Gio's Movie files: STUDIOS

Movie Studios

MASTER Studios BASE File for Movies
[brambles] MyDocs/mov/studios.doc
This file is copyright 1987, 1989,1990,1993, 1996 by Gio Wiederhold.
About 150 entries, quite incomplete (Mar1994)
Also notes on Movie production, Budgets.

Format

Arranged by first known date of operation.

Notes:

[AM]: seen at Mus\`ee de Arts et Metiers, Paris.
[MO]: seen at Mus\'ee d'Orsay, Paris.
[1]: dob-dod 1786-1837
[2]: Quote "perfectioment du ph\`enakistiscope" [MO, AM].
[3]: Quote "Il semble que ce soit la plus ancienne experience d'animation d'images photographique" [AM].
[4]: Also name of first public cinema still in operation, London, 1905.

Precursors.

<
nameFull companyCityCountryfirstlastfoundersuccessorNotes|
reuse name location< year< Fd:name or S:studio|
Ph\`enakistiscope Paris France 1832 Fd:Plateau [AM],UF |
Zootrope UK? 1834 Fd:W.G.Horne Drum with slits. [1] [2] [MO] [AM] |
Phenakistiscope Paris France 1835 Fd:Charles Chevalier S:L'anorthoscope [AM] |
L'anorthoscope Paris France 1836 Fd:Plateau boxed Phenakistiscope. [AM] |
Photobioscope 2Aug1867 Fd:Bonnelliot, Henry Cook [3] [AM] |
Pocket Kinematograph 1868 Fd:J.B.Linnett Nt(flip book) [MO] |
Zootrope Paris France 1876 Fd:Emile Reynaud Nt(Drum with slits) [MO] |
Thaumatrope Paris France 1877 Fd:Docteur Pan [MO] |
Life Projection Wheel? Stanford CA USA 1880 Fd:E.Muybridge Multiple cameras |
Schnellseher Germany 1887 Fd:O.Ansch\"utz Interrupted illumination |
Praxinoscope France 1876 Fd:Emile Reynaud Used images drawn by himself. [AM] |
Projection-Praxinoscope France 1881 1882 Fd:Ch-E.Reynaud Nt(used film, drawn images) |
Film Camera Germany 1889 Fd:W.Friese-Greene |
35mm Film Camera Edison New Jersey USA 1893 Fd:T.A.Edison |
Kinetoscope Edison NJ 1894 T.A.Edison Penny Arcades, single person viewer. [AM] |
Practical Projectors Lumiere Fr. Lyon France 1895 Fd:Louis Lumiere, August Lumiere |
Vitascope? Projectors Vitascope New York USA 1895 Fd:W.Latham |
Practical Projectors M.Skladanowsky Berlin Germany 1895 Fd:O.Meester |
Phakinescope 1896 Fd:Abadie Dutemps Used prism. |
Selig Polyscope Selig Chicago USA 1896 Fd:William N.Selig a.o Tom Mix films |
Stereo-Praxinoscope France 1902 Fd:Emile Reynaud Two drums. [AM] |

Early Studios and Companies.

