EMI Films was a British film studio and distributor. A subsidiary of the

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...

conglomerate, the corporate name was not used throughout the entire period of EMI's involvement in the film industry, from 1969 to 1986, but the company's brief connection with

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...

and Anglo-EMI, the division under Nat Cohen, and the later company as part of the Thorn EMI conglomerate (following the merger with Thorn) are outlined here.

History

Headed by Bryan Forbes

The company was formed after the takeover of Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC) in 1969 by

, following the acquisition of

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

' shares in ABPC the previous year. At the time ABPC owned 270 ABC Cinemas, a half share in the ITV contractor Thames Television,

Elstree Studios Elstree Studios is a generic term which can refer to several current and demolished British film studios and television studios based in or around the town of Borehamwood and village of Elstree in Hertfordshire, England. Production studios ha ...

at Shenley Road, and had recently bought

Anglo-Amalgamated Anglo-Amalgamated Productions was a British film production company, run by Nat Cohen and Stuart Levy, which operated from 1945 until roughly 1971 (after which it was absorbed into EMI Films). Low-budget and second features, often produced at M ...

, a film studio in which Nat Cohen had been a partner. EMI moved into film production with the foundation of a new company, EMI-Elstree. Bernard Delfont appointed writer-director

Bryan Forbes Bryan Forbes CBE (; born John Theobald Clarke; 22 July 1926 – 8 May 2013) was an English film director, screenwriter, film producer, actor and novelist described as a "Renaissance man"Falk Q. . BAFTA. 17 October 2007. Retrieved 9 May 2013 and ...

as the head of production at Elstree in April 1969 for three years at £40,000 a year, plus a percentage of the profits. As part of the general shake up of EMI, Nat Cohen was appointed to the Board. EMI announced they would make 28 films for $36 million – 13 of these would be from Cohen's unit for £7 million, the rest from Forbes'. Bernard Delfont called it "probably the most ambitious program ever undertaken by a British film company." Forbes announced his intention to make a variety of films at Elstree, steering away from what he called the "pornography of violence." He claimed EMI would make 14 films in 18 months with such stars as

Peter Sellers Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show'', featured on a number of hit comic songs ...

and Roger Moore at a cost of £5–10 million in total. His aim was to keep budgets down and create a varied slate which would increase the chances of appealing to audiences and making a sufficient return to continue productions. Forbes soon announced his slate of projects, including: * ''Hoffman'' (with Peter Sellers, directed by Alvin Rakoff), * ''The Go-Between'' directed by Joseph Losey, * ''The Breaking of Bumbo'' directed by Kevin Brownlow and Andrew Mollo, * ''The Feathers of Death'' directed by Richard Attenborough from a story by Simon Raven (unproduced), * a film of a script by Richard Condon, * an adaptation of ''The Railway Children'' directed by Lionel Jeffries, * ''A Fine and Private Place'', directed by Paul Watson * ''Dulcima'' directed by Frank Nesbitt with John Mills, * ''Forbrush and the Penguins''. "This is the first serious effort to revitalize the British film industry in 20 years", said Forbes. He added, "We intend to give youth a chance and not merely pay lip service to it. This is our first program and it won't be our last." However, the first few films of Forbes' regime actually performed poorly commercially: ''Eyewitness'', ''

Hoffmann Hoffmann is a German language, German surname. People A *Albert Hoffmann (horticulturist), Albert Hoffmann (1846–1924), German horticulturist *Alexander Hoffmann (politician), Alexander Hoffmann (born 1975), German politician *Arthur Hoffmann ...

'', '' And Soon the Darkness'' and '' The Man Who Haunted Himself'' (starring Moore). '' The Breaking of Bumbo'' (all 1970), and '' Mr. Forbush and the Penguins'' (1971) flopped and '' A Fine and Private Place'' was abandoned. Forbes clashed with Bernard Delfont and their American backers, in this case Columbia, over the artistic and commercial value of director Joseph Losey's film '' The Go-Between'' (1970). Forbes was also criticised within EMI for directing his own film, '' The Raging Moon'' (US: ''Long Ago, Tomorrow'', 1971). ''

The Railway Children ''The Railway Children'' is a children's book by Edith Nesbit, originally serialised in ''The London Magazine'' during 1905 and published in book form in the same year. It has been adapted for the screen several times, of which the 1970 fil ...

