The Rank Organisation was a British entertainment company formed in 1937 and absorbed in 1996 by The Rank Group Plc. Its film division once distributed Universal Pictures releases in the UK. Image File history File links Rank Organisation logo (~1990) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A stilt-walker entertaining shoppers at a shopping centre in Swindon, England Entertainment is an event, performance, or activity designed to give pleasure or relaxation to an audience (although, for example, in the case of a computer game the audience may be only one person). ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... The Rank Group Plc was established on December 22, 1995 as a public limited company in England and Wales and in October 1996 it became a holding company owning all the outstanding shares of the Rank Organisation. ... Universal Pictures is the main motion picture production/distribution arm of Universal Studios, a subsidiary of NBC Universal. ...

Origin

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. Joseph Arthur Rank, 1st Baron Rank (December 23, 1888 – March 29, 1972) was a British industrialist and film producer, and founder of the Rank Organisation, now known as The Rank Group Plc. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Growth

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:- 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ... One of the best known company trademarks in the world is the man-with-the-gong, also known as the Gongman. ...

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. Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Odeon was a building used for musical performance in Athens built in the 5th century BC. Hence, any building in ancient Greece or the ancient Roman Empire was called an odeon. ... Oscar Deutsch (1893-1941) was the founder of the Odeon Cinemas chain in the United Kingdom. ...

1939: Amalgamated Studios in Borehamwood. 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full year calendar). ... Amalgamated Studios were founded in 1935 in the Hertfordshire, UK town of Borehamwood. ... For the village in Essex, see Boreham. ...

1941: Gaumont-British Picture Corporation, who owned 251 cinemas and the Shepherd's Bush Studios. Sold in 1949 to BBC Television. For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... Gaumont Pictures were founded in 1895 by the engineer-turned-inventor, Léon Gaumont (1864-1946). ... BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which began in 1936. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which began in 1932. ...

1942: Paramount cinema chain. Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ...

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).

Assets

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). Pinewood Studios is a major film studio that is situated approximately 20 miles west of London among the pine trees on what was the estate of Heatherden Hall in the village of Iver Heath in Iver Parish, in the county of Buckinghamshire, England. ... Denham Film Studios were a British film production studios operating from 1936 to 1952. ... Michael Powell film-maker. ... Emeric Pressburger in Paris. ... This page is about the film. ... Helpmann, Shearer and Massine in The Red Shoes. ... Joan Webster (Wendy Hiller) and Torquil MacNeil (Roger Livesey) look on at a Ceilidh. ... Sir David Lean, KBE (March 25, 1908 – April 16, 1991) was an English film director and producer, best remembered for big-screen epics such as Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai, and Doctor Zhivago . ... Brief Encounter (1945) is a British film directed by David Lean starring Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard. ... For other uses, see Great Expectations (disambiguation). ... Frank Launder (January 28, 1906—February 23, 1997) was a British writer, director and producer, who made more than 40 films, usually in collaboration with Sidney Gilliat. ... Sidney Gilliat (February 15, 1908 – May 31, 1994) was a British film director, producer and writer. ... The Happiest Days of Your Life is a 1950 British comedy film starring well-known British actors, including Alastair Sim, Margaret Rutherford and Joyce Grenfell. ... Ken Annakin (born August 10, 1914) is a British film director. ... Muriel Box (1905-1991) was a British writer of books and films, as well as a producer and director. ... The Seventh Veil is a 1945 British melodramatic film. ...

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. 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Diana Dors (October 23, 1931 – May 4, 1984) was an English actress. ... Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE (born May 27, 1922 in Belgravia, London) is a legendary and prolific English actor known for his versatility, his professional longevity, and his distinctive basso delivery. ... Petula Clark, CBE (born November 15, 1932), is a British singer, actress and composer of Welsh and English parentage, best known for her upbeat popular international hits of the 1960s. ... London Town is one of the most infamous flops in the history of British cinema. ... Philip Gilbert Philip Gilbert was a Canadian actor born in Vancouver, Canada on 29 March 1931 and educated at Vancouver College. ...

