British-American film studio and film production company
This article is about the defunct PolyGram Filmed Entertainment whose assets belong to Universal Pictures. For the former record company and Universal Music Group's current film unit, see
PolyGram
.
PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
(formerly known as
Filmworks
,
Casablanca Records & Filmworks
,
PolyGram Films
and
PolyGram Pictures
or simply
PFE
) was a film
production company
founded in 1975 as an American film studio, which became a European competitor to
Hollywood
within two decades, but was eventually sold to
Seagram Company Ltd.
in 1998 and was folded a year later. Among its most successful and well known films were
The Deep
(1977),
Midnight Express
(1978),
An American Werewolf in London
(1981),
Flashdance
(1983),
Four Weddings and a Funeral
(1994),
Dead Man Walking
(1995),
The Big Lebowski
(1998),
Fargo
(1996),
The Usual Suspects
(1995),
The Game
(1997),
Barney's Great Adventure
(1998) and
Notting Hill
(1999).
Overview
[
edit
]
In 1975,
Peter Guber
formed its own production company FilmWorks, then in 1976, it became Casablanca Records & FilmWorks after a merger with
Casablanca Records
, which
PolyGram
got a 50% by 1977, and by 1980, PolyGram took the other 50% stake in the company and renamed the film unit as PolyGram Pictures.
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, PolyGram continued to invest in a diversified film unit with the purchases of individual production companies. In 1995, PolyGram purchased
ITC Entertainment
for $156 million.
In May 1998, PolyGram was sold to Seagram, which owned
Universal Pictures
and
Universal Music Group
(UMG), for $10 billion. Seagram sold off some of PolyGram's assets while mainly acquiring its music division: the ITC Entertainment library was sold to
Carlton Communications
for £91 million, the pre-March 1996 PFE library was sold to
MGM
, and PolyGram's US distribution operation was sold to
USA Network
.
After many of its assets were sold, the remains of PolyGram's film division were folded into Universal Pictures. When the newly formed entertainment division of Seagram faced financial difficulties, it was sold to
Vivendi
, and MCA became known as Universal Studios, as Seagram ceased to exist.
Vivendi remained the majority owner of the UMG until 2021, when it sold most of its stake. MGM owns the rights to most of the pre-April 1996 library, and the remaining post-March 1996 film and television library is owned by
NBCUniversal
.
In 2017, Universal Music Group established a film and television division, resurrecting the
PolyGram Entertainment
name.
[1]
History
[
edit
]
FilmWorks, Casablanca Records & FilmWorks and PolyGram Pictures
[
edit
]
In 1975,
Peter Guber
quit
Columbia Pictures
to start out
FilmWorks
with a producing deal. A year later, during the production of
The Deep
, it was merged with
Casablanca Records
to form
Casablanca Records & FilmWorks
.
[2]
The company would enjoy success with
The Deep
and
Midnight Express
. The music company
PolyGram
(owned by
Dutch
-based
Philips
and
Germany
's
Siemens
) bought out its share of Casablanca Records & FilmWorks in 1977. Two years later, in 1979, Casablanca Record & Filmworks left Columbia Pictures to join
Universal Pictures
, and gave Casablanca Records & Filmworks creative control over the pictures.
[3]
A year later, PolyGram took on its stake of the company and it was renamed to
PolyGram Pictures
in 1980.
[4]
PolyGram reserved the finances and Guber would run as
CEO
. Guber would form a partnership with
Barbra Streisand
's hairdresser
Jon Peters
, who co-produced his client's
A Star Is Born
remake. Peters would produce PolyGram's films, and eventually become a stockholder with Guber.
[5]
He had intended to work with
Boardwalk Records
, but he was forced to join PolyGram Pictures instead.
[6]
[7]
[3]
The first film under the Universal/PolyGram alliance was
King of the Mountain
(1981), which was a box-office flop. More money-losers followed. Ancillary markets such as
home video
and
pay television
were not yet established, and broadcast television networks were paying less for licenses to films. PolyGram's European investors were not happy; they had lost about $80 million on its film division. Not long after, Siemens parted with Philips. Guber and Peters left PolyGram Pictures in 1982, taking their plans for a new
Batman
movie with them, along with a few other projects. The duo eventually found a home at
Warner Bros.
A part of their exit proceedings, PolyGram would still own 7.5% of profits from some of its projects, including the 1989
Batman
film.