'' (1970) and '' Tales of Beatrix Potter'' (1971) were Forbes' only hits. The company was affected with labour problems. Forbes felt as though he did not have the support of the EMI board, arguing that he never had the funds to market his films, in contrast with those available to Anglo-EMI, which was headed by Nat Cohen. Forbes resigned in March 1971, after committing himself to a no-redundancy policy. He had made eleven films in total for an estimated cost of £4 million. Although Forbes' regime was seen at the time to have been a commercial failure, he later claimed that by 1993 his £4 million program of films had eventually brought EMI a profit of £16 million. Among the films Forbes wished to make but was unable to during his time at Elstree were adaptations of '' The Living Room'', the play by

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...

to be directed by

Michael Powell Michael Latham Powell (30 September 1905 – 19 February 1990) was an English filmmaker, celebrated for his partnership with Emeric Pressburger. Through their production company The Archers, they together wrote, produced and directed a seri ...

; a musical about the Bernado Boys; and ''The Loud, Loud Silence'' a post-apocalyptic story from Richard Condon. He turned down ''

Ned Kelly Edward Kelly (December 1854 – 11 November 1880) was an Australian bushranger, outlaw, gang leader and convicted police-murderer. One of the last bushrangers, he is known for wearing a suit of bulletproof armour during his final shootout wi ...

'' (1970) because its projected budget was too high.

MGM-EMI

In April 1970, EMI struck up a co-production agreement with

. The Hollywood studio announced they would sell their Borehamwood facility ("MGM-British Studios") and move their equipment to EMI's Elstree studio. MGM and EMI would then distribute and produce films in co-operation through a joint venture to be called MGM-EMI.Sian Barbe
''The British Film Industry in the 1970s: Capital, Culture and Creativity''
Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013, p.47 and MGM began to finance some of EMI's productions. EMI's studio complex was renamed EMI-MGM Elstree StudiosPatricia Warren ''British Film Studios: An Illustrated History'', London: B.T Batsford, 2001, p.76 while a

film distribution Film distribution (also known as Film exhibition or Film distribution and exhibition) is the process of making a movie available for viewing by an audience. This is normally the task of a professional film distributor, who would determine the marke ...

company MGM-EMI Distributors Ltd. was formed as part of the co-production agreement. This company, headed by Mike Havas would handle domestic distribution of

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

and EMI-produced films in the United Kingdom. It was originally announced that MGM-EMI would make six to eight films a year, but they ended up producing far fewer. Forbes was given the title of managing director of MGM-EMI to add to his existing title of head of production. In July 1970 MGM-EMI announced they would make four co-productions: ''The Go-Between'', ''

Get Carter ''Get Carter'' is a 1971 British crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detecti ...

'', ''The Boyfriend'' and ''The Last Run'' directed by John Boorman. Of these only the last was not made. MGM pulled out of the amalgamation in 1973, and became a member of CIC, which took over international distribution of MGM produced films. At this point the distribution company became EMI Film Distributors Ltd., and EMI-MGM Elstree Studios reverted to EMI-Elstree Studios.

Anglo-EMI Film Distributors

EMI's other filmmaking division, Anglo-EMI Film Distributors Ltd, which had come out of Anglo-Amalgamated, was run autonomously by Nat Cohen. This wing of the company had released films such as ''

Percy The English surname Percy is of Norman origin, coming from Normandy to England, United Kingdom. It was from the House of Percy, Norman lords of Northumberland, derives from the village of Percy-en-Auge in Normandy. From there, it came into use ...

'' (1971). They also financed and distributed a series of films made by

Hammer Film Productions Hammer Film Productions Ltd. is a British film production company based in London. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic horror and fantasy films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Many of these involve class ...

, which partly came about through Bernard Delfont's friendship with James Carreras. Nat Cohen took over Forbes' responsibilities as head of production after his resignation in 1971. Cohen backed productions intended for international success, and EMI had a more obviously commercial outlook. In October 1971, EMI's chairman John Read admitted the film division had performed disappointingly. "Profits were negligible last year and we felt it was desirable to make one or two provisions to write off some of the costs." However films like ''

On the Buses ''On the Buses'' is a British television sitcom that was broadcast on ITV from 1969 to 1973. It was created by Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe, who wrote most of the episodes. It spawned three spin-off feature films and a stage version. Desp ...

'' and ''

Up Pompeii ''Up Pompeii!'' is a British television comedy series broadcast between 1969 and 1970, starring Frankie Howerd. The first series was written by Talbot Rothwell, a scriptwriter for the ''Carry On'' films, and the second series by Rothwell and S ...

