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84-406: The act was built around the three performers' comedic personalities. Abner was a loquacious, genial hillbilly who was sharper than he first appears. Cicero was a bashful clown, who only speaks through whistles. Elviry was sharp-tongued and belligerent, with a deadpan comic style. The group also made a series of films for Republic Pictures in the late 1930s and early 40s. Their first film appearance

168-602: A movie ranch in Encino . Republic was known for specializing in Westerns , cliffhanger serials , and B-films emphasizing action and mystery. The studio was also notable for developing the careers of such famous Western stars as Roy Rogers , Gene Autry , and John Wayne . It was also responsible for the financial management and distribution of several big-budget feature films directed by John Ford , as well as one Shakespeare motion picture directed by Orson Welles . Under

252-508: A $ 13 million loss for the year ending October 1970, and a $ 43 million loss for the year ended July 1971. The company promoted Sanford Sigoloff , who would later earn a reputation as a turnaround expert, to lead as President. Today, the studio lot is known as CBS Studio Center . In 2006, it became home to the network's Los Angeles stations KCBS-TV and KCAL-TV . In 2008, the CBS network relocated from its Hollywood Television City operations to

336-475: A 24% share in the newly formed Hawk Company organization. On August 27, 1986, Republic Pictures Home Video established a venture with Eagle Productions Ltd. that Eagle would produce family-oriented outdoors programming, and that Republic Pictures Home Video would handle sales, marketing, and distribution of the Eagle Productions titles, with the venture The Eagle Heritage Video Collection is aimed at

420-453: A Bowery Boys comedy. In the mid-1940s Monogram very nearly hit the big time with Dillinger , a sensationalized crime drama that was a runaway success in 1945. Filmed by King Brothers Productions , it received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay . Monogram tried to follow Dillinger immediately (with several "exploitation" melodramas cashing in on topical themes), and did achieve some success, but Monogram never became

504-748: A Western shot in seven days for about $ 50,000; "Anniversary", filmed in 14–15 days for $ 175,000-$ 200,000; "Deluxe", major productions made with a budget of around $ 500,000; and "Premiere", which were usually made by top-rank directors who most often did not work for Republic, such as John Ford , Fritz Lang and Frank Borzage , and which could have budgets of $ 1,000,000 or more. Some of these "Deluxe" films were produced by independent companies and were picked up for release by Republic. Although Republic released most of its films in black and white, it occasionally produced higher-budgeted films such as The Red Pony (1949) and The Quiet Man in Technicolor . During

588-473: A Wonderful Life (under NTA, it had already acquired the film's negative, music score, and the story on which it was based, " The Greatest Gift "). On September 14, 1993, following Blockbuster's purchase of a 48.2% stake in Aaron Spelling 's Spelling Entertainment , Spelling announced that they would enter into a $ 100 million purchase and merger with Republic Pictures Corporation, which would close at

672-459: A brief period under this new venture, Johnston and Carr clashed with Yates and left. Carr moved to Universal Pictures , while Johnston reactivated Monogram in 1937. In 1938, Monogram began a long and profitable policy of making series and hiring familiar players to star in them. Frankie Darro , Hollywood's foremost tough-kid actor of the 1930s, joined Monogram and stayed with the company until 1950. Comedian Mantan Moreland co-starred in many of

756-487: A distributor of foreign films, but restarted production with the release of Cabaret (1972) and followed it with Papillon (1973). Both were critical and commercial successes, but high production and financing costs meant they were not big moneymakers for the company. Allied raised financing for their adaptation of The Man Who Would Be King (1975) by selling the European distribution rights to Columbia Pictures and

840-514: A fading Interstate TV company and injected some new razzmatazz patterns into syndication, with a resultant setup that now gives AAT the status of a major distribery with techniques that are paying off in handsome dividends. Most of it was accomplished through the marketing of five going packages of feature films, with particular success in bundling the pix as a series" [48 Bowery Boys, 22 science-fiction, 13 Bomba, and two packages comprising 72 miscellaneous features]. Allied Artists' television library

924-523: A following very quickly. Many were live-action adaptations of radio and comic-strip adventures. Dick Tracy (1937), starring Ralph Byrd as the intrepid detective, was so popular that it spawned three sequels. The Lone Ranger (1938) and its follow-up The Lone Ranger Rides Again (1939) were well received, and Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941) reached new heights of visual effects. Serials produced after World War II were more economy-minded, with

