Grand National Films, Inc (or Grand National Pictures, Grand National Productions and Grand National Film Distributing Co.) was an American independent motion picture production-distribution company in operation from 1936 to 1939. The company had no relation to the British Grand National Pictures (although the British firm used the American company's logo).

History and releases

Edward L. Alperson Edward Lee Alperson (November 13, 1895 – July 3, 1969) was an American film producer who started Grand National Films Inc. and later released his productions through 20th Century Fox. He was the father of Edward L. Alperson Jr. (April 3, ...

, a film exchange manager, founded Grand National in 1936 on the basis of First Division Pictures, of which he was on the board of directors. What

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 ...

was to major independent producers, Harry F. Thomas's First Division was to low-budget producers: a convenient releasing outlet for individual pictures, and successful within its own market. Its feature-length releases, usually produced by

Mayfair Pictures Mayfair Pictures was an American film production and distribution company active between 1931 and 1934 during the early sound era. It grew out of Action Pictures, another low-budget studio location on Poverty Row. It was established by producer R ...

Willis Kent Willis Kent (June 8, 1878, Michigan – March 11, 1966, Los Angeles, California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to th ...

, or

Bernard B. Ray Bernard Benny Ray (born Benjamin Shamrayevsky, November 18, 1895 - December 10, 1964) was a Russian-born American film producer and film director, director. He is closely associated with the production of low-budget B films of Poverty Row, involve ...

, were split between westerns, mysteries, "problem" melodramas, and action fare. First Division was also the original distributor of ''

The March of Time ''The March of Time'' is an American newsreel series sponsored by Time Inc. and shown in movie theaters from 1935 to 1951. It was based on a radio news series broadcast from 1931 to 1945 that was produced by advertising agency Batten, Barton, ...

'', short-subject documentaries that were well received during their first year of production (1935);

RKO RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Kei ...

took over the series after four installments. In April 1936, Alperson took over First Division's film exchanges, existing product line, and contracts. The First Division name had become associated with low-budget productions, so Alperson renamed the company Grand National Film Distributing Company, aiming to release higher-grade features for independent theaters, just like fellow upstart

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures is currently an acquisition-only label owned by Paramount Pictures. Its history dates back to Republic Pictures Corporation, an American film studio that originally operated from 1935 to 1967, based in Los Angeles, California ...

. By the summer, he had begun development of a California-based production entity, Grand National Productions, sharing the production facilities of comedy-shorts company

Educational Pictures Educational Pictures, also known as Educational Film Exchanges, Inc. or Educational Films Corporation of America, was an American film production and film distribution company founded in 1916 by Earle (E. W.) Hammons (1882–1962). Educational p ...

. By October, he had his first original films ready for release. Alperson created the studio's logo, a futuristic clock tower, with an idea to advertise "it's time to see a Grand National picture."p.41 Fernett, Gene L. ''Hollywood's Poverty Row 1930-1950'' 1973 Coral Reef Publications Producer

Edward Finney Edward Francis Finney (1903–1983) was an American film producer and director.Pitts p.174 He is best known as the man who introduced cowboy singer Tex Ritter to the moviegoing public. Biography Finney was educated at the City College of New ...

, releasing through Grand National, gave the new company its first star attraction:

singing cowboy A singing cowboy was a subtype of the archetypal cowboy hero of early Western (genre), Western films. It references real-world campfire side ballads in the American frontier. The original cowboys sang of life on the trail with all the challenges, ...

Tex Ritter Woodward Maurice "Tex" Ritter (January 12, 1905 – January 2, 1974) was a pioneer of American country music, a singer, and an actor from the mid-1930s into the 1960s. He was the patriarch of the Ritter acting family (son John Ritter, grandso ...

. The studio went on to produce other Westerns with established action star

Ken Maynard Kenneth Olin Maynard (July 21, 1895 – March 23, 1973) was an American actor and producer. He was mostly active from the 1920s to the 1940s and considered one of the biggest Western (genre), Western stars in Hollywood. Maynard was also an occa ...