'' (both 1971) performed well in relation to their budgets. "The experts say you're doing well if you make money out of one in three films", said Read. "We see filmmaking as a significant profit earner in the future." Cohen was responsible for overseeing about 70% of the films produced in the UK during 1973, following a significant decline in domestic projects overall. In particular, long-term duopoly rival

Rank Rank is the relative position, value, worth, complexity, power, importance, authority, level, etc. of a person or object within a ranking, such as: Level or position in a hierarchical organization * Academic rank * Diplomatic rank * Hierarchy * ...

had by now greatly reduced its own investment in British film production to a token presence. Cohen was not unaware of the problems inherent in his dominant position. Meanwhile, dependent on support from the most profitable parts of EMI, the company's financial position meant that they had to avoid backing any risky productions. In May 1973, Cohen announced a £3 million production slate of movies including an adaptation of ''

Swallows and Amazons ''Swallows and Amazons'' is a children's adventure novel by English author Arthur Ransome and first published on 21 July 1930 by Jonathan Cape. Set in the summer of 1929 in the Lake District, the book introduces the main characters of John, S ...

'' (1974) and a sequel to ''

Alfie Alfie may refer to: Theatre and film * ''Alfie'' (play), a 1963 play by Bill Naughton * ''Alfie'' (1966 film), a film based on the play starring Michael Caine * ''Alfie'' (2004 film), a remake of the 1966 film * ''Alfie'' (2013 film), an Indi ...

'' (1966) released as '' Alfie Darling'' (1975). The greatest success of Cohen's regime was ''

Murder on the Orient Express ''Murder on the Orient Express'' is a work of detective fiction by English writer Agatha Christie featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 1 January 1934. In the U ...

'' (1974), which Cohen later claimed was the first British movie fully financed by a British company to reach the top of the American box office charts. In July 1975, Cohen announced a £6 million programme of new films, including ''

Seven Nights in Japan ''Seven Nights in Japan'' is a 1976 Anglo-French drama film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Michael York, Charles Gray, and Hidemi Aoki. Story The film is about seven days in the life of Prince George, who is travelling in Japan for the ...

'' and '' To the Devil a Daughter'' (both 1976). These were not particularly successful. Cohen resigned as chairman on 31 December 1977.

Michael Deeley and Barry Spikings

In May 1976, the company purchased British Lion Films and the two men who ran British Lion, Michael Deeley and Barry Spikings, became joint managing directors of EMI Distributors, with Nat Cohen remaining as chairman and chief executive. They also joined the EMI board, headed by Bernard Delfont. Deeley and Spiking's method was to only make a film if at least half the budget was put up by an American studio, reducing their financial risk although making the studio's product less obviously British. They focused on movies with international appeal – i.e. action films – and major stars. The initial Deeley-Spikings slate included three films shot in the US, with $18 million in all" '' The Deer Hunter'', ''

Convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

'' and ''

The Driver ''The Driver'' is a 1978 American neo-noir crime thriller film written and directed by Walter Hill. It stars Ryan O'Neal, Bruce Dern, and Isabelle Adjani. O'Neal is the getaway driver for robberies whose exceptional talent has prevented him be ...

'' (all 1978). They also made three British-based films, ''

Death on the Nile ''Death on the Nile'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 1 November 1937 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year. The UK edition retailed at se ...

'' (1978), '' Warlords of Atlantis'' (1978) and ''

Sweeney 2 ''Sweeney 2'' is a 1978 British action crime drama film. It was made as a sequel to the successful 1977 film ''Sweeney!.'' Both films are an extension of the popular British ITV television series ''The Sweeney'' (1975–78). Some of the action ...

'' (1978). Films announced by not made include ''The Last Gun'' and ''Chinese Bandit''. EMI also signed an agreement to invest $5 million in Columbia films. They picked ''

Close Encounters of the Third Kind ''Close Encounters of the Third Kind'' is a 1977 American science fiction film written and directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban, Cary Guffey, and François Truffaut. It tells the story ...

'', '' The Deep'' and '' The Greatest'' (all 1977). Muhammad Ali played himself in the last of these. In July 1976, EMI bought Roger Gimbel's production company, Tomorrow Enterprises, and formed EMI Television, headed by Gimbel. They made a large number of American TV movies like '' The Amazing Howard Hughes'' (1977) and ''

Deadman's Curve ''Deadman's Curve'' is a 1978 American made-for-television biographical film based on the musical careers of Jan Berry and Dean Torrence. The film was developed from a 1974 article published in ''Rolling Stone'' by Paul Morantz, who also helpe ...

'' (1978). EMI backed out of funding ''

Monty Python's Life of Brian ''Monty Python's Life of Brian'' (also known as ''Life of Brian'') is a 1979 British comedy film starring and written by the comedy group Monty Python (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin). It ...

'' (1979) at the last moment, after Bernard Delfont read the script and objected to its treatment of religion. In April 1978, EMI announced they would make films with the newly formed Orion Pictures, including '' Arabian Adventure'' (1979) and other projects. Michael Deeley left EMI in 1979 but Barry Spikings remained in charge of film production.