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1008-472: A former exhibitor who became a Monogram executive, was named president. Interstate's biggest success was the Little Rascals series (formerly Hal Roach 's "Our Gang" comedies, which had been reissued for theaters by Monogram). Interstate further pursued juvenile audiences by distributing Monogram's feature-length westerns with Wild Bill Elliott , and outdoor adventures with Kirby Grant and "Chinook,

1092-459: A home at Monogram. Storm had been promoted from Monogram's Frankie Darro series and was showcased in crime dramas (like The Crime Smasher (1943) opposite Richard Cromwell and radio's Frank Graham in the title role) and a string of musicals to capitalize on her singing talents (like Campus Rhythm and Nearly Eighteen (both 1943), as well as Swing Parade of 1946 featuring The Three Stooges ). Another of Monogram's finds during this time

1176-609: A long-term lease with Hickson for Placeritos Ranch, with terms that stipulated that the ranch be renamed Monogram Ranch. Actor/cowboy singer/producer Gene Autry purchased the Monogram Ranch property from the Hickson heirs in 1953, renaming it after his film Melody Ranch . As of 2010, it was operated as the Melody Ranch Motion Picture Studio and Melody Ranch Studios. After fire damage,

1260-624: A new musical-comedy series called "The Teen Agers" (1946-48) as a vehicle for singer Freddie Stewart . Other series included the Cisco Kid westerns (1945-47); the exploits of masked crimefighter The Shadow with Kane Richmond (1946); the Bringing Up Father comedies (1946-50) based on the George McManus comic strip, featuring Joe Yule and Renie Riano as "Jiggs and Maggie; the "Joe Palooka" prizefight comedies (1946-51);

1344-534: A new unit, Allied Artists Productions, to make costlier films. The new name was meant to mirror the name of United Artists by evoking images of "creative personnel uniting to produce and distribute quality films". At a time when the average Hollywood picture cost about $ 800,000 (and the average Monogram picture cost about $ 90,000), Allied Artists' first release, the Christmas-themed comedy It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947), cost more than $ 1,200,000. It

1428-407: A policy which continued at Monogram Pictures, with Carr in charge of production. Another independent producer, Paul Malvern , released 16 Lone Star western productions (starring John Wayne ) through Monogram. The backbone of the studio's early days was a father-son partnership: writer/director Robert N. Bradbury and cowboy actor Bob Steele (born Robert A. Bradbury). Bradbury wrote almost all of

1512-809: A respectable "major" studio like former poverty-row denizen Columbia Pictures . The only Monogram release to win the Academy Award was Climbing the Matterhorn , a two-reel adventure that won the "Best Short Subject" Oscar in 1947. Other Monogram films to receive Oscar nominations were King of the Zombies for Academy Award for Best Music (Music Score of a Dramatic Picture) in 1941 and Flat Top for Best Film Editing in 1952. Monogram's fortunes improved even more after World War II. With Hollywood's larger studios curtailing B-picture production in favor of more prestigious and more expensive pictures, there

1596-566: A subsidiary, Hollywood Television Service, in December 1950. Earl Collins, Republic's branch manager in Los Angeles, accepted the presidency of the new TV arm. Collins made two major announcements: effective June 25, 1951, much of Republic's backlog of feature films would be available to local stations; and, effective that same day, Republic's studio lot would be available for rental to independent TV producers. The Republic features, including

1680-582: Is now owned by Allied Artists International . The original sprawling brick complex which functioned as home to both Monogram and Allied Artists remains at 4376 Sunset Drive, utilized as part of the Church of Scientology Media Center (formerly KCET 's television facilities). Monogram was created in the early 1930s from two earlier companies: W. Ray Johnston 's Rayart Productions (renamed Raytone when sound pictures came in) and Trem Carr 's Sono Art-World Wide Pictures . Both specialized in low-budget features,

1764-534: The Gene Autry and Roy Rogers westerns, were uniformly edited to a running time of 53 minutes and 30 seconds each, in order to fit neatly into one-hour time slots. This was looked upon by TV programmers as a tremendous convenience, and Hollywood Television Service found hundreds of ready customers. Hollywood Television Service also produced television shows filmed in the same style as Republic's serials, such as The Adventures of Fu Manchu (1956). Also, in 1952,