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. Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ...

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. 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... The Carry On films were a long-running series of British popular low-budget comedy films, directed by Gerald Thomas and produced by Peter Rogers. ... Anglo-Amalgamated Productions was a British film production company run by Nat Cohen and Stuart Levy that operated from the 1940s to the 1970s. ... Nat Cohen (1905(?) - February 10, 1988) was a British film producer whose career started in the 1930s. ...

Diversification

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. 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... Bush Radio was a British radio manufacturing company. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ...

1952: J. Arthur Rank stepped down as CEO of the Rank Organisation, but remained as Chairman until 1962. Under the management of Sir John Davis the Rank Organisation moved its production exclusively to Pinewood Studios and closed Independent Producers Ltd. 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is the job of having the ultimate executive responsibility or authority within an organization or corporation. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... Sir John Davis (1906-1993) was an English accountant and film executive. ... The entrance to Pinewood Studios Pinewood Studios is a major British film studio situated approximately 20 miles west of London among the pine trees on what was the estate of Heatherden Hall, near the village of Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire. ...

1956: Rank began a partnership with the Haloid Corporation to form Rank Xerox. 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rank Xerox was formed in 1956 as a joint venture between the Xerox Corporation of USA and the Rank Organisation of UK, to manufacture and market Xerox equipment initially in Europe and later in Africa and Asia. ...

1958: Rank becomes part of the consortium that bids successfully for the ITV south franchise which becomes Southern Television. Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

In the late 1950s, Rank also produced sound carriers as Rank Records Ltd. (The U.S.A. subsidiary label was named Top Rank) and Jaro Records (a Jazz-subsidiary). In 1961, Top Rank was taken over by the EMI. The EMI Group (LSE: EMI) is an English music company comprising the major record company, EMI Music which operates several labels, based in Brook Green in London, England, and EMI Music Publishing, based on Charing Cross Road, London. ...

Decline

The Rank Organisation ceased film production in 1980.^{[citation needed]} In October 1996, The Rank Group Plc became a holding company, owning all the outstanding shares of The Rank Organisation. 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... The Rank Group Plc was established on December 22, 1995 as a public limited company in England and Wales and in October 1996 it became a holding company owning all the outstanding shares of the Rank Organisation. ...

Over time, the traditional businesses of the Rank Organisation were gradually sold by the newly formed Rank Group.

1996: The Rank Organisation re-established as The Rank Group plc holding company. Rank Amusements sells its inland amusement centres as part of a MBO. 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... MBO is an acronym for management buyout, or a leveraged buyout conducted by a companys existing management. ...

April 1997: Rank Film Distributors sold to Carlton Communications (since merged into Granada International) for £65 million. Note: At the time of this sale, the then new Rank website stated that this was the classic back-catalogue only , and that their business of actually distributing current films to cinemas was unaffected. In the same month, Rank announces it will cut middle management wages in its clubs and casinos by £2000. 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Carlton Communications plc was a former British media company, which was founded by Michael Green and listed on the London Stock Exchange from 1983 until 2 February 2004, when it merged with Granada plc, to form ITV plc. ...

1996: The first tranche of Rank Xerox equity is sold to the USA parent company, Xerox. 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

1997: Butlins, park of Rank Groups holiday division, announces a major fall in bookings. 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Butlins Holiday Camps were founded by (later Sir) Billy Butlin to provide economical holidays in the United Kingdom and Ireland. ...

A further tranche of Rank Xerox equity is disposed of, netting Rank Group £1.5 billion to date.

1998: Rank announces plans to sell 53 of its nightclubs, plus the US and Oasis holidays divisions. (The US Holidays division is retained and is one of the few remaining businesses from this era) 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ...

1998: Analysts claim the Rank Group is prone to takeover having received a number of approaches regarding the breakup of its £2bn business. Rank later claim to be discussing the package sale of 19 nightclubs to various companies. 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ...

