The Rank Organisation

The Rank Organisation was a big British entertainment company started in 1937 by a man named J. Arthur Rank. It became very important in the United Kingdom because it owned many parts of the film business, from making movies to showing them in theaters. They even made tools for showing films and chairs for the theaters.

Besides films, the company also made other things like radios, televisions, and machines for copying papers. This happened because they were part of a company called Rank Xerox.

The company had a special logo called the Gongman, which people loved and remembered. This logo was first used in 1935 and could be seen at the start of many movies.

In 1996, the company changed its name and became part of another bigger company called the Rank Group plc. A year later, in 1997, it was renamed again to XRO Limited and became fully owned by Xerox.

Origin

J. Arthur Rank, the founder of the company, was born in Kingston upon Hull, UK. He was already a wealthy industrialist because of his father's flour milling business, Joseph Rank Ltd. He started in filmmaking by funding short religious films that matched his Methodist beliefs. As a Methodist Sunday school teacher, he wanted to share these beliefs with more people.

The Rank Organisation was created in 1937 to bring together all of Rank's filmmaking projects into one company.

Filmmaking in the 1940s

The Rank Organisation brought together many filmmakers under different groups. These included teams like The Archers, led by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, and Cineguild Productions, which had David Lean and others. There were also other famous directors and writers working together.

In 1945, the Rank Organisation started an acting school called The Company of Youth, also known as "The Charm School." This school helped start the careers of actors like Donald Sinden, Dirk Bogarde, Diana Dors, and Christopher Lee. Petula Clark, though not part of the school, worked for Rank and appeared in several of their films, including London Town (1946). Another actor, Philip Gilbert from Canada, also worked for Rank during this time.

Growth

The Rank Organisation grew very fast by buying other companies. In 1938, it bought Odeon Cinemas. In 1939, it combined Denham Film Studios with Pinewood and bought the UK sites of Paramount Cinemas. By 1941, it had purchased the Gaumont-British Picture Corporation, which included many cinemas and studios.

In the mid-1940s, the company added Two Cities Films, making important movies. It also bought a big cinema chain in Australasia in 1946 and got rights to show Universal Pictures films in the UK in 1947. By the late 1940s, the Rank Organisation owned five big film studios, over 650 cinemas in the UK and abroad, and many other businesses like advertising and film labs.

Crisis and diversification

The Rank Organisation faced big money problems by 1949, owing £16 million and losing £3.5 million each year. To save money, the company cut staff, lowered budgets, and focused film making at Pinewood. They closed or sold other studios, including those in Islington. These changes upset many people in the film industry, and famous director David Lean decided to work elsewhere.

In 1952, Earl St John said Rank would make 12 new movies costing £1.5 million. Later that year, he announced plans to make more films outside the UK. In 1955, Rank planned 12 more films with new actors and reported that their film production was going well.

Diversification

In 1945, the company bought a radio factory and started to grow into new areas. In 1962, it joined with another company to create a big group for making and selling radios.

In 1956, the company partnered with Haloid to make copying machines, which later became very important for the company. By 1962, it had merged with another company and had many different parts, like making films, running theatres, and selling electrical goods.

The company also had a part for making and selling records, and it ran many theatres, dance halls, and bowling places. They even had their own service areas along motorways in the UK.

Declining involvement in the film industry

During this time, Rank focused on making films that were popular with families. Some of these films included funny comedies starring Norman Wisdom, the Doctor films, and later the Carry On series. Important films from this period include Carve Her Name with Pride, Sapphire, A Night to Remember, and Victim. They also filmed special events like the Coronation of Elizabeth II and shows by the Royal Ballet.

In 1956, Rank planned to make 20 films costing over £3 million, aiming to attract international audiences. They wanted their British films to be enjoyed all over the world. Later, they set up distribution in the United States. However, by 1958, due to fewer people going to the cinema, Rank had to stop making four films and let go of over 300 workers. The company faced financial difficulties, losing a large amount of money on films. To recover some losses, they sold Ealing Studios to Associated British Picture Corporation. By the early 1970s, Rank reduced its film production and focused on other investments.

Temporary revival and last years

In 1977, the Rank Organisation chose Tony Williams to lead its film making. Over the next two years, they made eight movies spending around £10 million. Some of these films were Eagle's Wing, The Shout, The Thirty Nine Steps, Riddle of the Sands, and Silver Dream Racer. Many of these stories were set in earlier times because, as Williams said, people were looking for happier values from the past. However, these films did not do well in cinemas and lost money.

Later, Rank planned more movies worth £12 million, but by 1980 they stopped making films again. Some planned movies, like HMS Ulysses, The Rocking Horse Winner, and To the Manor Born, were never made. Rank said it took too long to make money from films.

Despite this, Rank made a big profit in 1981. They bought into other movies instead of making their own, which caused problems. Eventually, they decided to leave the film business. By 1982, they allowed others to use their old movies on home video. In the years that followed, Rank sold many parts of its film business, including studios and cinemas. By 2005, Rank had completely left the film industry.

Filmography

See List of Films Financed by Rank