<
nameFull companyCityCountryfirstlastfoundersuccessorNotes|
reusename location< year N:name or S:studio|
Skladanowsky M. and E. Skladanowsky Wintergarten Berlin Germany 1Nov1895 M. and E. Skladanowsky |
Lumiere Lumiere Fr. Grand Caf\'e Paris France 28Dec1895 |
Latham O.G.,W.Latham New York USA 1895 |
Dickson W.Dickson New York USA 1895 |
Pathe Path\'e Cinema SA Paris France 1902 1946? Fd() Su() |
Cines Rome Italy 1906 1921 Fd() Su() |
Vitascope USA 1908? Fd() Su() Nt(First projection) |
Edison Edison Company New York USA 1904 Fd(Thomas Edison) Su() Nt(claimed rights to film photography) |
Essanay George K.Spoor Chicago USA 1907 Fd(G.M.Anderson (actor)) Su() Ty(western and comedy: Alkali Ike, Chaplin) |
MPP Motion Picture Patents Co. Los Angeles USA 1909 1915 S:(Edison, Biograph, Vitagraph, Lubin, Selig, Kalem, Kleine) S:General Film Nt(regulated rate, type of film production) |
IMP Independent Motion Picture Co. New York USA 1909 1912 Fd(Carl Laemmle) S:Universal |
IMP 2 Independent Motion Picture Co. Cuba |
AFM American Film Manufacturing CA 1910 Fd(Alan Dwan) Su() |
Ebony Ebony Motion Picture Co. Chicago USA Fd() Su() |
General Film MPP 1910 Fd() Su() |
Great Northern Nordisk Films Company Denmark 1911 1915 Fd() Su() Ty(Tragedies) |
Chrystal Bronx NY 1912 Fd() Su() |
Ambrosio Societa Anonima Ambrosio Turin Italy <1912 1917- Fd(Arturo Ambrosio) Su() |
Eclair France 1912 Fd() |
Eclair 2 Eclair Ft.Lee NJ USA 1912+ S:Eclair |
MPSA Motion Pictures Sales Agency Ltd London England 1913- Fd() Su() Nt(distributor) |
Artistica Gloria Turin Italy 1913 |
Famous Famous Players New York? USA 1913 1918 Fd(Adolph Zukor) Su(Paramount) |
New York New York Motion Pictures Company New York USA <1914 Fd() Su() |
Union Union Film Produktion Berlin Germany 1914? 1917 Fd() Su(UFA) Nt(name continued to 1920) |
World World Film Corp. USA 1915? Fd() |
Triangle Triangle New York USA 1915? 1917 Fd(Harry Aitkins, Griffith, Ince, Mark Sennett) S:Paramount |
Feature Play Jesse L.~Lasky Feature Play Company New York USA 1913 1916 Fd(Lasky, DeMille, Goldwyn) S:Famous Players |
Paramount Paramount Corp. Los Angeles USA 1916 1993 Fd(William Wadworth Hodkinson) Su(Paramount, Viacom) Pr(Zukor, Lasky) |
Pickford Pickford Film Corp. USA 1917? 1920+ Fd(Mary Pickford) Su() A(Mary Pickford) |
First National First National USA 1917 1920+ Fd(J.D.\ Williams) S:Warners A(Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford) |
Chaplin Chaplin Studios Los Angeles USA 1918 1919 Fd(Chaplin) Su() |
Standard Standard Film Corp USA 1919 Fd() Su() |
FPL Famous Players Lasky Los Angeles USA 1918? 1920 Fd() Su(bought by Paramount) |
PFL Paramount Famous Lasky Los Angeles USA 1928? 1994+ Fd() Su() |
UFA Universum Film AG Neubabelsberg Germany 1917 1933 Fd() Su() |
U.A. United Artists Hollywood USA 1919 1983 Fd(Chaplin, Pickford, Fairbanks, Griffith) MGM-UA Owns(1000 titles) |
Cineromans Cineromans Nice France 1919 1922? Fd(Gaston Leroux, Rene Navarre) Su() |
Goldwyn Goldwyn Pictures West Hollywood USA 1922 1934? Fd(Sam Goldwyn) S:MGM |
Biograph W.D.Griffith USA 1903 1910 Fd() Su() [4] |
Griffith W.D.Griffith Mamaroneck NY USA 1920 1935 Fd() Su() |
MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Culver City USA 1920 1935? Fd(, Bought Loews) Su() |
