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National General Pictures

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National General Corporation
IndustryMotion pictures
PredecessorFox Theatres
Founded1951; 73 years ago (1951)
DefunctFebruary 1974; 50 years ago (1974-02)
FateLiquidation
SuccessorMann Theatres
Library: Warner Bros. (main owner)
Paramount Pictures (via CBS)
(films produced by Cinema Center Films only)
Number of locations
240 (1973; theaters)
6 (1969; distribution offices)
ProductsFilm distribution, film exhibition, television production and distribution
Production output
Theatrical films
ServicesFilm distribution
Film exhibition
DivisionsNational General Pictures
National General Records

National General Corporation (NGC) was a theater chain holding company, film distribution and production company and was considered one of the "instant majors". It was in operation from 1951 to 1974.

Divisions

Its division National General Pictures (NGP) was a production company which was active between 1967 and 1973. NGP produced nine motion pictures in-house. The company was a division of the National General Corporation (NGC) which started as the spun out Fox Theatre chain of movie houses, which were later sold to the Mann Theatres Corporation.

National General had its own record label, National General Records, that operated for at least three years and was distributed by Buddah Records.[1]

History

year Theaters
1951 550
1957 275
1973 240

National General Corporation was a film distribution network and the successor of 20th Century Fox's theater division with 550 theaters when spun off in 1951 and reduced in half by court order six years later.[li 1]

National General entered distribution in 1966 under a three-year waiver from the consent decrees[li 2] with six distribution offices.[li 3] In 1967, the CBS television network decided to produce their own films for theatrical release through their production unit Cinema Center Films (CCF), which were released through National General.

National General also acquired Sy Weintraub's Banner Productions in 1967 which was producing Tarzan films and the TV series.[2] NGC had also entered theatrical film production under Charles Boasberg in 1967 as National General Pictures (NGP). The ABC television network had done the same thing with Cinerama in the formation of another instant major partnership. In 1969, after a request for an indefinite waiver, the consent decree waiver was extended for another three years. NGC gained another production partner in 1969 with the formation of First Artists Productions (FAP).

The company tried to acquire Warner Bros. in 1969, but the deal was rejected on antitrust grounds by the Justice Department, and NGP was closed in 1970.[li 2] By 1970, all the instant majors had each captured 10% of the market.[li 3]

By April 1969 National General had produced five films over two years. The month it received a three year extension from a judge to pursue its role as a produced, distributor and exhibitor. NG's head, Irvin Levin, announced National General would make 13 films, costing $35 million in all. Six of them would be made in Hollywood. These were:[3]

  • The Cheyenne Social Club
  • El Condor
  • The Schmid Case - based on the Charles Schmid case directed by Barry Sjear
  • The Sophomore - a college student gets his girlfriend pregnant, produced by Frank Coe
  • Enemy Enemy - based on Bud Freeman play directed by Jerry Paris
  • Another Kind of Love - comedy written and directed by Arnold Schulman
  • The French Connection - based on the novel by Robin Moore with director William Friedkin - this was made at Fox
  • The Valdez Horses based on novel by Lee Hoffman
  • I Want It Now based on novel by Kingsley Amis
  • Forty Lashes Less One based on novel by Elmore Leonard
  • Your Own Thing based on play by Hal Hester
  • The Grasshoppper
  • A Bird in the Hand directed in England by Peter Collinson about the wife of a young English teacher - this was never made.

Following Cinema Center's closure, NGC was taken over by American Financial Corporation in 1972, but continued distributing films until 1973. In November 1973, American Financial sold NGC/NGP's releasing contracts and film library to Warner Bros.[li 2] National General, then just containing 240 theaters, were sold in 1973 to Mann Theatres.[li 1]

