38-539: Ritz Theatre or Ritz Theater is the name of several facilities: In England Ritz Theatre (Lincoln, England) In Australia Ritz Cinema, Sydney , a heritage-listed theatre in Sydney, New South Wales In the United States Ritz Theatre (Hollywood, California) Ritz Theatre (Brunswick, Georgia) , contributing property of
76-1171: A deal with the BBC to gain access to Rank's nineteen feature offerings. In 1987, the Rank Film Distributors group received a $ 100 million fund for film financing, and the Rank Film and Television division had invested in $ 32 million that they would take the budget against non-U.S. rights. In 1995, the Rank Group acquired all the outstanding shares of the Rank Organisation. In spring 1997, the Rank Group sold Rank Film Distributors, including its library of 749 films, to Carlton Communications for £65 million and immediately became known as Carlton/RFD Ltd. Pinewood Studios and Odeon Cinemas were both sold off in February 2000 for £62 million and £280 million respectively. The company finally severed its remaining connections with
114-482: A group profit of over £6 million and stated 41% of its film production income came from overseas. In October 1964 Davis reported profits of £4.6 million. From 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. From 1971 to 1976, Rank only invested around £1.5 million a year in film production. According to executive Tony Williams "the two main streams that they were down to
152-575: A spokesman for Rank. The following year, Rank reported a record pre-tax profit of £102 million. According to Tony Williams: After a time Rank Film Distributors was in trouble because they hadn't got any new product. So Rank Film Distributors was then given chunks of money to go and buy into pictures because they made a blunder. And they carried on, on that basis, not directly making them and they had no direct control over what they made at all, no influence. They just bought into pictures. They did an output deal with Orion and that carried on until they sold
190-432: A wider audience. The Rank Organisation was established, as a means for Rank to consolidate his filmmaking interests, in 1937. A loose collective of filmmakers was established by Rank under the banner of Independent Producers Ltd. including The Archers , consisting of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger , Cineguild Productions , consisting of David Lean , Ronald Neame , John Bryan , and Anthony Havelock-Allan ,
228-457: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Ritz Theatre (Lincoln, England) The Ritz is a former cinema and theatre in Lincoln, England , currently in use as a pub. The Ritz was opened in 1937 under the ownership of Gerald Segelman and designed by Scottish architect Leslie C Norton. Seating was over two levels with 1,240 seats in
266-602: The Bush Radio manufacturing facility and began to diversify its interests. In the early 1960s Rank took over Murphy Radio to form the Rank Bush Murphy Group (which was eventually sold to Great Universal Stores in 1978). In 1956 Rank began a partnership with the Haloid Corporation to form Rank Xerox , to manufacture and promote its range of plain paper photocopying equipment. In later years,
304-533: The J. Arthur Rank Organisation ) is a British entertainment conglomerate founded by industrialist J. Arthur Rank in April 1937, Rank also served as the company chairman. It quickly became the largest and most vertically integrated film company in the United Kingdom, owning production, distribution, and exhibition facilities as well as manufacturing projection equipment and chairs. It also diversified into
342-537: The Royal Ballet . In February 1956 Davis announced Rank would make 20 films at over £3 million. He said "great care will be taken to ensure that, while retaining essentially British characteristics the films will have the widest international appeal. This is part of an intensified drive to secure ever widening showing in overseas markets which already return more than half the revenue earned by Pinewood films." That year, Rank announced it would set up distribution in
380-728: The Brunswick Old Town Historic District Ritz Theatre (Jacksonville) , Duval County, Florida Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center , Sanford, Seminole County, Florida, formerly the Ritz Theater, the Milane Theatre, and the Helen Stairs Theatre Ritz Theatre (Haddon Township, New Jersey) Ritz Theater (Newburgh, New York) , Orange County Walter Kerr Theatre , New York City, originally
418-620: The Cannes Film Festival in 1980, Ed Chilton of Rank announced a £12 million slate of projects. However, by June, they withdrew from production once again. "The decision was made to plunge on in and then it was pulled back", said Williams. The Rank films that had been announced for production – including an adaptation of HMS Ulysses , The Rocking Horse Winner and a film version of To the Manor Born – were cancelled. "It now takes too long to recoup money on films," said
SECTION 10
#1732772215487456-612: The Ritz Theatre Ritz Theatre and Hoskins Rexall Drug Store No. 2 , on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Anderson County, Tennessee Ritz (Austin, Texas) Ritz Theatre (Elizabeth, New Jersey) See also [ edit ] Ritz (disambiguation) , other cinemas and facilities named "Ritz" Ritz Cinema (disambiguation) [REDACTED] Topics referred to by
494-468: The Sands and Silver Dream Racer . Many of these stories were set in the past. "You have to go back in time to tell a story that doesn't have to face seventies problems", said Williams in 1978. "What people are nostalgic for isn't necessarily any particular period, but the happier values that are missing today." Few of these new Rank films performed well at the box office, losing £1.6 million overall. At