Spikings, AFD and Thorn-EMI merger

Spikings announced a slate of films under his auspices: ''

The Jazz Singer ''The Jazz Singer'' is a 1927 American musical drama film directed by Alan Crosland. It is the first feature-length motion picture with both synchronized recorded music score as well as lip-synchronous singing and speech (in several isolate ...

'' with Neil Diamond, ''

The Elephant Man Joseph Carey Merrick (5 August 1862 – 11 April 1890), often erroneously called John Merrick, was an English man known for having severe deformities. He was first exhibited at a freak show under the stage name "the Elephant Man" and then we ...

'' (both 1980), ''

Honky Tonk Freeway ''Honky Tonk Freeway'' is a 1981 American-British comedy film directed by John Schlesinger. The film, conceived and co-produced by Don Boyd, was one of the most expensive box office bombs in history, losing its British backers Thorn EMI betwee ...

'' (1981) Franco Zeffirelli's biopic of Maria Callas, ''Discoland'', ''The Awakening'', and ''The Knight'' directed by Ridley Scott. Delfont created a new company,

Associated Film Distribution Associated Film Distribution was a British film distribution company. It was set up in the 1970s by ITC Entertainment and EMI Films to distribute their films in the US. Michael Deeley, head of EMI at the time, opposed the move. He thought it was ...

, to distribute films of EMI and

ITC Entertainment The Incorporated Television Company (ITC), or ITC Entertainment as it was referred to in the United States, was a British company involved in production and distribution of television programmes. History Incorporated Television Programme Compan ...

, then controlled by Lew Grade, his brother. EMI's film division was renamed Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment, to reflect EMI's merger with

Thorn Electrical Industries Thorn Electrical Industries Limited was a British electrical engineering company. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange, but merged with EMI Group to form Thorn EMI in 1979. It was de-merged in 1996 and became a constituent of the FTSE 100 ...

to become Thorn EMI in 1979. In March 1980, EMI were only making one film in Britain ''

The Mirror Crack'd ''The Mirror Crack'd'' is a 1980 British mystery film directed by Guy Hamilton from a screenplay by Jonathan Hales and Barry Sandler, based on Agatha Christie's Miss Marple novel ''The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side'' (1962). It stars Ange ...

'', which was released at the end of the year, but was a box-office failure. Lord Delfont announced that the company had purchased two British scripts, ''The Defense'' by John Mortimer and ''Off the Record'' by

Frederick Forsyth Frederick McCarthy Forsyth (born 25 August 1938) is an English novelist and journalist. He is best known for thrillers such as ''The Day of the Jackal'', ''The Odessa File'', '' The Fourth Protocol'', '' The Dogs of War'', ''The Devil's Alter ...

. He admitted that sixty percent of the company's film budget would be spent in America the following year but "100% of the profits would come to this country... We have got to make films we believe are international, to get the money to bring exports back to this country." In February 1981, Barry Spikings announced a slate of films worth £70 million, including ''

'', '' Memoirs of a Survivor'', ''Comrades'' and ''The Knight'' (a

Walter Hill Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 1 ...

film). The latter was not made. In March 1981, Spikings admitted AFD has not "gotten off to a flying start" and would be wound up, with Universal taking over distribution of EMI Films. He argued that "production and distribution are not linked" and pointed to the five Oscars that EMI films had earned. In particular, ''

Can't Stop the Music ''Can't Stop the Music'' is a 1980 American musical comedy film directed by Nancy Walker. Written by Allan Carr and Bronté Woodard, the film is a pseudo-biography of the 1970s disco group the Village People loosely based on the actual story ...

'' (1980), ''Honky Tonk Freeway'', and '' Raise the Titanic'' (1980) had been box-office failures. Also in 1981, Thorn EMI entered the fast-growing home video market as Thorn EMI Video, featuring an initial line-up of 14 titles (''The Tubes Video'', ''April Wine Live in London'', ''I Am a Dancer'', ''Can't Stop the Music'', ''Times Square'', ''Death on the Nile'', ''The Cruel Sea'', ''The Day the Earth Caught Fire'', ''The Best of Benny Hill'', ''Scars of Dracula'', ''Sophia Loren: Her Own Story'', ''S.O.S. Titanic'', ''The Royal Wedding'', and ''Queen: Greatest Flix''). The division was primarily active in both the UK and the US, as well as in Australia. In addition to Thorn EMI's own material, the division licensed titles from other companies, mostly those who had no home video division at the time, including New Line Cinema, Orion Pictures, Carolco Pictures and

Hemdale Film Corporation Hemdale Film Corporation, known as Hemdale Communications after 1992, was an independent American-British film production company and distributor. The company was founded in London in 1967 as the Hemdale Company by actor David Hemmings and John D ...