Partial list of film titles

1960s

Release Date Title Production company
September 6, 1967 Tarzan's Jungle Rebellion A two-part episode of the 1966 Tarzan TV series
January 31, 1968 Poor Cow British production
August 7, 1968 With Six You Get Eggroll CCF
August 21, 1968 How Sweet It Is!
December 25, 1968 The Stalking Moon
February 26, 1969 Twisted Nerve British production
March 13, 1969 Charro!
May 10, 1969 A Fine Pair CCF; European production
May 28, 1969 The April Fools CCF
July 2, 1969 Daddy's Gone A-Hunting
July 13, 1969 Me, Natalie CCF
September 17, 1969 All Neat in Black Stockings British production
October 4, 1969 Hail, Hero! CCF
October 6, 1969 The Royal Hunt of the Sun CCF; British production
October 22, 1969 The Grasshopper
November 1969 Day of Anger European production filmed in 1967
December 4, 1969 A Boy Named Charlie Brown CCF
December 15, 1969 A Dream of Kings
December 25, 1969 The Reivers CCF

1970s

Release Date Title Production company
March 17, 1970 The Boys in the Band Cinema Center Films (CCF)
April 29, 1970 A Man Called Horse CCF
June 12, 1970 The Cheyenne Social Club CCF
June 19, 1970 El Condor European production
July 22, 1970 Something for Everyone CCF
July 1970 Tarzan's Deadly Silence A two-part episode of the 1966 Tarzan TV series
August 14, 1970 Darker than Amber CCF
September 22, 1970 Adam at Six A.M. CCF
October 1, 1970 The Baby Maker National General
October 7, 1970 Monte Walsh CCF
November 5, 1970 Scrooge CCF; British production
November 23, 1970 Homer CCF
December 4, 1970 Latitude Zero Japanese production
December 18, 1970 Rio Lobo CCF
December 23, 1970 Little Big Man CCF
February 10, 1971 Eyewitness British production
May 21, 1971 The Cat o' Nine Tails European production
May 26, 1971 Big Jake CCF
June 1, 1971 Blue Water, White Death CCF; documentary
June 15, 1971 Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? CCF
June 23, 1971 Le Mans CCF
July 16, 1971 The Light at the Edge of the World European production
July 18, 1971 Figures in a Landscape British production
October 20, 1971 The Todd Killings National General
October 1971 The African Elephant CCF; documentary
November 1971 The Christian Licorice Store CCF
November 1971 Something Big CCF
January 9, 1972 Eagle in a Cage European production
February 1, 1972 Pocket Money First Artists
March 1972 The Little Ark
June 1, 1972 The War Between Men and Women CCF
June 9, 1972 Red Sun European production
June 21, 1972 The Revengers CCF
June 22, 1972 The Dead Are Alive European production
June 28, 1972 Prime Cut CCF
August 9, 1972 Snoopy Come Home CCF
October 25, 1972 The Deadly Trap European production
October 1972 Lapin 360
October 1972 Treasure Island European production
December 8, 1972 The Master Touch European production
December 13, 1972 The Getaway First Artists
December 18, 1972 The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean First Artists
December 21, 1972 Up the Sandbox First Artists
1973 One Armed Boxer Hong Kong production
March 4, 1973 Baxter! British production
March 1973 Fists of Fury Hong Kong production
May 1, 1973 The Chinese Connection Hong Kong production
May 16, 1973 Extreme Close-Up National General
May 23, 1973 A Warm December First Artists
July 13, 1973 Lady Ice National General
August 1, 1973 Maurie National General
September 5, 1973 Hapkido Hong Kong production
September 24, 1973 The Man Called Noon British production
September 24, 1973 The New One-Armed Swordsman Hong Kong production
October 7, 1973 The Second Gun Documentary on the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy
October 24, 1973 Massacre in Rome European production
November 7, 1973 Executive Action National General
January 2, 1974 Chinese Hercules Hong Kong production

References

Citations

  1. ^ Eyries, Patrice, David Edwards and Mike Callahan. (October 21, 2005). National General Album Discography. Discography Listings. Both Sides Now Publications. Accessed on January 3, 2014.
  2. ^ Murphy, A.D. (June 3, 1970). "NGC Toppers Control 16% Of Stock; Proxy Details Salaries, Option Deals". Variety. p. 4.
  3. ^ "National General Schedules 13 Films", Los Angeles Times 26 Apr 1969: b8.

Sources

  1. ^ a b Cook, p. 400.
  2. ^ a b c Cook, pp. 331-332.
  3. ^ a b Cook, p. 333.