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1848-687: The Production Code . Republic's leading female star was Judy Canova , who was enormously popular in Republic's customer base of small towns and rural areas. Republic produced many " hillbilly " rural musicals and comedies featuring Canova and the Weaver Brothers and Elviry . She left Republic after a salary dispute in 1943, but was wooed back into the fold in 1951. In 1946, Republic incorporated animation into its Gene Autry feature film Sioux City Sue . It turned out well enough for

1932-707: The Roddy McDowall series (1948-52), with the juvenile lead forsaking child roles for dramatic and action vehicles; the "Henry" series of small-town comedies (1949-51) co-starring Raymond Walburn and Walter Catlett ; and the " Bomba, the Jungle Boy " adventures (1949-55) starring Johnny Sheffield (formerly "Boy" of the Tarzan films). The Bowery Boys, Charlie Chan, and the Monogram westerns (now featuring Johnny Mack Brown, Jimmy Wakely , and Whip Wilson ) were

2016-513: The 1940s and 50s originally released by Warner Bros. which Feiner had previously acquired. Feiner sold Republic Pictures the "rights, and interest of every kind, nature, and description throughout the Universe" to the films in 1986, but retained the license to exploit the films in major U.S. markets (New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, etc.). The plaintiff claimed that the films aired on cable several times without their knowledge. The case

2100-455: The Carnival (1955). Republic kept many of its serials in circulation; they were still playing in local movie theaters well into the 1960s. The backbone of the company was its feature-length Westerns . Many of its Western film leads — among them John Wayne , Gene Autry , Roy Rogers , Bill Elliott , Allan "Rocky" Lane , and Rex Allen — became recognizable stars at Republic. However, by

2184-587: The Darro films and continued to be a valuable asset to Monogram through 1949. Juvenile actors Marcia Mae Jones and Jackie Moran co-starred in series of homespun romances, and then joined the Frankie Darro series. Boris Karloff contributed to the Monogram release schedule with his Mr. Wong mysteries. This prompted producer Sam Katzman to engage Bela Lugosi for a follow-up series of Monogram thrillers. Katzman's street-gang series The East Side Kids

2268-466: The Jungle Boy adventures (through 1955), and especially its breadwinning comedy series with The Bowery Boys (through 1958, with Clements replacing Leo Gorcey in 1956). For the most part, Allied Artists was heading in new, ambitious directions under Mirisch. Monogram was the first substantial theatrical distributor to offer its recent films to network television, in April 1948. Steve Broidy's asking price

2352-525: The Radford lot, and its executives are based from the site. Following the immense success of their syndication of the Republic Pictures catalogue to cable television , National Telefilm Associates announced on December 28, 1984, that they had acquired the logos, copyrights, and trademarks of Republic Pictures Corporation and effectively renamed themselves as such. A television production unit

2436-453: The Republic aegis , and higher budgets with which to improve the quality of the films. After he had learned the basics of film production and distribution from his partners, Yates began asserting more and more authority over their film departments, and dissension arose in the ranks. Carr and Johnston left and reactivated Monogram Pictures in 1937; Darmour resumed independent production for Columbia Pictures ; Levine left and never recovered from

2520-472: The Republic Pictures brand and logo. Overseas, Spelling licensed out the library to distributors such as PolyGram Video / Universal Pictures Video in the United Kingdom. By the end of the decade, Viacom bought the portion of Spelling it did not own previously; thus, Republic became a wholly owned division of Paramount Pictures . Artisan (later sold to Lionsgate Home Entertainment ) continued to use

2604-446: The Republic Pictures brand, with the intention of it serving as the company's acquisitions label, releasing titles acquired by Paramount Global Content Distribution , similar to the distribution model of, amongst other companies, Stage 6 Films or American International Pictures . Monogram Pictures Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when

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2688-487: The Republic name, logo, and library under license from Paramount. Republic Pictures' holdings consist of a catalog of 3,000 films and TV series, including the original Republic library (except for the Roy Rogers and Gene Autry catalogs, owned by their respective estates) and inherited properties from NTA and Aaron Spelling. In 2012, Richard Feiner & Co. sued Paramount for the unauthorized exploitation of 17 films from

2772-437: The Republic studio lot became the first home of MCA 's series factory, Revue Productions . While it appeared that Republic was well suited for television series production, it did not have the finances or vision to do so. Yet by the mid-1950s, thanks to its sale of old features and leasing of studio space to MCA, television was the prop supporting Republic. During this period, the studio produced Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of

