The Rank Organisation
The Rank Organisation was a British entertainment conglomerate founded in 1937 by industrialist J. Arthur Rank. 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 diversified into the manufacture of radios, TVs, and photocopiers. 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's logo, the Gongman, first used in 1935 by the group's distribution company, General Film Distributors and seen in the opening titles of the films, became a celebrated and enduring film emblem.
Origin
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. Rank was a Methodist Sunday school teacher and wished to introduce these beliefs to a wider audience.The Rank Organisation was established, as a means for Rank to consolidate his filmmaking interests, in 1937.
Filmmaking in the 1940s
A loose collective of filmmakers was established by Rank under the banner of Independent Producers including The Archers, consisting of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, Cineguild Productions, consisting of David Lean, Ronald Neame, John Bryan, and Anthony Havelock-Allan, 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 was under contract to Rank for a period of time and starred in a number of films released by the studio, including London Town, one of the costliest flops in British film history. Also under contract to Rank was the Canadian actor Philip Gilbert.
Growth
The company grew quickly, largely through acquisition. Significant developments included:- 1938 – Odeon Cinemas was purchased.
- 1939 – Denham Film Studios were merged with the facilities at Pinewood, and the Amalgamated Studios in Borehamwood were acquired, but not used for making films.
- 1939 – UK sites of Paramount Cinemas purchased.
- 1941 – Purchase of the Gaumont-British Picture Corporation, which also owned Gainsborough Pictures, 251 cinemas and the Lime Grove Studios.
- 1943 – Acquires Cinema Ground Rents and Properties.
- In the mid-1940s, Two Cities Films became part of the Rank Organisation producing key films such as Odd Man Out, Hamlet, Vice Versa and The Rocking Horse Winner.
- 1946 – Bought for £1 million+ a 50 per cent share in a chain of 133 cinemas from New Zealander Robert James Kerridge, the biggest exhibition chain in Australasia; it was renamed Kerridge Odeon.
- 1947 – Acquires General Cinema Finance Corporation, including General Film Distributors, including the UK distribution rights to Universal Pictures.
- Late 1940s – A majority shareholding in Allied Cinemas and Irish Cinemas Ltd was gained, becoming the largest exhibition circuit in Ireland.
- Five major film studio complexes, Pinewood Film Studios, Denham Film Studios, Ealing Studios, Lime Grove Studios and Islington Studios.
- 650 UK cinemas plus various international holdings, including subsidiaries in Canada and the Netherlands, as well as interests in the Kerridge New Zealand chain and Greater Union Theatres in Australia.
- Eagle-Lion Films.
- Rank Screen Advertising.
- Rank Film Laboratories, Denham.
- Manufacturing companies G.B.-Kalee, Taylor Hobson, and Bush Radio.
- Winter Garden Theatre, London.
Crisis and diversification
In February 1952, Earl St John of Rank announced the company would make a slate of 12 movies at a cost of £1,500,000. In August 1952, St John declared Rank would make more films abroad.
In January 1955, Rank announced it would make 12 films at a cost of £1,750,000, with new stars including Peter Finch, Jean Carson, and Diane Cilento.
In October 1955 the company reported its film production was "satisfactory".
Diversification
In 1945, the company bought the Bush Radio manufacturing facility and began to diversify its interests. In 1962, Rank took over control of Murphy Radio to form the Rank Bush Murphy Group.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, the waning film company assets were hastily converted and pressed into 'Rank Xerox' service. This venture was a 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.
In 1962, Rank merged with Gaumont British to form a single streamlined trading Organisation with nineteen divisions:
- Film production, mainly at Pinewood Studios
- World film distribution - UK
- World film distribution - overseas
- Film processing, including Top Rank Laboratories
- Advertising films
- Theatre, embracing catering, ballroom dancing and Top Rank Motorway Service
- Tenpin bowling
- Top Rank Health Clubs, two clubs in London
- Filmusic, music publishing company
- Thompson, Diamond & Butcher, wholesaler of records, record players and domestic electrical equipment
- Wharfedale Wireless Works
- Top Rank Home & Leisure Service
- Bush Radio
- Rank Cintel, makers of industrial and research electronic equipment, cathode-ray tubes, photoelectric cells, and semi-conductor devices; studio television equipment and electronic equipment for aircraft and guided missiles
- Rank Xerox
- Rank Taylor Hobson, makers of optical systems and lenses, engineers' measuring instruments and machine tools
- Cine & Photographic, including the Rank Film Library. Manufacturing and marketing the Bell & Howell range of cine cameras and projectors
- Rank Kalee
- Kershaw
In 1968, they acquired an 18% interest in manufacturer George Kent Ltd. In 1969, control of Ranx Xerox was lost and by 1970, the company and its subsidiaries had the following principal activities:
- Leisure, including film exhibition, dancing, bingo, motorports and restaurants
- Films
- Manufacturing - production of scientific instruments, electronic equipment, radio and television
- Audio visual - manufacture of high fidelity audio equipment, educational products and theatre lighting equipment and distribution of audio visual aids, cameras, cine equipment and theatre furnishing
- Hotels, including the Royal Lancaster Hotel
Rank Records
In 1960, Top Rank Records was taken over by EMI, and in 1962 they replaced it with Stateside Records. Top Rank artists included Gary US Bonds, the Shirelles, B. Bumble and 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.
Leisure
Top Rank was also used for their theatres, ballrooms and bowling alleys. By 1962, they were operating 360 theatres in the UK, 535 theatres overseas, 25 Top Rank Ballrooms, eight tenpin bowling centres, 21 Victor Silvester dance studios and two health clubs. They also operated Top Rank Home and Leisure Service shops, selling and renting household electrical goods. By 1963 Rank had opened Top Rank Coin-Operated Laundries. By 1967, they were operating 50 full-time Top Rank Clubs for bingo; 24 bowling centres in the United Kingdom; 17 hotels in the UK and Europe; 22 suites and ballrooms; eight Top Rank 'Rendezvous' clubs for dancing; and two indoor ice rinks.In 1968, Rank withdrew from the television rental business selling 102 stores to Granada plc for £4.1 million and 26 stores and its television and radio relay business to Rediffusion for £3.5 million. It retained 37 retail radio and television shops. By 1970, the group abandoned its interests in tenpin bowling, selling all its bowls, due to lack of popularity in the UK.