Victory Victory Films Birmingham England 1920 1922 Fd(Balcon, Saville) Su() |
Famous Famous Players Islington England 1921 1922 Fd() Su() |
Seven Arts 1961 Fd() S:Warners? |
Universal Universal Studios North Hollywood USA 1921 1962 Fd(Carl Laemmle) Su(MCA) |
Lubitsch Lubitsch Film Produktion Berlin Germany 1922 Fd(Ernst Lubitsch) Su(UFA) |
Wardour Wardour \F. Islington England 1922 Fd() Su() |
B-S-F Balcon-Saville-Freedman Islington England 1922 Fd() Su() |
Warners Warner Bros. Burbank USA 1923 1990 Fd() Su(taken over in 1969 by ..., in 1990 by Time Inc.) |
Columbia Columbia Pictures Burbank USA 1924 1990 Fd() S:(Sony,Tristar) |
Gainsborough Gainsborough England 1924 Fd(Balcon, Saville) Su() |
Merabpomfilm Me\v rabpomfil'm Moscow USSR 1924 1931? Fd(goverment) Su() |
Prometheus Int.Arbeiterhilfe Germany 1926 1929 Fd() Su() |
Lion British Lion London UK 1925? 1976 Fd() S:EMI |
Emelka Munich Germany 1925 Fd() Su() |
Vitaphone Warners and Western Electric USA 1926 1931 Fd() Su()Nt(Sound on Disk) |
Cines(2) Italy 1926 Fd() Su() |
PRC (1) Producers Releasing Corporation 1930 1947 Fd() Su(Eagle Lion) |
Elstree British International Pictures Elstree England 1927 Fd() Su() |
RKO RKO Radio Hollywood USA 1929 1955 Fd() Su(studio taken over by DesiLu) |
Allied Allied Artists Los Angeles USA 1930 1994+ Fd() Su() |
Nero Nero Film A.G. Berlin Germany <1928 1940 Fd(Paramount) Su() |
Paris Paris France 1932? 1948? Fd() Su() |
Goldwyn Sam Goldwyn Productions USA 1932 1947? Fd(Sam Goldwyn) Su() |
ATP Associated Talking Pictures England 1932? Fd(Basil Dean) Su() |
Lime Grove Gaumont British England 1933 Fd() Su() |
20th Cent. Twentieth Century Hollywood CA 1933 Fd(Darryl F.\ Zanuck?) Su() |
London London Films - Korda London England 1933 Fd() Su() |
UFA UFI Neubabelsberg Germany 1933 1962 Fd() Su() Nt(controlled by Nazis) |
20th Cent. 20th Century Productions Century City? USA 1933 1935 Fd(Zanuck) Su() |
Reliance LA USA 1934 Fd() Su() |
GFD Gaumont British England 1934 Fd() Su() |
Monogram Allied Artists Hollywood USA 1934 1953 Fd() S:Allied Artists Ty(B-movies) |
Republic Republic Film Corporation San Fernando, Hollywood USA 1935 1959 Fd(Herbert J.\ Yates, Max Zinner Studios) Su(sold CBS, studio to Blockbuster, 1992) Ty(West,second features, serials, after 1955 TV) |
Fox 20th Cent.Fox Century City USA 1935 1994+ Fd() Su() |
MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer USA 1935 1983 Fd() S:MGM-UA |
UFI Nazi Government Germany1936 Fd() Su(broken up) |
Korda Korda Denham England 1936 195xFd(Korda) Su(Rank) |
Selznick Hollywood USA 1936 1944 Fd() Su() |
Pinewood Gainsborough England 1937 Fd() Su() |
Cinetone NV Filmex Amsterdam Holland 1937 1940 Fd(Rudolf Meyer) Su() |
First National Warner Brothers USA 1939? S:Warners Su() Ty(second features) |
Teddington Warner Brothers, First National London England 1931 1952 S:Warners Su() Ty(British) Nt(bombed out 1944-1948) |
NEF Novelles Editions Francaises Paris France 1939 Fd(J.Renoir, Andre Zwobada, Camille Froancois, Olivier Billiou, C.Renoir ) Su() |
ENSA Entertainment National Service Association England 1940 1945 Fd(Basil Dean) Su() Nt(`Every Night Something Awful') |
Roach Roach Studios Hollywwood CA,USA 19xx 19x2 Fd(Hal Roach) |

