Crown International Pictures


Crown International Pictures was an independent film studio and distribution company formed in 1959 by Newton P. Jacobs.

History

Jacobs was a branch head of RKO Pictures until 1947, when he formed Favorite Films, an organization which released films acquired from the studios which had originally produced them, long after their first run release. CIP became one of the first franchise distributors for American International Pictures product. Like AIP, Crown International is primarily known for low-budget genre films, including biker films, exploitation films, and B-movie drive-in fare.
Crown International began releasing both low-budget films as Bloodlust! and The Seventh Commandment, by American producers, as well as foreign films such as First Spaceship on Venus and Varan the Unbelievable which Crown was able to acquire inexpensively, due to the US dollar's strength. Crown began producing its own films, starting with Coleman Francis' The Skydivers, in 1963.
Beginning in 1961, Crown began by releasing six films, with the number rising to 12 a decade years later. Jacobs felt that Crown survived by having carefully planned growth and not overextending its product. He said that Crown did not want to be regarded as a mini major studio but as the top of the independents, to give the company more freedom in selecting and exploiting its film library. Well over 50% of exhibitors showing Crown's products were drive-in theatres, with the number decreasing to 30% in 1981.
Crown often re-titled its releases to make them sound more exciting or exploit current trends. Jacobs told the Los Angeles Times in November 1963, "A title is the handle ... You can't lift a picture very high if the handle is weak"
Crown also acted as importer for Sonny Chiba's Street Fighter films to the United States.
In 1973, Mark Tenser, who had been vice-president, became president with Jacobs' ascension to become chairman of the board. Jacobs' daughter Marilyn Jacobs Tenser became vice president. The company handled its in-house production division, Marimark Productions, to produce a majority of the Crown's later output.
The director of Death Machines gave an account of how Crown picked up and shot new scenes for his film that included shooting a prologue that would make the martial arts film a science-fiction one to make it more in line with current box-office trends.
In 1983, Crown International Pictures launched a new international division Crown International Pictures Export Corporation, whereas it took over duties from previous firm distributor who had once got a contract from Crown, Manson International, in order to market sales of Crown's own pictures internationally. In 1987, Crown International Pictures, signed a three-title deal with RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video, which resulted in RCA/Columbia picking up home video rights to Crown's in-house production Hunk, as well as acquisitions handled by Crown, which are Scorpion and Jocks, of which all three Crown films will be headed to home video this summer.
In July 1988, Jacobs died in a motorcycle accident, which resulted in his son, Louis, taking the helm of Crown International.

Filmography

YearTitleNotesRef
1961The Beast of Yucca Flats
1961Bloodlust!
1961The Devil's Hand
1961The Seventh Commandment
1962Carnival of Crime
1962Secret File: Hollywood
1962Dangerous Charter
1962Stakeout
1962First Spaceship on Venus US English dubbed version
1962Varan the Unbelievable US re-edited English dubbed adaptation
1963As Nature IntendedUS re-edited version
1963Terrified
1963Madmen of MandorasAdapted to They Saved Hitler's Brain in 1968
1963The Skydivers
1964Iron Angel
1964Vengeance
1964The Creeping Terror
1965Angel's Flight
1965Indian Paint
1965Orgy of the Dead
1966To the Shores of Hell
1966The Hostage
1967Guilt US English dubbed version
1967The Road to Nashville
1967Mondo BalordoA Mondo film
1967The Hellcats
1967Catalina Caper
1967Hell on Wheels
1967The Wild Rebels
1968Single Room Furnished
1968I, a Lover US English dubbed version
1968Terror in the Jungle
1968The Fountain of Love US English dubbed version
1969The Big HuntUS release
1969African Safari
1969The Fantastic Plastic Machine
1969The Sidehackers
1969Nightmare in Wax
1969The Babysitter
1969Blood of Dracula's Castle
1970Cindy & Donna
1970Noon Sunday
1970Weekend with the Babysitter
1970Blood Mania
1971The Young Graduates
1971Wild Riders
1971Chain Gang Women
1971Point of Terror
1971The Pink Angels
1972The Stepmother
1972Blue Money
1972Stanley
1973The Naked Countess US English dubbed version
1973Little Laura and Big John
1973Santee
1973Superchick
1973Horror High
1973Kung Fu Mama US English dubbed version
1974The Sister-in-Law
1974Policewomen
1974The Teacher
1974Where the Red Fern Grows
1975Trip with the Teacher
1975The Specialist
1975Best Friends
1975Las Vegas Lady
1975Pick-Up
1975Welcome Home Brother Charles
1976The Pom Pom Girls
1976Hustler Squad
1976Death Machines
1976Death Riders
1976Satan's Slave
1977The Van
1977Land of the Minotaur
1977The Crater Lake Monster
1978Sextette
1978Coach
1978Dracula's Dog
1978Malibu Beach
1978French Quarter
1979Van Nuys Blvd.
1979Burnout
1979Malibu High
1979TerrorUS release
1980Don't Answer the Phone!
1980Galaxina
1980The Hearse
1980The Kidnapping of the President
1981McVicarUS release
1981The High Country
1981The Last Chase
1981Separate Ways
1981Improper ChannelsUS release
1982The Beach Girls
1982Budo: The Art of Killing
1982Liar's Moon
1982Double Exposure
1983My Tutor
1983Stacy's Knights
1983AmericanaUS theatrical release
1983Tender Cousins US English dubbed release
1984Weekend Pass
1984Killpoint
1984Fleshburn
1984Yellow Hair and the Fortress of Gold
1985Tomboy
19859 Deaths of the Ninja
1985Cavegirl
1985Hot Target
1986My Chauffeur
1986Low Blow
1986The Patriot
1986Scorpion
1987Jocks
1987Hunk
1987The Virgin Queen of St. Francis High
1987Deathrow Gameshow
1988Prime Evil
1988Lurkers
1989My Mom's a Werewolf
1989Night Club
1990Click: The Calendar Girl Killer
1991Top Cop
1991Lena's Holiday
1991Brain Twisters
1992The Silencer
1993Housewife From Hell
1994Almost Hollywood
2003Malibu Spring Break