2856-419: The Universe ; unsuccessful as a theater release, the 12-part serial was later sold to NBC for television distribution. Talent agent MCA exerted influence at the studio, bringing in some high-paid clients for occasional features, and it was rumored at various times that either MCA or deposed MGM head Louis B. Mayer would buy the studio outright. As the demand and market for motion pictures declined with

2940-576: The Wonder Dog." Curiously, Interstate used the stock title design for the "Little Rascals" shorts when it filmed new TV titles for the Elliott and the Grant features. In July 1961 Interstate TV became Allied Artists Television Corporation, under the leadership of studio executive Edward Morey. Variety commented on the updated company's getting quick results: "Allied Artists Television Corp. took over

3024-1059: The box office success of Jeepers Creepers , Republic signed a contract with the Weavers for three movies a year for the next two years. The series lasted for eleven films, ending in 1943 with Mountain Rhythm . Leon Weaver began performing in 1902, and then brought his brother Frank into the act. June joined the group in 1913, and married Leon in 1916. June divorced Leon around 1924, and she then married Frank in 1928. June's daughter recalled, "Mother married brothers and they all got along and worked in harmony. Mother still bossed [ex-hubby] Leon around, and he loved it. He would say, 'Now, Ellie.' They were longtime friends and remained so." They became headliners after World War I , and performed with top vaudeville performers like Al Jolson , George Burns and Gracie Allen , Jack Benny and Beatrice Lillie . Elviry's comic catchphrase was, "If I had my druthers, I druther..." All three were versatile musicians. Leon

3108-770: The comic-strip exploits of Snuffy Smith and Sam Katzman's comedy series teaming Billy Gilbert , Shemp Howard , and Maxie Rosenbloom . Many of Monogram's series were westerns. The studio released sagebrush sagas with Bill Cody , Bob Steele , John Wayne , Tom Keene , Tim McCoy , Tex Ritter , and Jack Randall before hitting on the "trio" format teaming veteran saddle pals. Buck Jones , Tim McCoy , and Raymond Hatton became The Rough Riders; Ray (Crash) Corrigan , John "Dusty" King , and Max Terhune were The Range Busters , and Ken Maynard , Hoot Gibson , and Bob Steele teamed as The Trail Blazers. When Universal Pictures allowed Johnny Mack Brown 's contract to lapse, Monogram grabbed him and kept him busy through 1952. Monogram

3192-439: The company for nearly $ 6 million, becoming its president. He turned Republic into a diversified business that included plastics and appliances in addition to its film and studio rentals and Consolidated Film Industries, renaming the company Republic Corporations. In 1963, having used the studio for series production for years, Republic began leasing its backlot to other firms, including CBS . In February 1967, Republic's studio

3276-893: The depths of the Great Depression , Yates' laboratory was no longer serving the major studios, which had developed their own in-house laboratories for purposes of both economy and control, while the small, independent producers were going under in the face of increased competition from the majors combined with the general impact of the depressed economy. In 1935, he thus decided to create a studio of his own to insure Consolidated's stability. Six surviving small companies ( Monogram Pictures , Mascot Pictures , Liberty Pictures , Majestic Pictures , Chesterfield Pictures , and Invincible Pictures Corporation ) were all in debt to Yates' lab. He prevailed upon these studios to merge under his leadership or else face foreclosure on their outstanding lab bills. Yates' new company, Republic Pictures Corporation,

3360-662: The early Monogram and Lone Star westerns and directed many of them himself. Monogram offered a selection of film genres, including action melodramas, classics, and mysteries. In its early years, Monogram could seldom afford big-name movie stars and would employ either former silent-film actors who were idle ( Herbert Rawlinson , William Collier Sr. ) or young featured players ( Ray Walker , Wallace Ford , William Cagney , Charles Starrett ). In 1935, Johnston and Carr were wooed by Herbert Yates of Consolidated Film Industries . Yates planned to merge Monogram with several other smaller independent companies to form Republic Pictures . After

3444-449: The end of January 1994. The deal was closed on April 27, 1994, with Republic Pictures Corporation becoming a fully owned subsidiary of Spelling Entertainment and was renamed Republic Entertainment Inc. Following Blockbuster Entertainment's merger with Viacom on September 29, 1994, Blockbuster by then owned 67% of Spelling Entertainment and Republic. At the end of the year, Spelling's existing home video division, Worldvision Home Video ,