Post war Studios and Companies.

<
nameFull companyCityCountryfirstlastfoundersuccessorNotes|
reusename< location year< name or studio|
DEFA D.R.Germany Berlin D.R.Germany 1946 1994+ Fd(split from UFA) Su() |
Eagle Lion Eagle Lion 1947 1951 Fd(from PRC(1)) Merged(U.A.) |
New World Rome Italy 1947? 1994+ Fd() |
Transatlantic Transatlantic London England 1948 1949? Fd(Bernstein,Hitchcock) Su() |
ARC American Releasing Corporation Palo Alto USA 1954 1956 Fd(Samuel Z.\ Arkoff. James Nicholson) Su(AIP) Ty(Z-movies) |
AIP American International Pictures USA 1956 1980 Fd(from ARC) Su() Filmways Ty(Z-movies) |
Filmgroup American International Pictures USA 1956+ 1980- Fd(sub AIP) Su() Ty(sex-drugs-movies) |
Trans-American American International Pictures USA 1956+ 1980- Fd(sub AIP) Su() Ty(Z-movies) |
Hallmark American International Pictures USA 1956+ 1980- Fd(sub AIP) Su() Ty(Europoean,Horr) |
UFA 2 UFA, F.R.Germany Babelsberg F.R.Germany 1956,1962 1971 Fd() Su() |
Revue MCA Universal City USA 1959- Fd() Su(bought by Seagram 1995) Nt(was Universal lot), Nt(TV)|
Malpaso Malpaso Productions Hollywood USA 1968 Fd(Clint Eastwood) Su() |
NFDC National Film Development Corp. New Delhi India 1970? Fd() Su() |
Zoetrope Warners San Francisco USA 1970 Fd(Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas) Su() |
UFA Bertelsmann Babelsberg F.R.Germany 1971 1994+ Fd() Su() |
Box Office Box Office International France 1972 Fd() Su() |
Paramount Gulf+Western Corp Los Angeles USA 1994+ Fd() Su() |
Golden Harvest Golden Harvest Studio HongKong China <1972 1994+ Fd() Su() Ty(KungFu) |
Cathay Cathay Film Company HongKong China <1972 1994+ Fd() Su() Ty(KungFu) |
Producers Distr.Corp USA 1940 Fd() Su(became PRC) |
PRC Path\'e USA 1940 1949 Fd() Su(absorbed by Rank to become Eagle Lion) |
London Films London England 1945? 1994+ Fd(Alex~Korda) Su() |
Pathe 2 Path\'e Communications Italy 1946? 1994+ Fd(Pathe) Su() Owns(1200 titles) |
Eagle Lion Rank 1949 1950 Fd() Su(merged with U.A.) |
Cines(3) Italy 1949 Fd() Su() |
Biograph The Bronx USA 194x Fd() Su() |
FilmMakers Film Makers USA 1950 1956? Fd(Ida Lupino, Collier Young) Su() Ty() |
WoodfallWoodfall Productions G.B.1956 1960? Fd(Saltzman, Tony Richardson, John Osborne) Su() Ty() |
MGM British Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Elstree England 1949 Fd() Su() |
Astor indep USA 195x 195x Fd() Su() Ty(Z-films) |
Howco indep USA 195x 195x Fd() Su() Ty(Z-films) |
Lippert indep USA 195x 195x Fd() Su() Ty(Z-films) |
RealArt indep USA 195x 195x Fd() James Nicholson Su() Ty(Z-films) |
UGC Union Generale Cinamatographique France 1950 Fd() Su() |
Condor Deutsche Condor Film GmbH Munchen F.R.Germany 1956 1994+ Fd() Su() |
laPleiade Films de la Pl\'eiade France 1960 Fd() Su() |
MCA USA before 1960 1990 S:Universal S:Matsushita Sid Sheinberg, pres.and CEO; Lew Wasserman, chairman |
Filmservice ? Los Angeles USA 1960 Fd() Su() |
Shamley Paramount? Los Angeles USA 1960 Fd() Su() * |
Film House The Film House Melbourne Australia 1965 1994+ Fd(Schepisi) Su() |
Carosse Films du Carosse Paris France 1961 1984 Fd(Truffaut?) Su() |
Essexe Essex Productions USA 1965 Fd(Frank Sinatra) Su() |
Bavaria Bavaria Atelier Munchen F.R.Germany 1968 1972+ Fd() Su() split from UFA |