532-608: The Stingers , Wilbert Harrison , Skip & Flip , Andy Stewart , Craig Douglas and John Leyton . A US branch operated from 1959 to 1961; its artists included Jack Scott , Dorothy Collins , and The Fireballs . Rank Audio Visual was created in 1960, bringing together Rank's acquisitions in multimedia, including Bell & Howell (acquired with Gaumont British in 1941), Andrew Smith Harkness Ltd (1952) and Wharfedale Ltd (1958). Subsequent acquisitions included Strand Electric Holdings (1968) and H.J. Leak & Co. (1969). In
570-837: The UK, opening its first services at Farthing Corner on the M2 in Kent in 1963. Top Rank operated a portfolio of 10 service areas until the takeover of Mecca Leisure Group by the Rank Group in 1991, when they were spun off to ex-Mecca CEO Michael Guthrie under the name Pavilion (later acquired by Granada and now forming part of Moto Hospitality ). There were other small specialised groups, including Rank Taylor Hobson who made inspection equipment, Rank Cintel who made telecine (television film scanners) machines, and Gaumont Kalee who made audio analysis equipment. During this period, Rank started focussing on primarily solidly commercial ventures, largely aimed at
608-576: The US. In October Davis listed the Rank actors he thought could become international stars: Dirk Bogarde , Peter Finch , Kay Kendall , Jeannie Carson , Virginia McKenna , Belinda Lee , Michael Craig , Tony Wright , Maureen Swanson and Kenneth More . In October 1957, at the 21st birthday for Pinewood Studios, Davis said Rank would make 18 films this year and 20 the next, with the latter costing £5 million. However cinema attendances fell. In September 1958
646-444: The building was bought by The Rank Organisation and, as result was renamed The Lincoln Odeon. In 1981, The Rank Organisation decided to close the cinema and it stood empty for the next 3 years. The building regained its original name when it was acquired in 1984 by Lincoln resident Barry Stead. Stead was keen to introduce live performances to the venue as an additional income at a time when cinema audiences were dwindling. However, at
684-404: The company had lost £1,264,000 on films causing the group's profit to drop from £5 million to £1.8 million. John Davis wound up several long term contracts Rank had with talent. "The trouble with some of them is they won't work," he said. "They lose their sense of proportion." To recoup some of their losses, Rank sold Ealing Studios and its library to Associated British Picture Corporation . In
722-532: The conversion of the existing auditorium into a multi-screen venue. In March 1995 the building reopened as the Ritz Film Centre, featuring three screens. The stalls were cut in half with each screen accommodating 300 patrons whilst the former circle was closed off and used to create a single screen with a larger capacity of 485. Although the Ritz was now able to offer audiences a more modern cinema experience,
760-592: The family market. These include the popular Norman Wisdom comedies, the Doctor films series and, later, Rank took on the Carry On film series from Anglo-Amalgamated . Films of note were produced during this era including Carve Her Name with Pride , Sapphire , A Night to Remember and Victim , as well as a clutch of prestige topics such as the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and filmed performances by
798-424: The filmmaking duo of Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat , and the directors Ken Annakin and Muriel Box . The Company of Youth , the Rank Organisation's associated acting school often referred to as "The Charm School", was founded in 1945. It launched several careers including those of Donald Sinden , Dirk Bogarde , Diana Dors and Christopher Lee . Although she was not a member of the school, Petula Clark
SECTION 20
#1732772215487836-484: The first ITV television contract holder for the south of England . In the late 1950s, The Rank Organization set up Rank Records Ltd. , the record label division was named Top Rank Records and Jaro Records (a US subsidiary). In 1960, Top Rank Records was taken over by EMI , and in 1962 they replaced it with Stateside Records . Top Rank Records artists included Gary U.S. Bonds , the Shirelles , B. Bumble and
874-404: The improved backstage area. For the next ten years the venue hosted artists such as Sister Sledge , Howard Keel , and Danny La Rue . By 1994, however, it was becoming apparent that the large auditorium was no longer cost-effective. Multiplex cinemas provided choice and flexibility that traditional single-screen cinemas could not compete with. As a result, the cinema closed temporarily to allow
912-409: The industry; in particular they led film director David Lean , responsible for some of Rank's most critically and financially successful films, to look elsewhere for backing. J. Arthur Rank stepped down as managing director of the Rank Organisation in 1952, but remained as chairman until 1962. In October 1955 the company reported its film production was "satisfactory". In 1945, the company bought
950-439: The late 1950s Sydney Box became head of production although he retired from the industry in 1959. In January 1960, John Davis announced that Rank would concentrate on bigger budgeted, internationally focused productions. In 1961 they announced a production slate of a dozen films worth £7 million. In October 1962 Lord Rank resigned as chairman of the company and was replaced by managing director Davis. That year to company made