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3528-603: The end of the low-budget film had come true thanks to television, and in September 1952 Monogram announced that henceforth it would only produce films bearing the Allied Artists name. The Monogram brand name was retired in 1953, and the company was now known as Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Allied Artists retained a few vestiges of its Monogram identity, continuing its popular Stanley Clements action series (through 1953), its B-westerns (through 1954), its Bomba,

3612-434: The firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation . Monogram was among the smaller studios in the golden age of Hollywood , generally referred to collectively as Poverty Row . Lacking the financial resources to deliver the lavish sets, production values, and star power of the larger studios, Monogram sought to attract its audiences with the promise of action and adventure. The company's trademark

3696-452: The former to expand to the children's video market; however, videos tied to the CTW's flagship series Sesame Street were not included due to a preexisting deal with Random House Home Video that eventually expired two years later. Later on in the year, the company used the landmark legal decision Stewart v. Abend in order to reactivate the copyright on Frank Capra 's 1946 RKO film It's

3780-438: The heart of Yates, marrying him in 1952. She was originally featured in musicals as Republic's answer to Sonja Henie , but Yates tried to build her up as a dramatic star, casting her in leading roles opposite important male stars. Yates billed her as "the most beautiful woman in films", but her charms were lost on the moviegoing public while her noticeable Czech accent limited her range, and soon exhibitors complained that Republic

3864-457: The increasing popularity of television, Republic began to cut back on its films, slowing production from 40 features annually in the early 1950s to 18 in 1957 (in 1956—the year the company had recorded a profit of $ 919,000—it temporarily ceased production of features. ) Perhaps inspired by the success of American International Pictures catering to teenaged audiences, Republic dispensed with its old "no exploitation" rule and released several films in

3948-534: The interest of hunting, fishing and other "non-consumptive" uses of the outdoors. In 1987, Republic Pictures decided to expand onto its television production activities, in association with Jaffe/Lansing Productions , on a television movie for ABC , which is When the Time Comes , plus two prospective projects for CBS , which are Indiscreet , and Mistress , which was part of a three-picture deal between Jaffe/Lansing and Republic Pictures. That year, Chuck Larsen

4032-574: The late 1940s and 1950s, Yates utilized a low-cost, two-color process called Trucolor (similar to Cinecolor , favoring blues and oranges) in many Republic films, including Johnny Guitar , The Last Command (1955), and Magic Fire (1956). In 1956, the studio devised its own widescreen film process, Naturama , and The Maverick Queen was the first film made in that process. Shut out of their attempts to acquire television broadcasting licenses, most studios resisted making their film libraries available to local stations. Republic, however, established

4116-434: The late 1950s about juvenile delinquency , such as The Wayward Girl (1957), Juvenile Jungle (1958), and Young and Wild (1958). A tearful Yates informed shareholders at the 1958 annual meeting that feature film production was ending; the distribution offices were shut down the following year. On July 1, 1958, Victor M. Carter, a Los Angeles businessman and turnaround specialist, acquired controlling interest in

4200-490: The longest-running feature-film comedy series in movie history (48 titles over 12 years). During this run, Gorcey became the highest-paid actor in Hollywood on an annual basis. Monogram continued to experiment with film series with mixed results. Definite box-office hits were Charlie Chan , The Cisco Kid , and Joe Palooka , all proven movie properties abandoned by other studios and revived by Monogram. Less successful were

4284-542: The loss of his studio, staff and stars, all of whom now were contracted to Republic and Yates. Meanwhile, Yates installed a staff of new, "associate" producers who were loyal to him. Freed of partners, Yates presided over what was now his film studio and acquiring senior production and management staff who served him as employees, not experienced peers with independent ideas and agendas. Republic also acquired Brunswick Records for recording sessions with singing cowboys Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. They hired Cy Feuer as head of

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4368-433: The mid-1940s, Yates was producing better-quality pictures, mounting big-budget fare such as The Quiet Man (1952), Sands of Iwo Jima (1949), Johnny Guitar (1954), and The Maverick Queen (1956). Another distinguishing aspect of Republic Pictures was Yates' avoidance of any controversial subject matter ( exploitation films being a staple of B movies), in contrast to the other "Poverty Row" studios that often dodged