Verity Lambert

In January 1983, Barry Spikings left the company and

Verity Lambert Verity Ann Lambert (27 November 1935 – 22 November 2007) was an English television and film producer. Lambert began working in television in the 1950s. She began her career as a producer at the BBC by becoming the founding producer of ...

was appointed head of production. Gary Dartnall became executive chairman. Lambert's first slate was ''Slayground'', '' Comfort and Joy'', ''Illegal Aliens'' (which became ''

Morons from Outer Space ''Morons from Outer Space'' is a 1985 British comedy-science fiction film directed by Mike Hodges and starring Griff Rhys Jones, Mel Smith, Joanne Pearce, Jimmy Nail and James B. Sikking. Plot The story begins on a small spaceship docking with ...

'') and '' Dreamchild''. Lambert said they aimed to make five films a year ranging in budget from $5 to $10 million. On 1 March 1983, EMI Films filed a lawsuit against

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stud ...

, whereas EMI would finance ''

WarGames ''WarGames'' is a 1983 American science fiction techno-thriller film written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes and directed by John Badham. The film, which stars Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, John Wood, and Ally Sheedy, follow ...

'', and UA would receive North American rights, while EMI received international rights to the film and pay $4.5 million delivery. November 1984 saw Thorn EMI Video's US division form a partnership with pay television company HBO; the company then became known as Thorn EMI/HBO Video. The deal saw HBO take a stake in the venture and contribute their own productions for video distribution. In December 1984, Thorn EMI offered investors the chance to invest in several films by issuing £36 million worth of shares. The films were ''

A Passage to India ''A Passage to India'' is a 1924 novel by English author E. M. Forster set against the backdrop of the British Raj and the Indian independence movement in the 1920s. It was selected as one of the 100 great works of 20th century English liter ...

'' (1984), ''

'', '' Dreamchild'', ''

Wild Geese II ''Wild Geese II'' is a 1985 British action-thriller film directed by Peter Hunt, based on the 1982 novel '' The Square Circle'' by Daniel Carney, in which a group of mercenaries are hired to spring Rudolf Hess from Spandau Prison in Berlin. The ...

'' and '' The Holcroft Covenant'' (all 1985). In March 1985, Thorn-EMI announced they would set up a production fund worth $175 million to make around twenty films. Film Finance Director John Reiss said the fund would be used as loans for filmmakers or to invest in films budgeted around $13–14 million. Reiss said that the films would be made for international audiences. On 15 May 1985, Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment made an agreement with Gladden Entertainment Corporation whereas Thorn EMI would release Gladden's films for international theatrical distribution. Lambert resigned in July 1985. After this TESE wound down its in-house production arm and relied on films from independent outfits. That month, TESE signed a deal with French distributor AAA for a 30-month output of the entire British film library, serving 20 films, and did not want to cover all home video rights. On August 6, 1985, Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment agreed deals with various production outfits such as John Bradbourne and Richard Goodwin, Jeremy Thomas,

Euan Lloyd Euan Lloyd (6 December 1923 – 2 July 2016) was a British film producer. Biography He began his career directing short travelogue documentaries, starting with '' April in Portugal'' in 1954 (not released until 1956). He worked in publicity ...

and Chris Chrisafis,

and Simon Perry in order to gave the independent outfits "complete freedom" to develop motion pictures. The last films made under Lambert's watch were ''

Clockwise Two-dimensional rotation can occur in two possible directions. Clockwise motion (abbreviated CW) proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back up to the top. The opposite ...

'' and ''Link''. On 20 August 1985, Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment and

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

, which was distributing EMI's films ever since 1981 after acquiring

elected to dissolve the U.S. partnership by mutual consent. Lambert recalled in 1997: "the person who hired me left, and the person who came in didn't want to produce films and didn't want me. While I managed to make some films I was proud of... ''Dreamchild'', and ''Clockwise''... it was terribly tough and not a very happy experience. But I was determined to see out my three-year contract. By the end I'd had enough of corporate life and wanted to see what I could do as an independent."

Denouement

In November 1985, Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment was placed up for sale with interested buyers including the Rank Organization, The Cannon Group, publishing empire Robert Maxwell, Heron Communications, and a management buyout led by Gary Dartnall. The following month, in December 1985, it accepted a £110 million ($161.7 million) management offer to place the entire Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment division up for sale. The company's division, British Lion Film Productions Ltd., which EMI bought in 1976, and all trademarks of the British Lion name, which was divested to a former staffer of the company, Peter Snell, of Britannic Film & Television. In April 1986, Thorn EMI sold its film production and distribution arm (Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment), home video ( Thorn EMI Video), and cinema ( ABC Cinemas) operations to businessman Alan Bond. Bond, in turn, sold it to The Cannon Group a week later. A year after the purchase, a cash-strapped Cannon sold most of the film library to Weintraub Entertainment Group. They also sold their stake in the video venture inherited from Thorn EMI (which had been renamed as HBO/Cannon Video in the meantime), resulting in HBO running the video label alone from that point forward. The library passed through the hands of several companies over the following years and is now owned by

StudioCanal StudioCanal S.A.S. (formerly known as Le Studio Canal+, Canal Plus, Canal+ Distribution, Canal+ D.A., Canal+ Production, and Canal+ Image and also known as StudioCanal International) is a French film production and distribution company that owns ...