Carlton Communications is said to be considering a bid for the Rank video duplication business, later to become Deluxe Media Services. Carlton Communications plc was a former British media company, which was founded by Michael Green and listed on the London Stock Exchange from 1983 until 2 February 2004, when it merged with Granada plc, to form ITV plc. ...

1999: In January, Rank withdraws its 3 year old Lake District 'Oasis' holiday village from sale. In November, the Nightclubs business is sold for £150m. The same year both Haven Catered Parks (£8m) and Butlins Hotels (£7m) are disposed of 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

2000: In February, Odeon Cinemas (£280m) and Pinewood Studios (£62m) were disposed of. Pinewood Studios was sold to a consortium led by Michael Grade and backed by 3i. In July, a stake in the then incomplete Universal Studios Escape holiday theme park in Orlando (Florida), was sold to Blackstone Group for £185m. September saw the sale of Tom Cobleigh inns for £90m. In October, the remaining UK Holidays division (Butlins, Haven, Oasis et al. were sold for £700m cash. 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Odeon Cinemas is the largest chain of cinemas in the United Kingdom. ... The entrance to Pinewood Studios Pinewood Studios is a major British film studio situated approximately 20 miles west of London among the pine trees on what was the estate of Heatherden Hall, near the village of Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire. ... The entrance to Pinewood Studios Pinewood Studios is a major British film studio situated approximately 20 miles west of London among the pine trees on what was the estate of Heatherden Hall, near the village of Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire. ... Michael Ian Grade CBE (born March 8, 1943) is a British businessman and a distinguished figure in the field of broadcasting. ... Company Name: 3i PLC Company Logo: Company Type: Public Founded: 1945 Created by a syndicate of several British banks]] Location: [London]], England| Key people: Philip Yea, CEO Baroness Hogg, Chairman Industry = Venture Capital and Private Equity Homepage = [1] 3i Group PLC is a venture capital and private equity firm quoted... The Blackstone Group L.P. is a prominent private equity and management investment firm founded in 1985 by Peter G. Peterson and Stephen A. Schwarzman. ... Butlins Holiday Camps were founded by (later Sir) Billy Butlin to provide economical holidays in the United Kingdom and Ireland. ... Haven can mean: A harbor A sanctuary // Companies Pizza Haven, an Australian pizza chain Haven & British Holidays, a company which runs a number of holiday parks in the United Kingdom and Europe Amoco Haven- an oil tanker which sank in 1991 Entertainment Haven (TNG episode), an episode of Star Trek... Oasis in the Libyan part of the Sahara For other uses, see Oasis (disambiguation). ...

2004: Rank Leisure Machine Services sold for £30m. This company supplied and serviced machines to arcades, pubs and clubs and had a good hold as an incumbent operator in many former Rank establishments. 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

2006: Deluxe Film Services sold to DXII Holdings Corporation for $750m. On December 7, 2006, Rank sold the Hard Rock business to the Seminole Tribe of Florida for US$965 million. Included in the deal is 124 Hard Rock Cafes, four Hard Rock Hotels, two Hard Rock Casino Hotels, two Hard Rock Live! concert venues, and stakes in three unbranded hotels. Rank is keeping the Hard Rock Casino in London, but will be changing its name. The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas is also not part of the deal, as it was sold by Rank to Morgans Hotel Group in May 2006. For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

The latest divestment is Deluxe, the final connection to the film-making industry being severed leaving Rank owning Grovsenor Casino, Mecca Bingo, and other joint entertainment interests. There is also a US holidays business, USA Resorts.

References

Geoffrey Macnab, J. Arthur Rank and the British Film Industry, London, Routledge (1993), ISBN 0415072727.

Alan Wood, Mr. Rank, London, Hodder & Stoughton (1951).

External links

• Rank Group
• ODEON Cinemas
• Rank Records listing
• Deluxe