4452-481: The northern San Gabriel Mountains foothills. Tom Mix had used the Placeritos Ranch for location shooting for his silent western films. Ernie Hickson became the owner in 1936 and reconstructed all the "frontier western town" sets , moved from the nearby Republic Pictures Movie Ranch (present day Disney Golden Oak Ranch ), onto his 110-acre (0.45 km ) ranch. A year later Monogram Pictures signed

4536-450: The original Republic film library. In 1985, the company bought out Blackhawk Films , and eventually, Republic decided to close Blackhawk in 1987. Also that year, Republic Pictures Home Video, the home video division of Republic Pictures, had signed an agreement with Hawk Company, headed by Robert Clouse , in order to gain access to 31 projects that were developed by Hawk, for home video release, and that Republic Pictures Home Video received

4620-589: The public domain. Jean-Luc Godard dedicated his film Breathless (1960) to Monogram. Allied Artists had its studio at 4401 W. Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, on a 4.5-acre lot. The longtime home (since 1971) of former PBS television station KCET , the station sold the studios to the Church of Scientology in April 2011. Monogram Pictures operated the Monogram Ranch , its movie ranch in Placerita Canyon near Newhall, California , in

4704-460: The release of Al Capone in 1959. This prompted Allied to invest in a series of bigger budgeted films once more including El Cid , Billy Budd , The George Raft Story and Hitler . There were still cut backs in overall production – the studio had released 35 films in 1958 but this dropped to 12 in 1960 (mainly because the studio stopped making westerns). Studio chief Steve Broidy retired in 1965. Allied Artists ceased production in 1966 and became

4788-735: The rest of the backing came from Canadian tax shelters. King was released in 1975, but received disappointing returns. That same year, the company distributed the French import Story of O , but spent much of its earnings defending itself from obscenity charges. In 1976, Allied Artists attempted to diversify when it merged with consumer producers Kalvex and PSP, Inc. The new Allied Artists Industries, Inc. manufactured pharmaceuticals, mobile homes, and activewear in addition to films. Monogram/Allied Artists continued until 1979, when runaway inflation and high production costs pushed it into bankruptcy. The post-August 1946 Monogram/Allied Artists library

4872-568: The result of years of wartime stress on costs and the postwar exchange and trade restrictions enacted by the nations of Continental Europe (practically closing off the market to smaller studios such as Republic), the Paramount Case (even though Republic never owned more than a handful of theaters), and the rise of television. In 1947, Yates stopped the production of short subjects, reduced the amount of serials, and organized Republic's feature output into four types of films: "Jubilee", usually

4956-422: The running times slashed from 20 minutes per episode to 13 minutes, and with the cliffhanger endings borrowed from older Republic serials and features. The studio also stopped licensing expensive comic-strip and radio properties, and instead created generic cops-and-robbers stories and science-fiction adventures. Despite the obvious economies, the Republic serials still found an audience, the last film being King of

5040-437: The series. Clampett took his direction credit under the name " Kilroy ". Republic also released another cartoon series in 1949 (this time without Clampett): a free-wheeling series of animated travelogues called Jerky Journeys , written and produced by Leonard Levinson , but only four cartoons were made. From the mid-1940s, Republic films often featured Vera Hruba Ralston , a former ice skater from Czechoslovakia who had won

5124-428: The studio to dabble in animated cartoons. After leaving Warner Bros. in 1946 (reportedly because of angering his peers at the studio's cartoon division for taking credit that was not really his), Bob Clampett approached Republic and directed a single cartoon, It's a Grand Old Nag , featuring the equine character Charlie Horse. Republic management, however, had second thoughts owing to dwindling profits and discontinued

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5208-522: The studio's biggest drawing cards. Monogram filmed some of its later features in Cinecolor , mostly outdoor subjects like County Fair , Blue Grass of Kentucky , and The Rose Bowl Story , as well as the science-fiction film, Flight to Mars (1952). Producer Walter Mirisch began at Monogram after World War II as assistant to studio head Steve Broidy . He convinced Broidy that the days of low-budget films were ending, and in 1946 Monogram created

5292-451: The studio's music department. At the 1958 annual meeting, Yates announced the end of motion picture production. In its early years, Republic was sometimes labeled a " Poverty Row " company, as its primary products were B movies and serials . Most of the technical staff had been with Mascot, a serial specialist, and thus was already geared to the steady production of weekly chapter plays. Republic's own serials began in 1936 and developed