, a former sister company to

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

and parent company

Canal+ Group Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow und ...

's acquisition of European cinema operator UGC who acquired the library's then-owner, the United Kingdom-based Lumiere Pictures and Television in 1996, via

Cannon Films The Cannon Group, Inc. was an American group of companies, including Cannon Films, which produced films from 1967 to 1994. The extensive group also owned, amongst others, a large international cinema chain and a video film company that invested ...

. EMI Films also owned

in Hertfordshire, England; in turn,

Cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

ended up purchasing the studio as well, but later sold it to Brent Walker in 1988, who in turn ended up selling half of the EMI Elstree Studios site to Tesco for a supermarket, before Hertsmere Council eventually acquired what was left of the Elstree Studios, and, as of 2018, continues to operate it as a film and television studios centre.

Select filmography

EMI financed films under several names and with a series of production partners. Below are the main ones:

Bryan Forbes

* '' Eyewitness'' (1970) ( ABPC) ( ITC) * '' And Soon the Darkness'' (1970) (ABPC) * ''

Hoffman Hoffman is a surname of German and Jewish origin. The original meaning in medieval times was "steward", i.e. one who manages the property of another. In English and other European languages, including Yiddish and Dutch, the name can also be spelle ...

'' (1970) (ABPC) * '' The Man Who Haunted Himself'' (1970) (ABPC) * '' The Breaking of Bumbo'' (1970) (ABPC) * ''

'' (1970) * '' A Fine and Private Place'' (1970) (abandoned) * '' The Raging Moon'' (1971) * '' The Tales of Beatrix Potter'' (1971) * '' Mr. Forbush and the Penguins'' (1971) * '' Dulcima'' (1971)

Hammer co-productions

* ''

'' (July 1971) * ''

Blood from the Mummy's Tomb ''Blood from the Mummy's Tomb'' is a 1971 British horror film starring Andrew Keir, Valerie Leon, and James Villiers. It was director Seth Holt's final film, and was loosely adapted from Bram Stoker's 1903 novel ''The Jewel of Seven Stars''.G ...

'' (October 1971) * '' Mutiny on the Buses'' (June 1972) * '' Straight on Till Morning'' (July 1972) * '' Demons of the Mind'' (November 1972) * '' Man at the Top'' (1973) (AE/H) * '' Love Thy Neighbour'' (July 1973) * '' Holiday on the Buses'' (December 1973) * '' To the Devil a Daughter'' (March 1976) (H)

MGM-EMI

* ''

'' (1971) (ME) * '' The Go-Between'' (1971) (ME) * '' The Boy Friend'' (1971) (ME)

Nat Cohen/Anglo-EMI

* '' All the Way Up'' (1970) ( AA) * '' Spring and Port Wine'' (1970) (AA) * ''

Entertaining Mr Sloane ''Entertaining Mr Sloane'' is a three-act play written in 1963 by the English playwright Joe Orton. It was first produced in London at the New Arts Theatre on 6 May 1964 and transferred to the West End's Wyndham's Theatre on 29 June 1964. Plo ...

'' (1970) (AA) * '' The Body'' (1970) (AE) * ''

'' (1971) (AE) * ''

'' (1971) (AE) * '' Villain'' (1971) (AE) – produced by Kanter, Ladd and Kastner * ''

Family Life Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideal ...

'' (1971) (AE) – directed by Ken Loach * ''

Up the Chastity Belt ''Up the Chastity Belt'' (also released as ''Naughty Knights'' in the United States) is a 1971 British comedy film directed by Bob Kellett and starring Frankie Howerd. It was a spin-off from the TV series '' Up Pompeii!'' Plot Eleanor of Aquit ...

'' (1972) * ''

Steptoe and Son ''Steptoe and Son'' is a British sitcom written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about a father-and-son rag-and-bone business in 26a Oil Drum Lane, a fictional street in Shepherd's Bush, London. Four series were broadcast by the BBC in black and w ...