[5]
Also in 1980, PolyGram launched a syndicated television division, PolyGram Television, to be headed by former
Columbia Pictures Television
syndication executive Norman Horowitz,
[8]
both the film and TV units eventually closed down by 1983 after a string of first-run syndication strip flops.
[9]
PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
[
edit
]
In the early 1980s, PolyGram Video was launched. PolyGram Video, headed by Michael Kuhn and David Hockman, was created to distribute concert films and feature films acquired from third-parties, as well as long-form music videos; in 1986, a joint venture with Heron Communications, Channel 5 Video began operation.
[10]
Channel 5 Video later began to obtain the rights to titles from Heron's US children's arm,
Hi-Tops Video
.
[11]
Kuhn and Hockman were able to parlay PolyGram Video's success into financing feature films. The first film produced by PolyGram's new film division was
P.I. Private Investigations
in 1987.
[12]
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, PolyGram continued to invest in a diversified film unit with the purchases of individual production companies.
[13]
In 1989, PolyGram launched Manifesto Film Sales to handle the licensing of films outside North America.
[14]
In 1991, PolyGram's Michael Kuhn became the head of PolyGram Filmed Entertainment,
[13]
with US$200 million pumped in with the intention of developing a European film studio that could produce and distribute films internationally on a scale to match the
major Hollywood studios
.
Following the style of its music business, the company produced films through a number of creatively semi-autonomous 'labels', such as
Working Title Films
in the United Kingdom and
Propaganda Films
and
Interscope Communications
in the
United States
; it also built up its own network of distribution companies.
Film production within PolyGram differed from traditional Hollywood studios, in that power to make ('green light') a film was not centralised in the hands of a small number of executives, but instead was decided by negotiations between producers, management and marketing. Kuhn claimed that "movies sort of green lit themselves."
In 1993, PolyGram purchased the video arm of
Virgin Group
from
General Electric Capital
for $5.6 million and remodeled the label as Vision Video Ltd.
PolyGram also built up a sizable film and television library that could be profitable. In 1995, the company purchased
ITC Entertainment
for $156 million.
[15]
Through this purchase, PolyGram acquired 350 feature films, several thousand hours of television programming, and gained further access into the television market.
[13]
That same year, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment acquired a 75% majority stake in British home video distributor
Abbey Home Entertainment
. In 1997, PFE agreed to purchase the
Epic film library
, which included a thousand feature films from a variety of companies, from
Credit Lyonnais
for $225 million.
[16]
PolyGram also attempted purchasing
MGM
[17]
and
The Samuel Goldwyn Company
's library,
[18]
but to no avail. In July 1998, PolyGram was in talks to sell their stake in Abbey Home Entertainment back to Ian and Anne Miles, letting AHE trade independently again. On December 7, 1997, PolyGram and
Warner Bros.
reached a deal to co-finance films produced by
Castle Rock Entertainment
.
[19]
PFE's film distribution arm was based in the
United Kingdom
, and invested heavily in British film making ? some credit it with reviving the British film industry in the 1990s. Despite a successful production history, new Philips CEO
Cor Boonstra
began to draw back Philips' media operations, excepting their stake in PolyGram, in 1997.
[20]
At the time, Philips was seen as a bloated conglomerate riddled with problems; Boonstra initially denied that PolyGram would be sold.
[21]
However, by early 1998, Boonstra's attitude had shifted and various bidders began to make themselves known, as Philips began to pursue a manufacturing-only business model.
[22]
At the same time, PolyGram had been suffering from their own internal issues, chiefly a series of loss-making films and a lack of major pop music hits.
[23]
In hindsight, analysts have also pointed to another reason for Boonstra's sale of the assets, namely Philips manufacturing blank CDs, as
music piracy
subsequently impacted the music industry hugely in the years afterwards.
[24]
Philips ultimately decided to sell PolyGram to the beverage
conglomerate
Seagram
in 1998 (Seagram had chosen PolyGram over EMI because of PolyGram's better management);
[25]
[26]
only interested in PolyGram's music operations, Seagram, which at the time controlled
Universal Pictures
, looked forward to divesting in PFE. After being dissatisfied with offers to buy the studio (including a joint venture between
Canal+
and
Artisan Entertainment
), Seagram opted to sell off individual assets and folded whatever remained into Universal.