5376-469: The supervising leadership of Herbert J. Yates , Republic was considered a mini-major film studio, producing almost 1,000 motion pictures. Created in 1935 by Herbert J. Yates , a longtime investor in film (having invested in 20th Century Pictures at its founding in 1933) and owner of the film processing laboratory Consolidated Film Industries , Republic was initially founded upon Yates' acquisition of six smaller independent Poverty Row studios. In

5460-618: Was $ 1,000,000 for a package of 200 features, or $ 5,000 per title. The CBS network declined the offer, and the films went instead to Motion Pictures for Television, a pioneer TV syndicator established in 1951 by film executive Matty Fox. Monogram cautiously entered the field of syndicating its own product in November 1951. Fearing adverse reaction from its movie-theater customers, a major studio avoided putting its own name on its television subsidiary. Monogram followed suit, christening its TV arm as Interstate Television Corporation. Ralph Branton,

5544-400: Was British skating star Belita , who conversely starred in musical revues first and then graduated to dramatic roles, including Suspense (1946), an A-budget King Brothers Productions picture released under the Monogram name. Monogram's final leading-lady discovery was Jane Nigh , who starred in several wholesome outdoor stories between 1950 and 1952; she returned to the studio in 1957 for

5628-665: Was adept at mandolin, guitar, fiddle and handsaw, while Frank played novelty instruments including a spinning banjo and a one-man band . June could play piano, mandolin and ukulele. Republic Pictures Republic Pictures is currently an acquisition-only label owned by Paramount Pictures . Its history dates back to Republic Pictures Corporation , an American film studio that originally operated from 1935 to 1967, based in Los Angeles , California . It had production and distribution facilities in Studio City , as well as

5712-630: Was also a haven for established stars whose careers had stalled: Edmund Lowe in Klondike Fury , John Boles in Road to Happiness , Ricardo Cortez in I Killed That Man , Simone Simon in Johnny Doesn't Live Here Anymore , Kay Francis and Bruce Cabot in Divorce . Monogram did create and nurture its own stars. Gale Storm began her career at RKO Radio Pictures in 1940 but found

5796-926: Was also a useful outlet for ambitious movie stars who wanted to produce their own films. Lou Costello , Sidney Toler , Kay Francis , Leo Gorcey, and Arthur Lake all pursued independent production, releasing through Monogram. The studio was a launching pad for new stars ( Preston Foster in Sensation Hunters , Randolph Scott in Broken Dreams , Ginger Rogers in The Thirteenth Guest , Lionel Atwill in The Sphinx , Alan Ladd in Her First Romance , Robert Mitchum in When Strangers Marry . The studio

5880-502: Was an imitation of the then-popular Dead End Kids features. The first film cast six juveniles who had no connection with the Dead End series, but Katzman signed Dead End Kids Bobby Jordan and Leo Gorcey , and soon added Huntz Hall and Gabriel Dell from the original gang. The East Side Kids series ran from 1940 to 1945. East Side star Gorcey then took the reins himself and transformed the series into The Bowery Boys , which became

5964-412: Was bought by television production company Lorimar in 1980 for $ 4.75 million; today a majority of this library belongs to Warner Bros. Pictures (via their acquisition of Lorimar in 1989). The pre-August 1946 Monogram library was sold in 1954 to Associated Artists Productions , which itself was sold to United Artists in 1958 (it merged with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1981). The pre-1946 Monogram library

6048-493: Was hired by Republic Pictures as president of domestic television distribution, and will select the two from a number of series we have in development. In January 1993, Blockbuster Entertainment announced they would purchase a 35% stake in Republic, In June 1993, the company's home video division signed a deal with the Children's Television Workshop for the release of several of the company's properties on VHS in order for

6132-420: Was in the 1938 Warner Bros. movie Swing Your Lady , starring Humphrey Bogart . They were picked up by Republic, which produced films targeted at rural audiences who were already fans of the Weavers' vaudeville act. Their first Republic picture, 1938's Down in 'Arkansaw' , had the Weavers second-billed after Ralph Byrd ; with their second film, the 1939 Jeepers Creepers , they received top billing. After

6216-609: Was later settled, with Feiner now sharing in the royalties. Republic Entertainment Inc. has since been folded by Paramount, who later formed a holding company called Melange Pictures for the Republic library, logos and brand. After Lionsgate's domestic deal with Paramount expired, Paramount signed new deals with Olive Films and Kino Lorber to distribute the Republic Library. As before, the Republic brand and logo continue to be used by both companies under license. On March 24, 2023, Paramount Global announced it would revive