NWP New World Pictures Hollywood U.S.A. 1970 1994+ Fd(Corman) |
Fantasy Berkely CA U.S.A. 1970 1994+ Fd(Saul Saentz) |
Todrest France 1981 Fd() Su() |
Xian Film Studios P.R.China Xian Shaanxi P.R.China 1983 Fd() Su() |
MGM-U.A MGM-U.A. Communications Co. Hollywood USA 1983 1990 Fd(Kirk Kerkorian) (Bought Pathe) Su() |
Paulist Paulist Pictures Malibu CA USA1988Fd(Ellwood Bud Kieser) Ty(Uplifting)|
Granada England 1994+ Fd(Sid~Bernstein) Su() |
Carolco North-carolina USA 1994+ Fd() P(Golden Harvest) Su() |
Thames England 1994+ Fd() Su() |
Double Double Head Australia 1975 1994+ Fd() Su() |
Orion Orion USA before 1979 1997 Fd(from(Filmways) Su(MGM) |
Filmways Filmways USA 1980 1981 Fd(from AIP) Su(Orion) Ty(Z-movies) |
Miramax USA 1980 Fd(Weinstein, Weinstein) Su() |
Cobra Cobra Filmproduktion \Ge 198? Fd() Su() |
Lorimar USA 1980? 1994+ Fd(Lee Rich, ) Su() |
Buena Vista Disney USA 1980 1994+ Fd() Su() |
Galaxie Les Films Galaxie France 1981 Fd() Su() |
Lee Rich Lee Rich Productions, Warners USA 1983? 1994+ Fd(Lee Rich) Su() |
TriStar Tri-Star Pictures Inc. USA 1985? 1990 Fd(Columbia) Su(TriStar-Sony) |
NewLine New Line Cinema USA 1989 1994+ Fd() Su(bought by Turner, 1993) |
Gracie Hollywood USA 1989 1994+ Fd(J.L.Brooks) Su() |
CastleRock USA 1989 1994+ Fd(Rob Reiner) Su(bought by Turner, 1993) |
Caravan USA 1990 1994+ Fd(Roth) Su() |
MCA Matsushita USA 1990 1994+ Fd() Su() Sid Sheinberg, pres.and CEO; Lew Wasserman, chairman |
Warners Time-Warner Burbank USA 1990 1994+ Fd(Warner Bros) Su() |
Universal MCA, Matsushita Osaka Japan 1992? 1994+ Fd(From MCA) Su() |
Taksen Joinville France 1994+ Fd() Su() |
Columbia Sony Software Corp Burbank USA 1990 1994+ Fd(Columbia) Su() |
TriStar Sony Software Corp USA 1990 1994+ Fd(TriStar-Columbia) Su() |
VividVivid VideoLos Angeles USA 1990 1998+Fd(Steven Hirsch) Su() Pr() ER(19xx) Ty(Porn) Inc(25M/y)|
WickedLos Angeles USA 1990 1998+Fd() Su() Pr() ER(19xx) Ty(Porn)|
VCALos Angeles USA 1990 1998+Fd() Su() Pr() ER(19xx) Ty(Porn)|
MetroLos Angeles USA 1990 1998+Fd() Su() Pr() ER(19xx) Ty(Porn)|
Regency Regency Enterprises Holland 1991 1998+Fd(Arnon Milchan) Su() Nt(contract with Warners 1991) |
Paramount Viacom Corp. Los Angeles USA 1993 1994+ Fd(Viacom) Su() Pr() |
Turner Turner Broadcasting Hollywood USA 1993 1994+ Fd(Ted Turner) Su() |
Graniet Graniet Film The Netherlands 1993 1998+ Fd(van Warmerdam) Su() |
Pixar Pixar Animation Studios Hollywood USA 1995 Fd(Steve Jobs) Su() Ty(Cart)|
Miramax Miramx Hollywood USA 1996 Fd(Disney) Su() Ty(Romt)|
Dimension Dimension Hollywood USA 1996 Fd(Disney) Su() Ty(Horr)|
Gregory Gregory Productions USA 1996 Fd:Ian Courts (Catholic Church) |
Jagged Jagged Films USA 1998 Fd:Mick Jagger Er(19xx)|
LionsGate Lions Gate Releasiung USA 1998 Fd:Mark Urman |

Production information

Movie Production

Movie production (annual)
countrycodeNumberdollarspercent|
India \In 500 |
Hongkong \HK 500 |
USA \Am 450 55% |
rest 100-200 |
total 15.7 B 100% |

Budgets

Based on Brockhaus [].
itempercentage|
Rights and manuscripts 6.6 |
Wages etc 34.9 |
Studio and equipment 20.8 |
Outside shooting 11.2 |
Travel 0.7 |
Film and cutting 11.8 |
Insurance and fees 7.1 |
Overhead 6.9 |