, and two brief series with newcomers:

Tex Fletcher and singing cowgirl Dorothy Page. Apart from westerns, its most consistent talent may have been comedy director

Charles Lamont Charles Lamont (May 5, 1895 – September 11, 1993) was an American filmmaker, known for directing over 200 titles and producing and writing many others. He directed nine Abbott and Costello comedies and many Ma and Pa Kettle films. Biography ...

. Producer

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 ...

made a few features in a two-color process that he labeled "Hirlicolor", similar to

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 ...

. Hirliman also produced a four-film series starring his wife

Eleanor Hunt Eleanor Hunt (January 10, 1910 – June 12, 1981) was an American film actress. She starred opposite John Wayne in the 1934 film '' Blue Steel''. Personal life She was married to actor Rex Lease for "a few months" before their September 1 ...

and

Conrad Nagel John Conrad Nagel (March 16, 1897 – February 24, 1970) was an American film, stage, television and radio actor. He was considered a famous matinée idol and leading man of the 1920s and 1930s. He was given an Honorary Academy Award in 1940, a ...

as federal agents Reynolds and O'Connor. Silent-era star

Rod LaRocque Roderick Ross La Rocque (November 29, 1898 – October 15, 1969) was an American actor. Biography La Rocque was born in Chicago, Illinois to Edmund La Rocque and Ann (née Rice) La Rocque. His father was of French-Canadian descent and his mo ...

appeared on a number of mystery films as the popular fiction and radio character

The Shadow The Shadow is a fictional character created by American magazine publishers Street & Smith and writer Walter B. Gibson. Originally created to be a mysterious radio show narrator and developed into a distinct literary character in 1931 by Gibs ...

. Producer Franklyn Warner made four well-received features for Grand National (as "Fine Arts Pictures") in 1938-39. The studio had an overseas distribution agreement with

Associated British Pictures Corporation Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC), originally British International Pictures (BIP), was a British film production, distribution and exhibition company active from 1927 until 1970 when it was absorbed into EMI. ABPC also owned appro ...

and bought the rights to one British

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), known professionally as Boris Karloff () and occasionally billed as Karloff the Uncanny, was a British actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstei ...

film, ''

Juggernaut A juggernaut (), in current English usage, is a literal or metaphorical force regarded as merciless, destructive, and unstoppable. This English usage originates in the mid-nineteenth century. ''Juggernaut'' is the early rendering in English ...

'' (released by Grand National in 1937). In 1936, Grand National succeeded in signing

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor and dancer. On stage and in film, he was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He won acclaim and maj ...

, after he had a falling-out with his home studio,

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

After making ''

Great Guy ''Great Guy'' is a 1936 American crime film noir directed by John G. Blystone and starring James Cagney. In the film, an honest inspector for the New York Department of Weights and Measures takes on corrupt merchants and politicians. Plot After ...

'' for Grand National, Cagney was offered a gangster story, ''

Angels with Dirty Faces ''Angels with Dirty Faces'' is a 1938 American crime drama film directed by Michael Curtiz for Warner Brothers. It stars James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, The Dead End Kids, Humphrey Bogart, Ann Sheridan, and George Bancroft. The screenplay was wr ...

'', which Grand National had acquired. Cagney was worried about being typecast as a gangster, as he had been at Warner Bros., and opted instead for a musical satire on Hollywood called ''

Something to Sing About Something may refer to: Philosophy and language * Something (concept) * "Something", an English indefinite pronoun Music Albums * ''Something'' (Chairlift album), 2012 * ''Something'' (Shirley Bassey album), 1970 * ''Something'' (Shirley Scot ...

'', directed by

Victor Schertzinger Victor L. Schertzinger (April 8, 1888 – October 26, 1941) was an American composer, film director, film producer, and screenwriter. His films include ''Paramount on Parade'' (co-director, 1930 in film, 1930), ''Something to Sing About (1937 fi ...

