Film Classics was an American

film distributor A film distributor is a person responsible for the marketing of a film. The distribution company may be the same as, or different from, the production company. Distribution deals are an important part of financing a film. The distributor may set ...

active between 1943 and 1951. Established by

George Hirliman George Hirliman (1901–1952) was a film producer. Biography Hirliman was born September 8, 1901, in Fort Lee, New Jersey. He married Eleanor Hunt, an actress. The couple adopted Georgelle Hirliman in 1936, and later gave birth to daughter ...

and

Irvin Shapiro Irvin Shapiro (August 6, 1906 – January 1, 1989) was an American producer, film importer, and film distributor who was responsible for introducing a number of influential foreign films to the United States, as well as handling the early work of ...

, the company initially concentrated on re-releases of earlier hits by other producers, including

Hal Roach Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr. Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter, ...

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; ; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)

Samuel Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn (; born Szmuel Gelbfisz; ; July 1879 (most likely; claimed to be August 27, 1882) January 31, 1974), also known as Samuel Goldfish, was a Polish-born American film producer and pioneer in the American film industry, who produce ...

David O. Selznick David O. Selznick (born David Selznick; May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced ''Gone with the Wind (film), Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca (1940 film), Rebecca'' (1 ...

, and

Edward Small Edward Small (born Edward Schmalheiser, February 1, 1891 – January 25, 1977) was an American film producer from the late 1920s through 1970, who was enormously prolific over a 50-year career. He is best known for the movies ''The Count of Mon ...

, but began to handle new

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

productions of a generally low-budget nature, starting in 1944. George Hirliman left Film Classics in 1944 to enter the new field of television, then still in its experimental stages. Irvin Shapiro also moved on, establishing a film import-export concern. The new company president was Joseph Bernhard; under Bernhard, Film Classics began producing new, original features in 1947. In October 1947 Film Classics was purchased outright by

Cinecolor Cinecolor was an early subtractive color-model two-color motion picture process that was based upon the Prizma system of the 1910s and 1920s and the Multicolor system of the late 1920s and the 1930s. It was developed by William T. Crispinel an ...

, to promote its color process in its own feature films. Joseph Bernhard, president of Film Classics, became vice president of Cinecolor. Seven months later, Cinecolor president and founder William Crespinel stepped down, and Bernhard assumed the Cinecolor presidency on May 15, 1948.''Boxoffice'', "Color Films to 70% Soon, Joseph Bernhard Predicts," April 24, 1948, p.20. In 1950, Film Classics merged with

Eagle-Lion Films Eagle-Lion Films was the name of two distinct, though related, companies. In 1944, UK film magnate J. Arthur Rank created an American distribution company with the name to handle his British films. The following year, under a reciprocal distrib ...

; the new firm, Eagle-Lion Classics, was itself absorbed by

United Artists United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...

in 1951.

Filmography

* '' I Was a Criminal'' (1945) * '' A Boy, a Girl and a Dog'' (1946) * ''

The Spirit of West Point ''The Spirit of West Point'' is a 1947 American sports drama film directed by Ralph Murphy and written by Tom Reed. The film stars Doc Blanchard, Glenn Davis, Robert Shayne, Anne Nagel, Alan Hale Jr., George O'Hanlon, Michael Browne and Tanis C ...

'' (1947) * '' For You I Die'' (1947) * ''

Women in the Night ''Women in the Night'' is a 1948 American film directed by William Rowland (film director), William Rowland shot in Mexico. The film is also known as ''When Men Are Beasts''. The film depicts activities of German and Japanese who wish revenge on ...

'' (1948) * ''

Devil's Cargo ''Devil's Cargo'' is a 1948 American mystery film directed by John F. Link Sr. It was the fourteenth of the sixteen Falcon films produced in the 1940s, and the first of the three featuring the magician and actor John Calvert. The film was r ...

'' (1948) * ''

Blonde Ice ''Blonde Ice'' is a 1948 American crime film film noir, noir starring Leslie Brooks, Robert Paige, and Michael Whalen (actor), Michael Whalen. Based on the 1938 novel ''Once Too Often'' by Elwyn Whitman Chambers, the B picture was directed by Ja ...