'' (1972) * '' I Am a Dancer'' (1972) (AE) * '' Afternoon of a Champion'' (1972) (AE) (documentary) * '' Up the Front'' (1972) (AE) * '' Henry VIII and His Six Wives'' (1972) (AE) * '' Endless Night'' (1972) * ''

Our Miss Fred ''Our Miss Fred'' is a 1972 British comedy film starring Danny La Rue, set during World War II. The film was also known by its video release titles ''Beyond the Call of Duty'' (Canada) and ''Operation: Fred'' (US). In the 1960s, La Rue was one ...

'' (1972) (AE) * '' Fear Is the Key'' (1972) – produced by Kanter, Ladd and Kastner (AE) (Dist by P in USA) * '' Never Mind the Quality Feel the Width'' (1973) * '' Baxter!'' (1973) (AE) * ''

Steptoe and Son Ride Again ''Steptoe and Son Ride Again'' is a 1973 British comedy film. It is a sequel to the film '' Steptoe and Son'' (1972) based on the television series. As usual, the film starred Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H. Corbett. Plot The Steptoes have retir ...

'' (1973) * '' The Final Programme'' (1973) (AE) * '' The Dove'' (1974) (D) * ''Our Cissy'' (1974) (short) * '' Stardust'' (1974) (AE) * ''

'' (1974) (AE) * ''

Sunday in the Country Sunday is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday. In most Western countries, Sunday is a day of rest and a part of the weekend. It is often considered the first day of the week. For most observant adherents of Christianity, Sunday ...

'' (1974) (D) * '' Monty Python and the Holy Grail'' (1975) * '' All Creatures Great and Small'' (1975) * ''Trick or Treat?'' (1976) (abandoned) * ''

The Likely Lads ''The Likely Lads'' is a British sitcom created and written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais and produced by Dick Clement. Twenty episodes were broadcast by the BBC, in three series, between 16 December 1964 and 23 July 1966. However, only te ...

'' (1976) * ''

Spanish Fly The Spanish fly (''Lytta vesicatoria'') is an aposematic emerald-green beetle in the blister beetle family (Meloidae). It is distributed across Eurasia. The species and others in its family were used in traditional apothecary preparatio ...

'' (1976) (D) * ''

It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet ''It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet'' (in the United States also known as ''All Things Bright and Beautiful''), is a 1976 sequel to the 1975 film '' All Creatures Great and Small''. Although having the same title as James Herriot's second novel, the ...

'' (1976) * '' Aces High'' (1976) (D) * ''

'' (1976) ( P) * '' Sweeney!'' (1977) * '' Cross of Iron'' (1977) (A-E) * ''Twenty Five Years'' (1977) (documentary) * '' Welcome to Blood City'' (1977)

Co-productions with Columbia

* ''

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Group. It ...

'' (December 1976) - also with British Lion * '' The Greatest'' (May 1977) – also with British Lion * '' The Deep'' (June 1977) * ''

'' (November 1977) * '' The Cheap Detective'' (June 1978)

Michael Deeley and Barry Spikings regime

* '' Silver Bears'' (1977) * ''

'' (1978) * '' Warlords of Atlantis'' (1978) * ''

'' (1978) – with United Artists * ''

'' (1978) – with 20th Century Fox * ''

'' (1978) * '' The Deer Hunter'' (1978) – with Universal

TV movies

* '' The Amazing Howard Hughes'' (April 1977) * ''

The Girl Called Hatter Fox ''The Girl Called Hatter Fox'' is a 1977 American TV movie starring Ronny Cox and directed by George Schaefer (director), George Schaefer. It was the first film produced by EMI Television (they released ''The Amazing Howard Hughes'', but bought th ...

'' (October 1977) * ''

Special Olympics Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in ...

'' (February 1978) * '' Forever'' (January 1978) * ''

'' (February 1978) * '' Just Me and You'' (May 1978) * '' One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story'' (September 1978) * ''

Betrayal Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations. ...

'' (November 1978) * '' Steel Cowboy'' (December 1978) * '' Lawman Without a Gun'' (December 1978) * '' Deathmoon'' (May 1978) * '' Lawman Without a Gun'' (1978) * ''

The Cracker Factory ''The Cracker Factory'' is an American television film directed by Burt Brinckerhoff. The teleplay by Richard Shapiro is based on the best-selling 1977 novel by Joyce Rebeta-Burditt. The film was broadcast by ABC on March 16, 1979. Synopsis Al ...

'' (March 1979) * '' S.O.S. Titanic'' (September 1979) * '' Survival of Dana'' (1979) * '' Can You Hear the Laughter? The Story of Freddie Prinze'' (September 1979) * ''

Orphan Train The Orphan Train Movement was a supervised welfare program that transported children from crowded Eastern cities of the United States to foster homes located largely in rural areas of the Midwest. The orphan trains operated between 1854 and 1929, ...