[27]
In October 1998,
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
(MGM)
[28]
paid $235?250 million to acquire 1,300 films released before March 31, 1996, from PolyGram.
[29]
In 1999, the ITC library was sold to
Carlton Communications
(later known as
ITV Studios
) for $150 million.
[30]
Some of PFE's North American distribution assets were sold to
USA Networks
.
[31]
Universal would later take over the remaining titles, which included a third of the pre-April 1996 films, as well as PolyGram Television's library. Universal would eventually set up their international arm from the ashes of PFE's international division on February 9, 1999, that included theatrical and video distribution when its contracts with
United International Pictures
and
CIC Video
expired.
[32]
After the box office failure of
Mickey Blue Eyes
, a title inherited from PolyGram that became one of the few titles that were self-distributed by Universal internationally, all the theatrical assets of Universal Pictures International were merged with United International Pictures, which continued to exist until 2007.
[33]
PolyGram Video took over the distribution of
Manga Entertainment
's titles in Australia and New Zealand in late 1996 after Siren Entertainment's license to the Manga Video catalog expired, but PolyGram lost the license to the Manga Video catalog in 1998 after
Madman Entertainment
took over the licenses. This was due to Manga Entertainment being moved from Island Records to Palm Pictures.
Relaunch as PolyGram Entertainment
[
edit
]
Production companies
[
edit
]
US distribution
[
edit
]
In 1992, PolyGram partnered with
Universal Pictures
to create a
joint venture
called
Gramercy Pictures
. Gramercy primarily distributed PolyGram films in the United States, and it doubled as a specialty label for Universal. In January 1996, PolyGram bought out Universal
[35]
and in 1997,
PolyGram Films
was founded to release PFE's mainstream titles in the United States, while Gramercy became a low-budget/art-house sublabel.
[36]
[37]
PolyGram Films' first release was
The Game
.
[37]
[35]
When PolyGram was acquired by Universal in 1999, the company merged Gramercy with
October Films
, which included its subsidiary
Rogue Pictures
[38]
to create USA Films, which eventually became
Focus Features
. Gramercy was revived in 2015 as a label of Focus Features,
[39]
but shut down and went dormant the next year.
Selected films
[
edit
]
Among the films directly produced by PFE were:
1970s
[
edit
]
1980s
[
edit
]
1990s
[
edit
]
Release Date
|
Title
|
Notes
|
27 July 1990
|
Chicago Joe and the Showgirl
|
co-production with
New Line Cinema
and
Working Title Films
|
17 August 1990
|
Wild at Heart
|
co-production with
The Samuel Goldwyn Company
(co-owned by MGM and Universal)
|
14 September 1990
|
Fools of Fortune
|
co-production with
New Line Cinema
|
24 May 1991
|
Drop Dead Fred
|
co-production with
New Line Cinema
and
Working Title Films
(owned by Universal)
|
21 August 1991
|
Barton Fink
|
distributed by
20th Century Fox
; co-production with
Working Title Films
(co-owned by Disney and Universal)
|
15 November 1991
|
Driving Me Crazy
|
co-production with
Motion Picture Corporation of America
|
17 January 1992
|
A Gnome Named Gnorm
|
co-production with
Vestron Pictures
|
27 March 1992
|
Ruby
|
co-production with
Triumph Films
|
15 May 1992
|
Rubin & Ed
|
co-production with
Working Title Films
(owned by Sony)
|
19 June 1992
|
Batman Returns
|
distributed by
Warner Bros.