. The Cagney name was a huge coup for Grand National, and the company invested much more money than usual in its Cagney films, expecting a boxoffice bonanza. Despite Cagney's presence, however, neither picture turned a profit. The Cagney films were simply too expensive for the intended market. Grand National's customer base consisted of small, neighborhood movie theaters -- outside the major studios' theater networks, and accustomed to paying cheap rentals for low-budget films. Thus, Grand National was unable to recoup its investment, a key factor in the company's imminent collapse. The ''Angels with Dirty Faces'' property went to Warner Bros., as did Cagney himself. In 1938, film executive

Earle W. Hammons Earle W. Hammons, known professionally as E. W. Hammons (December 2, 1882 – July 31, 1962), was an American film producer, . He produced more than 220 films between 1921 and 1938. Biography Born in Winona, Mississippi, in 1882, Hammons f ...

, president of Educational, joined forces with Grand National in an effort to expand both companies.''Motion Picture Herald,'' "Ample Supply of Financing in Sight: Hammons," Mar. 25, 1939, p. 34. The attempt was unsuccessful, however, and Grand National entered into liquidation in 1939. Its completed but unreleased films were sold to

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...

, and

RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Kei ...

. The Grand National film library was split among reissue distributors, chiefly Screencraft Pictures and

Astor Pictures Astor Pictures was a film distribution, motion picture distribution company in the United States from 1930 to 1963. It was founded by Robert M. Savini (29 August 1886 – 29 April 1956). Astor specialized in film re-releases. It later release ...

. The Grand National physical plant was acquired by

Producers Releasing Corporation Producers Releasing Corporation (generally known as PRC) was the smallest and least prestigious of the 11 Hollywood film companies of the 1940s. It was considered a prime example of what was called " Poverty Row": a low-rent stretch of Gower St ...

(PRC).

Partial filmography

Grand National released a total of 100 films in its three-year run. Many of its titles have lapsed into the public domain and are legally accessible online. Following is a list of representative Grand National releases. * '' Captain Calamity'' (with George Houston, 1936) * ''

The Devil on Horseback ''The Devil on Horseback'' is a 1936 American musical film, musical comedy film directed by Crane Wilbur and starring Lili Damita, Fred Keating (magician), Fred Keating, and Renee Torres. A separate Spanish-language version was also produced.Waldm ...

'' (with

Lili Damita Lili Damita (born Liliane Marie-Madeleine Carré; 10 July 1904 – 21 March 1994) was a French-American actress, singer, and dancer who appeared in 33 films between 1922 and 1937. Early life and education Lili Damita was born in Blaye, France, ...

, 1936) * '' Headin' for the Rio Grande'' (with Tex Ritter, 1936) * '' Lonely Road'' (British, with

Clive Brook Clifford Hardman "Clive" Brook (1 June 1887 – 17 November 1974) was an English stage and film actor. After making his first screen appearance in 1920, Brook emerged as a leading British actor in the early 1920s. After moving to the Unit ...

, 1936) * ''

'' (with James Cagney, 1936) * ''

Trailin' Trouble ''Trailin' Trouble'' is a 1937 American Western (genre), Western film directed by Arthur Rosson and starring Ken Maynard, Lona Andre, and Roger Williams (actor), Roger Williams. It was released on November 12, 1937. During production its workin ...

'' (with Ken Maynard, 1937) * ''

Navy Spy ''Navy Spy'' is a 1937 American thriller film directed by Joseph H. Lewis and Crane Wilbur and starring Conrad Nagel, Eleanor Hunt and Judith Allen.Backer p.276 It was one of a series of four films featuring Nagel as a federal agent released by G ...

'' (with Conrad Nagel and Eleanor Hunt, 1937) * ''

Renfrew of the Royal Mounted ''Renfrew of the Royal Mounted'' was a popular series of boy's adventure books written by Laurie York Erskine that were later filmed and became a series on both radio and television. Canon 'Inspector Douglas Renfrew' was a former Royal Flying ...