6300-533: Was merged with Republic Pictures Home Video and took the latter name. In 1996, Republic shut down its film production unit. In September 1997, Republic's video rental operations were taken over by Paramount Home Video ; although its sell-through operations remained. In September 1998, Spelling announced that they would license the American and Canadian video rights to the Republic Pictures library to Artisan Entertainment , and would continue to be released with

6384-705: Was nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture and Wilder's Love in the Afternoon were box-office flops in 1956–57, studio head Broidy reverted to the kind of pictures Monogram had previously been known for: low-budget action pictures and thrillers, such as Don Siegel 's science-fiction film Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). Allied Artists and The Mirisch Company released some (but not all) of their late-1950s films through United Artists . Roger Corman made several successful films for Allied Artists. The studio had renewed success with

6468-469: Was not part of the deal with Ted Turner . (The rights to many of the later films are now owned by MGM via United Artists; others, such as The Big Combo , lapsed into the public domain.) A selection of post-1938 Monogram films acquired by M&A Alexander Productions and Astor Pictures were later incorporated into Melange Pictures ' library, today a part of Paramount Global -owned Paramount Pictures . Most Monogram Pictures films released before 1942 are in

6552-465: Was now a greater need for low-priced pictures that theater owners could afford. Major first-run theater chains that had never played Monogram's budget movies -- as well as small, independent theaters that depended on bargain-rate films to turn a profit -- began using Monogram features regularly. Monogram continued to launch new series. In 1946 The East Side Kids became The Bowery Boys under a new producer, Jan Grippo. The former producer, Sam Katzman, began

6636-465: Was presented to their producer-owners as a collaborative enterprise focused on low-budget product. Acquiring and integrating these six companies enabled Republic to begin life with an experienced production staff, a company of veteran B-film supporting players and at least one very promising star, a complete distribution system, and a functioning and modern studio. In exchange for merging, the principals were promised independence in their productions under

6720-476: Was producing too many Ralston pictures. Years later, John Wayne admitted that he had departed Republic in 1952 over the prospect of having to appear in yet another film with her. Yates remained Ralston's most ardent supporter, and she continued to appear in Republic features until its final production, Spoilers of the Forest (1957). By the mid-to-late-1940s, the American film industry faced an existential threat,

6804-687: Was purchased outright by CBS and, having more than quadrupled the stock price for shareholders, Carter sold his controlling interest. Other than producing a 1966 package of 26 Century 66 100-minute made-for-TV movies edited from some of the studio's serials to cash in on the popularity of the Batman television series, Republic Pictures' role in Hollywood ended with the sale of the studio lot. Republic sold its library of films to National Telefilm Associates (NTA). Non-entertainment acquisitions included Mansbach Metal Company and Kentucky Electric Steel Company, both acquired in September 1968. Republic reported

6888-576: Was rewarded with an estimated $ 1.8 million boxoffice return. Subsequent Allied Artists releases were more economical. Some were filmed in black and white, but others were filmed in Cinecolor and Technicolor . Monogram continued to be the parent company; the "Allied Artists Productions" all bore Monogram copyright notices, and were released through Monogram's network of film exchanges. The studio's new deluxe division permitted what Mirisch called "B-plus" pictures, which were released along with Monogram's established line of B fare. Mirisch's prediction about

6972-542: Was set up under the Republic name and offered, among other things, off-network repeats of the CBS series Beauty and the Beast and game show Press Your Luck in syndication . There were also a few theatrical films, including Freeway , Ruby in Paradise , Dark Horse , Live Nude Girls , and Bound . At the same time, subsidiary NTA Home Entertainment was renamed Republic Pictures Home Video and began remarketing

7056-630: Was sold to Lorimar's TV production and distribution arms in 1979. Lorimar was acquired by Warner Bros. Television , which now controls the library. For a time in the mid-1950s, the Mirisch family held great influence at Allied Artists, with Walter as executive producer, his brother Harold as head of sales, and brother Marvin as assistant treasurer. They pushed the studio into big-budget filmmaking, signing contracts with William Wyler , John Huston , Billy Wilder and Gary Cooper . When their first big-name productions, Wyler's Friendly Persuasion which

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