; co-production with
DC Comics
,
Tim Burton Productions
and
De Novi Pictures
|
7 August 1992
|
London Kills Me
|
distributed by
New Line Cinema
; co-production with
Fine Line Features
|
4 September 1992
|
Bob Roberts
|
distributed by
Paramount Pictures
; co-production with
Miramax Films
,
Live Entertainment
and
Working Title Films
(co-owned by Lionsgate and Universal)
|
16 October 1992
|
Candyman
|
distributed by
Sony Pictures Releasing
; co-production with
TriStar Pictures
and
Propaganda Films
(owned by Universal)
|
23 April 1993
|
Map of the Human Heart
|
distributed by
Miramax Films
; co-production with
Working Title Films
(co-owned by Miramax and Universal)
|
14 May 1993
|
Posse
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Working Title Films
(owned by MGM)
|
20 August 1993
|
The Ballad of Little Jo
|
distributed by
Fine Line Features
|
3 September 1993
|
Kalifornia
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Propaganda Films
(owned by MGM)
|
1 October 1993
|
Malice
|
distributed by
Sony Pictures Releasing
; co-production with
Columbia Pictures
,
New Line Cinema
,
Castle Rock Entertainment
and
Nelvana
(owned by MGM)
|
8 October 1993
|
The Young Americans
|
distributed by
Live Entertainment
; co-production with
Working Title Films
|
5 November 1993
|
A Home of Our Own
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
(owned by MGM)
|
7 January 1994
|
The Air Up There
|
distributed by
Hollywood Pictures
; co-production with
Interscope Communications
(owned by Disney)
|
4 February 1994
|
Romeo Is Bleeding
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Working Title Films
Most 1994?95 PolyGram films currently owned by MGM unless mentioned otherwise
|
9 March 1994
|
Four Weddings and a Funeral
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Working Title Films
and
Channel Four Films
|
11 March 1994
|
The Hudsucker Proxy
|
distributed by
Warner Bros.
; co-production with
Working Title Films
and
Silver Pictures
(co-owned by Warner Bros. and Universal)
|
8 April 1994
|
Holy Matrimony
|
distributed by
Buena Vista Pictures
; co-production with
Hollywood Pictures
and
Interscope Communications
(co-owned by Disney and Universal)
|
Red Rock West
|
distributed by
Roxie Releasing
(theatrical),
Columbia TriStar Home Video
(home video); co-production with
Propaganda Films
(owned by Universal)
|
15 April 1994
|
Backbeat
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
(owned by Universal)
|
6 May 1994
|
Dream Lover
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Propaganda Films
|
18 May 1994
|
Final Combination
|
co-production with
Propaganda Films
|
15 July 1994
|
A Pig's Tale
|
distributed by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment; co-production with
Propaganda Films
(owned by Universal)
|
10 August 1994
|
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
|
23 September 1994
|
Terminal Velocity
|
distributed by
Hollywood Pictures
; co-production with
Interscope Communications
(owned by Disney)
|
28 September 1994
|
Jason's Lyric
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Propaganda Films
|
16 December 1994
|
Nell
|
distributed by
20th Century Fox
(co-owned by Disney and MGM)
|
20 January 1995
|
S.F.W.
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Propaganda Films
|
10 February 1995
|
Shallow Grave
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Channel Four Films
|
24 February 1995
|
Before the Rain
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
(owned by Universal)
|
17 March 1995
|
Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Propaganda Films
|
21 April 1995
|
The Basketball Diaries
|
distributed by
New Line Cinema
; co-production with
Island Pictures
(co-owned by Palm Pictures and MGM)
|
3 May 1995
|
Panther
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Working Title Films
|
5 May 1995
|
French Kiss
|
distributed by
20th Century Fox
; co-production with
Working Title Films
(co-owned by Disney and MGM)
|
16 June 1995
|
Batman Forever
|
distributed by
Warner Bros.