988-521: The manufacture of radios, TVs and photocopiers (as one of the owners of Rank Xerox ). The company name lasted until February 1996, when the name and some of the remaining assets were absorbed into the newly structured Rank Group plc . The company itself became a wholly owned subsidiary of Xerox and was renamed XRO Limited in 1997. The company logo, the Gongman , first used in 1935 by the group's distribution company General Film Distributors and seen in
1026-493: The mid and late 1970s, Rank Audio Visual made a 3-in-1 stereo music centre, as well as TV sets in conjunction with NEC of Japan. The production of the "classic" Rank TV ran in the mid to late 70s, some interim models appeared and the "modern" Rank TV appeared in the early 1980s. The NEC badge did not appear in the PAL /220/240 volt countries until the mid-1980s. Top Rank was one of the early operators of motorway service areas in
1064-708: The now disused circle for it to be re-fitted for cinema use again. Pete Genders was to be the Chief Executive and oversaw the renovation. The new 480 seat venue was to become an art-house cinema and community hub but closed unexpectedly in 2017 after the lease had expired. The Ritz is included on the Local List of Buildings of Architectural Significance and is defined as a landmark corner building within Conservation Area Number 6. The Rank Organisation The Rank Organisation (founded as
1102-535: The opening of the purpose-built Warner Cinema with its nine screens made the Ritz all but obsolete. The Ritz closed once again in March 1996. The building reopened in May 1988 as a JD Wetherspoon public house. The foyer and stalls area had undergone conversion but the former circle and projector room were surplus to requirements. It wasn't until 2013 that the Ritz regained its cinema status. JD Wetherspoon agreed to lease
1140-512: The opening titles of the films, became a celebrated and enduring film emblem. The company founder J. Arthur Rank, born in Kingston upon Hull , UK, was already a wealthy industrialist through his father's flour milling business, Joseph Rank Ltd , before making his start in filmmaking by financing short religious subjects in line with his Methodist beliefs. As Rank was a Methodist Sunday School Teacher, he wished to introduce these beliefs to
1178-455: The same term This disambiguation page lists articles about distinct geographical locations with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ritz_Theatre&oldid=1238636778 " Categories : Place name disambiguation pages Lists of theatres Hidden categories: Short description
Ritz Theatre - Misplaced Pages Continue
1216-414: The shooting match. Then the decision was made to get out of (the) film (industry), so RFD was closed down, Rank Film Advertising was sold off, eventually, the laboratories went. Cinemas was the last one to go. In 1982, the company partnered with Andre Blay Corporation to license its British title library to home video. In 1986, Rank Film Distributors, and archrival Cannon Screen Entertainment had signed
1254-529: The stalls and 510 in the circle, giving a total capacity of 1,750. The building was designed primarily as a cinema and its first offering on 22 February 1937 was San Francisco , starring Clark Gable and Jeanette MacDonald . In 1941 the building suffered minor damage due to German bombing. In 1954 The Ritz became the first cinema in Lincoln to have CinemaScope installed. Two years later, in January 1956,
1292-462: The time the building was not suitable for live performance; the stage was only 12 feet deep, there was no fly system, minimal backstage area and no get-in access, meaning that all set and equipment would need to be able to fit through normal-sized doors. Stead set about making improvements which included the construction of a fore-stage which increased the total depth of the stage to 28 feet. As part of these renovations, 5 dressing rooms were also added to
1330-446: The waning film company assets were hastily converted and pressed into 'Rank Xerox' service. This venture was a huge gamble but ultimately the company's saving grace, until, once more in financial difficulties, it signed off increasing percentages of its holdings, to the parent company, finally becoming fully integrated into Xerox in the late 1990s. Rank was also a significant shareholder in the consortium which became Southern Television ,
1368-520: Was Carry On pictures and horror films made by Kevin Francis". However, in 1976, Rank enjoyed much success with Bugsy Malone (which they co-produced with Paramount Pictures , who held its American rights). This encouraged them to re-enter film production. In 1977, Rank appointed Tony Williams head of production and over two years Rank made eight films worth £10 million, including Eagle's Wing , The Shout , The Thirty Nine Steps , Riddle of
1406-568: Was now called), owned: Despite funding films which were both popular and critically acclaimed, Rank was in crisis by 1949, having built up a debt of £16 million, and reported an annual loss of £3.5 million. Managing Director John Davis cut staff, reduced budgets and concentrated film production at Pinewood. Other studio facilities (in Islington ) were closed, sold (Lime Grove Studios) or leased (Denham). The Rank Organisation closed Independent Producers Ltd. The policies of Davis alienated many in
1444-529: Was under contract to Rank for a period of time and starred in a number of films released by the studio, including London Town (1946), one of the costliest flops in British film history. Also under contract to Rank was the Canadian actor Philip Gilbert . The company grew quickly, largely through acquisition. Significant developments included: By the late 1940s J. Arthur Rank (or the Rank Organisation as it
#486513