'' (with

James Newill James Morris Newill (August 12, 1911 – July 31, 1975), sometimes credited as Jim Newill, was an American actor and singer. Early life Newill was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Mayme Newill and her first husband. His parents divorced, ...

, 1937) * ''

'' (with James Cagney, 1937) * '' Swing It, Sailor!'' (with

Wallace Ford Wallace Ford (born Samuel Grundy Jones; 12 February 1898 – 11 June 1966) was an English–American vaudevillian, stage performer and screen actor. Usually playing wise-cracking characters, he combined a tough but friendly-faced demeanor with ...

and Ray Mayer, 1938) * ''

Here's Flash Casey ''Here's Flash Casey'' is a 1937 American film directed by Lynn Shores and starring Eric Linden and Boots Mallory. Plot Flash Casey is able finally to get the job as photographer at Globe Press. And he would like to marry newspaper woman Kay Lann ...

'' (with

Eric Linden Eric Linden (September 15, 1909 – July 14, 1994) was an American actor, primarily active during the 1930s. Early years Eric Linden was born in New York City to Phillip and Elvira (née Lundborg) Linden, both of Swedish descent. His father ...

, 1938) * '' Mr. Boggs Steps Out'' (with

Stuart Erwin Stuart Erwin (February 14, 1903 – December 21, 1967) was an American actor of stage, film, and television. Early years Erwin was born in Squaw Valley, Fresno County, California. He attended Porterville High School and the University of Ca ...

, 1938) * ''

Long Shot In photography, filmmaking and video production, a wide shot (sometimes referred to as a full shot or long shot) is a shot that typically shows the entire object or human figure and is usually intended to place it in some relation to its surro ...

'' (with Gordon Jones, 1939) * ''

Exile Express ''Exile Express'' is a 1939 American drama film directed by Otis Garrett and starring Anna Sten, Alan Marshal and Jerome Cowan. Plot After being wrongly implicated in the murder of her scientist boss by foreign agents, a young immigrant woma ...

'' (with

Anna Sten Anna Sten (December 3, 1908November 12, 1993, born Anna Petrivna Fesak) was a Ukrainian-born American actress. She began her career in stage plays and films in the Soviet Union, then traveled to Germany, where she starred in several films. Her p ...

, 1939) * ''

Isle of Destiny ''Isle of Destiny'' (aka ''Trouble Over the Pacific'') is a 1940 American comedy adventure film set in the South Seas. The film was directed by Elmer Clifton and originally produced by Franklyn Warner for Grand National Pictures in 1939. ''Isle ...

'' (with

William Gargan William Dennis Gargan (July 17, 1905February 16, 1979) was an American film, television and radio actor. He was the 5th recipient of the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 1967, and in 1941, was nominated for the Academy Award for Be ...

, bought by RKO for release in 1940) * '' Half a Sinner'' (with

Constance Collier Constance Collier (born Laura Constance Hardie; 22 January 1878 – 25 April 1955) was an English stage and film actress and acting coach. She wrote plays and films with Ivor Novello and she was the first person to be treated with insulin i ...

, bought by Universal for release in 1940) * '' Miracle on Main Street'' (with

Margo Margo may refer to: People * Margo (actress) (1917–1985), Mexican-American actress and dancer * Margo (magician), American magic performer and actress * Margo (singer), Irish singer * Margo (given name), including a list of people and characters ...

, bought by Columbia for release in 1940)

References

{{reflist

External links

IMDb.com: Grand National Pictures (U.S.)

IMDb.com: Grand National Films Ltd. (U.K.)
01 Defunct film and television production companies of the United States Film distributors of the United States Entertainment companies based in California Companies based in Los Angeles American companies established in 1936 Entertainment companies established in 1936 Mass media companies established in 1936 Mass media companies disestablished in 1939 1936 establishments in California 1939 disestablishments in California Defunct companies based in Greater Los Angeles RKO General