; co-production with
DC Comics
and
Tim Burton Productions
|
30 June 1995
|
Innocent Lies
|
|
28 July 1995
|
Operation Dumbo Drop
|
distributed by
Buena Vista Pictures
; co-production with
Walt Disney Pictures
and
Interscope Communications
(owned by Disney)
|
16 August 1995
|
The Usual Suspects
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Bad Hat Harry Productions
and
Spelling Films
(co-owned by MGM and Paramount)
|
15 September 1995
|
Coldblooded
|
distributed by
IRS Media
; co-production with
Motion Picture Corporation of America
and
Propaganda Films
(owned by Universal)
|
22 September 1995
|
Canadian Bacon
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Propaganda Films
|
29 September 1995
|
Moonlight and Valentino
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Working Title Films
|
3 November 1995
|
Home for the Holidays
|
distributed by
Paramount Pictures
(co-owned by Paramount and MGM)
|
10 November 1995
|
Carrington
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
|
15 December 1995
|
Jumanji
|
distributed by
Sony Pictures Releasing
; co-production with
TriStar Pictures
and
Interscope Communications
(owned by Sony)
|
28 December 1995
|
12 Monkeys
|
UK distribution only; produced by
Atlas Entertainment
and
Classico
(owned by Universal)
|
29 December 1995
|
Dead Man Walking
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Working Title Films
|
29 December 1995
|
Mr. Holland's Opus
|
distributed by
Buena Vista Pictures
; co-production with
Hollywood Pictures
and
Interscope Communications
(co-owned by Disney and MGM)
|
9 February 1996
|
Loch Ness
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Working Title Films
|
23 February 1996
|
La Haine
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Le Studio Canal+
and Arte France Cinema
Most films released since this point are owned by
Universal Pictures
[40]
|
8 March 1996
|
Fargo
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Working Title Films
(owned by MGM)
|
22 March 1996
|
Jack and Sarah
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Granada Productions
and
Le Studio Canal+
(owned by MGM)
|
Land and Freedom
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Working Title Films
|
3 May 1996
|
Barb Wire
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Propaganda Films
|
31 May 1996
|
Eddie
|
distributed by
Hollywood Pictures
; co-production with
Island Pictures
(co-owned by Disney and MGM)
[41]
Last film in the pre-April 1996 library owned by
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
via
Orion Pictures
|
The Arrival
|
distributed by
Orion Pictures
; co-production with
LIVE Entertainment
, Steelework Films and
Interscope Communications
(owned by Lionsgate)
|
17 July 1996
|
Walking and Talking
|
distributed by
Miramax Films
; co-production with
Channel Four Films
,
Zenith Productions
,
Pandora Film
, Mikado Films (France), Electric, TEAM Communications Group and
Good Machine
(co-owned by Miramax and Universal)
|
Kazaam
|
distributed by
Buena Vista Pictures
; co-production with
Touchstone Pictures
and
Interscope Communications
(co-owned by Disney and Universal)
|
19 July 1996
|
Trainspotting
|
distributed by
Miramax Films
; co-production with
Channel Four Films
|
18 October 1996
|
Sleepers
|
distributed by
Warner Bros.
; co-production with
Propaganda Films
(co-owned by Warner Bros. and Universal)
|
Jude
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
(owned by Universal; U.S. rights sub-licensed to Scorpion Releasing)
|
24 December 1996
|
The Portrait of a Lady
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Propaganda Films
|
10 January 1997
|
The Relic
|
distributed by
Paramount Pictures
; co-production with
Tele-Munchen Gruppe
,
BBC Films
,
Toho
,
Pacific Western Production
,
Marubeni
and
Cloud Nine Entertainment
|
29 January 1997
|
Gridlock'd
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Interscope Communications
|
14 February 1997
|
When We Were Kings
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
(owned by Shout! Studios via Westchester)
|
7 March 1997
|
The Eighth Day
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Working Title Films
|
11 April 1997
|
Keys to Tulsa
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
ITC Entertainment
(owned by ITV Studios)
|
9 May 1997
|
Twin Town
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
|
20 June 1997
|
Batman & Robin
|
distributed by
Warner Bros.
; co-production with
DC Comics
|
6 August 1997
|
Def Jam's How to Be a Player
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
|
24 August 1997
|
Snow White: A Tale of Terror
|
co-production with
Interscope Communications
|
12 September 1997
|
The Game
|
distributed by PolyGram Films; co-production with
Propaganda Films
|
19 September 1997
|
Going All the Way
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
|
3 October 1997
|
The Matchmaker
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Working Title Films
|
24 October 1997
|
A Life Less Ordinary
|
distributed by
20th Century Fox
(co-owned by Disney and Universal)
|
7 November 1997
|
Bean
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Working Title Films
|
5 December 1997
|
The Borrowers
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Working Title Films
|
16 January 1998
|
Hard Rain
|
distributed by
Paramount Pictures
; co-production with
BBC Films
,
Mutual Film Company
,
Nordisk Film Production
and
Toho
|
23 January 1998
|
Spice World
|
distributed by
Sony Pictures Releasing
; co-production with
Columbia Pictures
,
Icon Entertainment International
and Fragile Films
|
The Gingerbread Man
|
distributed by PolyGram Films; co-production with
Island Pictures
and Enchanter Entertainment
|
18 February 1998
|
I Want You
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
|
26 February 1998
|
Dead Letter Office
|
distributed by
Southern Star Entertainment
|
6 March 1998
|
The Big Lebowski
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Working Title Films
|
3 April 1998
|
No Looking Back
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
|
The Proposition
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Interscope Communications
|
Barney's Great Adventure: The Movie
|
distributed by PolyGram Films; co-production with
Lyrick Studios
|
1 May 1998
|
Wilde
|
UK distribution only; produced by
BBC Films
,
Capitol Films
and
Pony Canyon
(owned by
Altitude
)
|
Go Now
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
|
29 May 1998
|
The Last Days of Disco
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
in North America and
Warner Bros.
