This allowed them to license their British film library for home video. In 1987, Rank Film Distributors received a large fund for film financing.
In 1995, the Rank Group bought all the remaining shares of The Rank Organisation. In 1997, the Rank Group sold Rank Film Distributors. This included its library of 749 films. Carlton Communications bought it for £65 million. Pinewood Studios and Odeon Cinemas were also sold in 2000. The company finally stopped its connections with the film industry in 2005. This happened when it sold its DVD distribution business.
See also
- Cintel
- The Rank Foundation, started by J. Arthur Rank and his wife
- The Rank Prizes
- Top Rank Suite, a chain of nightclubs owned by Rank