'' (1948) * ''

The Argyle Secrets ''The Argyle Secrets'' is a 1948 American film noir mystery thriller written and directed by Cy Endfield and starring William Gargan and Marjorie Lord. It was based on a half-hour radio play by Endfield, originally heard on CBS's ''Suspense''. The ...

'' (1948) * ''

Unknown Island ''Unknown Island'' is a 1948 American adventure film directed by Jack Bernhard and starring Virginia Grey, Phillip Reed and Richard Denning. Shot in Cinecolor it was released by Film Classics and in Britain by General Film Distributors. Plo ...

'' (1948) * '' Money Madness'' (1948) * ''

Sofia Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...

'' (1948) * ''

Miraculous Journey ''Miraculous Journey'' is a 1948 film about seven airplane passengers who find themselves stranded in an African jungle after their plane crashes. It was directed by Sam Newfield, under the pseudonym of Peter Stewart. The film stars Rory Calhoun a ...

'' (1948) * '' Inner Sanctum'' (1948) * '' Appointment with Murder'' (1948) * '' Alaska Patrol'' (1949) * ''

The Judge The Judge may refer to: Literature * ''The Judge'', novel by Elia W. Peattie, 1889 * ''The Judge'', 1925 American translation of ''The Old Man'' (Gorky play), 1915 * ''The Judge'', novel by Rebecca West, 1922 * ''The Judge'', 2010 English trans ...

'' (1949) * '' State Department: File 649'' (1949) * ''

Daughter of the West ''Daughter of the West'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by Harold Daniels and starring Martha Vickers, Phillip Reed and Donald Woods.Goble p.730 The film's sets were designed by the art director George Van Marter. Plot Cast * Mart ...

'' (1949) * '' The Lovable Cheat'' (1949) * ''

Amazon Quest ''Amazon Quest'' is a 1949 American adventure film directed by Steve Sekely and written by Al Martin. The film stars Tom Neal, Carole Mathews, Carole Donne, Don Zelaya, Ralph Graves, Joseph Crehan, Jack George, Joseph Granby, Edward Clark and Ju ...

'' (1949) * '' C-Man'' (1949) * ''

Not Wanted ''Not Wanted'' is a 1949 American drama film directed by Elmer Clifton and an un-credited Ida Lupino and starring Sally Forrest, Keefe Brasselle and Leo Penn. A few days after shooting started, Clifton suffered a heart attack. Lupino stepped in ...

'' (1949) * ''

Search for Danger ''Search for Danger'' is a 1949 American crime film directed by Jack Bernhard and starring John Calvert, Albert Dekker and Myrna Dell. The film was the last of three made by the low-budget Film Classics company featuring Calvert as The Falcon w ...

'' (1949) * ''

Lost Boundaries ''Lost Boundaries'' is a 1949 American film starring Beatrice Pearson, Mel Ferrer (in his first leading role), and Susan Douglas Rubeš. Directed by Alfred L. Werker, it is based on William Lindsay White's story of the same title, a nonficti ...

'' (1949) * ''

The Pirates of Capri ''The Pirates of Capri'' (), released in the United Kingdom as ''The Masked Pirate'', is a 1949 American-Italian international co-production swashbuckler film directed by Edgar G. Ulmer starring Louis Hayward. It was filmed on location in Italy. ...

'' (1949) * '' The Flying Saucer'' (1950) * ''

Guilty Bystander ''Guilty Bystander'' is a 1950 American crime drama film noir directed by Joseph Lerner, and starring Zachary Scott and Faye Emerson. The film was shot on location entirely in New York City. It also marked the last motion picture screen appea ...

'' (1950) * '' Cry Murder'' (1950) * ''

The Vicious Years ''The Vicious Years'' is a 1950 American crime drama film directed by Robert Florey and starring Tommy Cook, Eduard Franz and Gar Moore. The screenplay concerns an orphan named Mario who witnesses Luca Rossi committing a murder, and blackmails ...

'' (1950) * ''

Swiss Tour ''Swiss Tour'' (or ''Four Days Leave'') is a 1949 American-Swiss drama film directed by Leopold Lindtberg and starring Cornel Wilde, Josette Day and Simone Signoret. It marked the film debut of Liselotte Pulver who went on to be a major star of ...

'' (retitled ''Four Days' Leave'' by Film Classics, 1950)

References

Film distributors of the United States {{US-film-company-stub