internationally;
[42]
co-production with
Castle Rock Entertainment
(co-owned by Universal and Warner Bros.)
|
12 June 1998
|
The Land Girls
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
|
14 August 1998
|
Return to Paradise
|
distributed by PolyGram Films; co-production with
Propaganda Films
and Tetragram
|
21 August 1998
|
Your Friends & Neighbors
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
|
25 September 1998
|
Clay Pigeons
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
|
2 October 1998
|
What Dreams May Come
|
distributed by PolyGram Films; co-production with
Interscope Communications
|
13 November 1998
|
Thursday
|
distributed by
Legacy Releasing
; co-production with
Propaganda Films
|
22 November 1998
|
Elizabeth
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Working Title Films
and
Channel Four Films
|
25 November 1998
|
Very Bad Things
|
distributed by PolyGram Films; co-production with
Interscope Communications
|
22 January 1999
|
The Hi-Lo Country
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
Working Title Films
|
February 1999
|
Choke
|
distributed by PolyGram Visual Programming; co-production with
Propaganda Films
|
5 March 1999
|
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
|
distributed by
Gramercy Pictures
; co-production with
The Steve Tisch Company
,
SKA Films
,
HandMade Films
and
Summit Entertainment
|
1 April 1999
|
Millionaire Dogs
|
distributed by Pop Twist Entertainment in U.S.; co-production with
Ostdeutscher Rundfunk Brandenburg
, EIV Entertainment Invest GmbH & Company KG,
Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen
and Benchmark Entertainment
|
28 May 1999
|
Notting Hill
|
distributed by
Universal Pictures
; co-production with
Working Title Films
|
9 July 1999
|
Arlington Road
|
distributed by
Sony Pictures Releasing
; co-production with
Screen Gems
and
Lakeshore Entertainment
|
1 October 1999
|
Plunkett & Macleane
|
international distribution only; co-production with
Working Title Films
|
10 December 1999
|
The Green Mile
|
distributed by
Warner Bros.
; co-production with
Castle Rock Entertainment
and Darkwoods Productions
|
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Universal Music Relaunching Polygram, Announces 'Story of Motown' as First Production"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved
17 February
2017
.
- ^
"Casablanca And Filmworks Merge Into New Combine"
(PDF)
.
Billboard
. 6 November 1976. p. 3.
- ^
a
b
Masters, Kim; Griffin, Nancy (12 January 2016).
Hit & Run
.
Simon & Schuster
.
- ^
"PolyGram Insures Home Video Base"
(PDF)
.
Billboard
. 29 March 1980. p. 9.
- ^
a
b
Griffin, Nancy and Masters, Kim (1996). "Hit and Run" (pp. 100-116). New York: Touchstone, a Simon & Schuster company.
- ^
"Boardwalk - Music label - RYM/Sonemic"
.
Rate Your Music
. Retrieved
5 February
2023
.
- ^
Medavoy, Mike (25 June 2013).
You're Only as Good as Your Next One: 100 Great Films, 100 Good Films, and 100 for Which I Should Be Shot
.
Atria Books
.
- ^
"Horowitz to head new PolyGram television unit"
(PDF)
.
Broadcasting Magazine
. 3 November 1980. p. 46.
- ^
"PolyGram to fold"
(PDF)
.
Broadcasting
. 9 May 1983
. Retrieved
20 September
2021
.
- ^
a
b
"Heron, PolyGram Set Joint Venture With Low Pricing".
Variety
. 1 January 1986. p. 25.
- ^
"Channel Five Moves Into Music & Kid Vid"
(PDF)
.
World Radio History
. 11 July 1987
. Retrieved
5 May
2024
.
- ^
Kuhn, pp. 17-23
- ^
a
b
c
Apodaca, Patrice (21 February 1995).
"Screen Play : PolyGram Hopes to Bolster Its Hollywood Presence With Purchase of Once-Venerable ITC Entertainment"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
22 October
2012
.