'' (December 1979) * '' The Dances Goes On'' (1980) * '' Sophia Loren: Her Own Story'' (October 1980) * '' My Kidnapper, My Love'' (December 1980) * '' The Killing of Randy Webster'' (1981) * '' Broken Promise'' (1981) * '' The Manions of America'' (1981) * '' A Piano for Mrs. Cimino'' (February 1982) * '' A Question of Honor'' (1982) * '' Coming Out of the Ice'' (1982) * '' Deadly Encounter'' (1982) * '' The Legend of Walks Far Woman'' (May 1982) (filmed 1979) * '' Packin' It In'' (1983)

Barry Spikings

* '' Arabian Adventure'' (July 1979) – with British Lion – distributed by AFD * '' The Crown Prince'' (1979) * ''

'' (June 1980) – distributed by AFD * '' The Awakening'' (October 1980) – with Orion – distributed by Warners * ''

Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...

'' (October 1980) – with Robert Stigwood, distributed by AFD * ''

'' (October 1980) – with Brooksfilms – distributed by Columbia-EMI-Warner (UK), Paramount (US) * ''

'' (December 1980) – distributed by AFD * ''

'' (August 1981) – distributed by AFD * '' Evil Under the Sun'' (March 1982) – distributed by AFD * ''

Britannia Hospital ''Britannia Hospital'' is a 1982 British black comedy film, directed by Lindsay Anderson, which targets the National Health Service and contemporary British society. It was entered into the 1982 Cannes Film Festival and Fantasporto. ''Britan ...

'' (May 1982) – with British Lion * ''

Frances Frances is a French and English given name of Latin origin. In Latin the meaning of the name Frances is 'from France' or 'free one.' The male version of the name in English is Francis. The original Franciscus, meaning "Frenchman", comes from the F ...

'' (December 1982) – with Brooksfilms, distributed by Universal * '' Second Thoughts'' (February 1983) – distributed by Universal * '' Bad Boys'' (March 1983) – distributed by Universal * ''

Tender Mercies ''Tender Mercies'' is a 1983 American drama film directed by Bruce Beresford. The screenplay by Horton Foote focuses on Mac Sledge, a recovering alcoholic country music singer who seeks to turn his life around through his relationship with a young ...

'' (Mar 1983) – distributed by Universal * ''

Strange Invaders ''Strange Invaders'' is a 1983 American science fiction film directed and co-written by Michael Laughlin, and stars Paul Le Mat, Nancy Allen and Diana Scarwid. Produced as a tribute to the sci-fi films of the 1950s, notably ''The Invasion of ...

'' (Sep 1983) – distributed by Orion * '' Cross Creek'' (May 1983) – with Universal, distributed by AFD, Universal * '' Handgun'' (May 1983, produced in 1981)

Verity Lambert

* '' Slayground'' (December 1983) * '' Comfort and Joy'' (August 1984) * '' Not for Publication'' (November 1984) * ''

'' (December 1984) * ''

'' (March 1985) * ''

Restless Natives ''Restless Natives'' is a 1985 Scottish cinema adventure comedy, directed by Michael Hoffman. Plot The story follows the adventures of two Scottish youths from the Wester Hailes district of Edinburgh, played by Vincent Friell and Joe Mullan ...

'' (June 1985) * '' Dreamchild'' (October 1985) * ''

'' (October 1985) * '' The Holcroft Covenant'' (October 1985) * '' Highlander'' (March 1986) * ''

'' (March 1986) * '' Link'' (March 1986)

Later films

* '' The Manhattan Project'' (June 1986) (TESE) * '' It Couldn't Happen Here'' (July 1988) * '' Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem'' (May 2003) (D) (credited as " Virgin Music", a member of the EMI Group") * AA = co-production with

* ABPC = produced by Associated British Picture Corporation * AE = as Anglo-EMI * AFD = distributed by Associated Film Distributors * C = co-production with

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

* D = distributor only * H = co-production with

* MGM = co-production with

* Orion = co-production with Orion Pictures * P = co-production with Paramount Pictures * TESE = as Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment * U = co-production with Universal * UA = co-production with

* WB = co-production with

References

* Forbes, Bryan, ''A Divided Life'', Mandarin Paperbacks, 1993 * Walker, Alexander, ''Hollywood England'', Harrap and Stein, 1974 * Walker, Alexander, ''National Heroes: British Cinema in the Seventies and Eighties'', Harrap, 1985 * Walker, Alexander, ''Icons in the Fire: The Rise and Fall of Practically Everyone in the British Film Industry 1984–2000'', Orion Books, 2005

External links

* {{Authority control 1969 establishments in England 1986 disestablishments in England British companies established in 1969 British companies disestablished in 1986 Mass media companies established in 1969 Mass media companies disestablished in 1986 EMI Film production companies of the United Kingdom The Cannon Group, Inc.