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 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)

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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, but began to handle new

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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; 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'' (1947) * '' For You I Die'' (1947) * '' Women in the Night'' (1948) * '' Devil's Cargo'' (1948) * '' Blonde Ice'' (1948) * '' The Argyle Secrets'' (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'' (1948) * '' Inner Sanctum'' (1948) * '' Appointment with Murder'' (1948) * '' Alaska Patrol'' (1949) * '' The Judge'' (1949) * '' State Department: File 649'' (1949) * '' Daughter of the West'' (1949) * '' The Lovable Cheat'' (1949) * '' Amazon Quest'' (1949) * '' C-Man'' (1949) * '' Not Wanted'' (1949) * '' Search for Danger'' (1949) * '' Lost Boundaries'' (1949) * '' The Pirates of Capri'' (1949) * '' The Flying Saucer'' (1950) * '' Guilty Bystander'' (1950) * '' Cry Murder'' (1950) * '' The Vicious Years'' (1950) * '' Swiss Tour'' (retitled ''Four Days' Leave'' by Film Classics, 1950)

References

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