- ^
Kuhn, pp. 40-41
- ^
"ITC Entertainment Sold to Polygram for $156 Million"
.
Los Angeles Times
. 17 January 1995
. Retrieved
22 October
2012
.
- ^
Weiner, Rex (3 December 1997).
"New Epic librarian"
.
- ^
Fabrikant, Geraldine (17 July 1996).
"Kerkorian Group Plans to Buy MGM Studio for $1.3 Billion"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
22 October
2012
.
- ^
"Company News;Polygram Said To Drop Goldwyn Offer"
.
The New York Times
. 31 January 1996
. Retrieved
22 October
2012
.
- ^
Cox, Dan (8 December 1997).
"WB, Polygram to co-fund Castle Rock"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
9 January
2022
.
- ^
Staff, Variety (22 July 1997).
"Philips quitting media biz, except for Polygram stake"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
5 May
2024
.
- ^
"CAN HE FIX PHILIPS? HECK, CAN ANYONE? NEW CEO COR BOONSTRA IS AN OUTSIDER WHO TALKS A GOOD TURNAROUND GAME FOR THE ELECTRONICS GIANT--BUT MAY HAVE TO MOVE FASTER. - March 31, 1997"
.
money.cnn.com
. Retrieved
5 May
2024
.
- ^
Week, Marketing (11 June 1998).
"Why Phillips must sharpen up its act"
.
Marketing Week
. Retrieved
5 May
2024
.
- ^
Eller, Claudia; Philips, Chuck (7 May 1998).
"Philips Puts PolyGram Empire Up for Sale"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
5 May
2024
.
- ^
McCullen, Aidan (27 October 2023).
"Killing Your Business While It's Still Working: That (Kodak) Moment"
.
The Innovation Show
. Retrieved
5 May
2024
.
- ^
"Suitors Buzz Around Polygram"
.
Bloomberg.com
. Retrieved
5 May
2024
.
- ^
Eller, Claudia; Philips, Chuck (15 May 1998).
"Seagram, Philips Confirm Talks for All of PolyGram"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
5 May
2024
.
- ^
Eller, Claudia (9 October 1998).
"Seagram May Settle for Sale of Film Library"
.
Los Angeles Times
.
- ^
"MGM Signs $250 Million Agreement to Acquire PolyGram Film Library"
.
Sound & Vision
. 25 October 1998.
- ^
Eller, Claudia (23 October 1998).
"MGM Agrees to Acquire PolyGram Movie Library"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
22 October
2012
.
- ^
Thal, Peter (20 January 1999).
"Carlton pays $150m for film library"
.
The Independent
. London
. Retrieved
22 October
2012
.
- ^
"USA Will Buy Some Seagram Film Assets"
.
Los Angeles Times
. 8 April 1999.
- ^
Carver, Benedict; Dawtrey, Adam (10 February 1999).
"U to start int'l distrib"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
9 January
2022
.
- ^
Petrikin, Chris (15 October 1999).
"U, Par extend UIP pact"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
9 January
2022
.
- ^
Madigan, Nick (9 December 1997).
"Polygram shutters Island Pictures"
.
- ^
a
b
"PolyGram joins the big Game".
Screen International
. 19 September 1997. p. 33.
- ^
Eller, Claudia (3 May 1997).
"PolyGram Unit to Distribute Films in U.S."
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
22 October
2012
.
- ^
a
b
"Partyers play 'Game'
"
.
Variety
. 11 September 1997
. Retrieved
19 September
2022
.
- ^
Roman, Monica (3 April 1998).
"Rogue of October"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
1 January
2022
.
- ^
Petski, Denise (20 May 2015).
"Focus Revives Gramercy Pictures Label For Genre Films"
.
Deadline
. Retrieved
26 October
2021
.
- ^
US Copyright Office
Document No. V3495D070 / 2003-03-06
- ^
US Copyright Office
Document No. V15006D985 / 2022-04-22
- ^
"Warner Bros. Teams Up with PolyGram to Co-Finance & Co-Distribute Castle Rock Pictures"
.
WarnerMedia
. Retrieved
6 April
2020
.
Further reading
[
edit
]
- Michael Kuhn,
One Hundred Films and a Funeral: The Life and Death of Polygram Films
, Thorogood, 2002.
ISBN
1-85418-216-1
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