Cinema International Corporation
Encyclopedia
Cinema International Corporation (CIC) was a film distribution company started by Paramount Pictures
(then owned by Gulf+Western
, now a unit of Viacom
) and Universal Studios
(then a division of the Music Corporation of America
– or MCA – now part of NBCUniversal) in the early 1970s to distribute the 2 studios' films outside the United States
– it even operated in Canada
before it was considered part of the "domestic" market.
(at the time a Gulf+Western
company, today owned by Viacom
) and Universal
(then owned by MCA Inc., now part of NBCUniversal), merged their international distribution arms, into a new releasing company, Cinema International Corporation (CIC), registered in England
and Wales
.
In 1973, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
closed down its distribution offices and became a partner in CIC, which took over international distribution for MGM's films; however, United Artists
took over the domestic distribution for MGM's films that time. CIC also entered the home video market by forming CIC Video
, which distributed Paramount and Universal titles on video worldwide. MGM however, had its own video unit
, which later became a joint venture with CBS
as MGM/CBS Home Video (later known as MGM/UA Home Video, which then became managed by Warner Home Video
).
In 1981, MGM purchased United Artists
, which had its own international distribution unit. CIC refused to let MGM drop out of the venture at the time, which led to the reorganization of the company as United International Pictures
.
CIC's name lived on in its video division, which became directly managed as a joint venture of Paramount Home Video and MCA Videocassette, Inc.
(later MCA Home Video and MCA/Universal Home Video). CIC Video survived until the late 1990s/early 2000s, when Universal purchased PolyGram
and reorganized its video division (which was a joint venture with what is now Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
, and remains so to this day) under the Universal name, while Paramount took over full ownership of CIC Video and merged it under its own video division.
. CIC/Fox distributed titles by Walt Disney Productions, Paramount Pictures
, Universal
, Metro Goldwyn Mayer, United Artists
(since 1982, a year after MGM merged with UA) and 20th Century Fox
. The joint venture was ended in 1986, a year after Rupert Murdoch
purchased Fox
and Village Roadshow distributed the titles that CIC-Fox had operated except Universal and Paramount (although Roadshow manufactured CIC-Taft Video, the replacement for Rigby-CIC, CIC-Fox's video division).
fanfare was composed by Jerry Goldsmith
for the motion picture A Gathering of Eagles
. The fanfare first appeared over the vanity plate for Universal-International
in that film. A new arrangement of the fanfare was composed for CIC.
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
(then owned by Gulf+Western
Gulf+Western
Gulf and Western Industries, Inc., for a number of years known as Gulf+Western, was an American conglomerate.- History :Gulf and Western's prosaic origins date to a manufacturer named Michigan Bumper Co. founded in 1934, though Charles Bluhdorn treated his 1958 takeover of what was then Michigan...
, now a unit of Viacom
Viacom
Viacom Inc. , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with interests primarily in, but not limited to, cinema and cable television...
) and Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
(then a division of the Music Corporation of America
Music Corporation of America
MCA, Inc. was an American talent agency. Initially starting in the music business, they would next become a dominant force in the film business, and later expanded into the television business...
– or MCA – now part of NBCUniversal) in the early 1970s to distribute the 2 studios' films outside the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
– it even operated in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
before it was considered part of the "domestic" market.
Overview
On April 9, 1970, as a part of a cost-cutting move, caused due to declining movie-going audiences, and due to anti-trust rules, ParamountParamount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
(at the time a Gulf+Western
Gulf+Western
Gulf and Western Industries, Inc., for a number of years known as Gulf+Western, was an American conglomerate.- History :Gulf and Western's prosaic origins date to a manufacturer named Michigan Bumper Co. founded in 1934, though Charles Bluhdorn treated his 1958 takeover of what was then Michigan...
company, today owned by Viacom
Viacom
Viacom Inc. , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with interests primarily in, but not limited to, cinema and cable television...
) and Universal
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
(then owned by MCA Inc., now part of NBCUniversal), merged their international distribution arms, into a new releasing company, Cinema International Corporation (CIC), registered in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
In 1973, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
closed down its distribution offices and became a partner in CIC, which took over international distribution for MGM's films; however, United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
took over the domestic distribution for MGM's films that time. CIC also entered the home video market by forming CIC Video
CIC Video
CIC Video was a home video distributor, owned by Cinema International Corporation , and operated in some countries by local operators...
, which distributed Paramount and Universal titles on video worldwide. MGM however, had its own video unit
MGM Home Entertainment
MGM Home Entertainment is the home video and DVD arm of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.-History:The home video division of MGM started in 1979 as MGM Home Video, releasing all the movies and TV shows by MGM. In 1980, MGM joined forces with CBS Video Enterprises, the home video division of the CBS television...
, which later became a joint venture with CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
as MGM/CBS Home Video (later known as MGM/UA Home Video, which then became managed by Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
).
In 1981, MGM purchased United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
, which had its own international distribution unit. CIC refused to let MGM drop out of the venture at the time, which led to the reorganization of the company as United International Pictures
United International Pictures
United International Pictures is a joint venture of Paramount Pictures and Universal Studios , to distribute some of the two studios' films theatrically outside the United States , Canada, and the Anglophone...
.
CIC's name lived on in its video division, which became directly managed as a joint venture of Paramount Home Video and MCA Videocassette, Inc.
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is the home video division of Universal Pictures...
(later MCA Home Video and MCA/Universal Home Video). CIC Video survived until the late 1990s/early 2000s, when Universal purchased PolyGram
PolyGram
PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
and reorganized its video division (which was a joint venture with what is now Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. It was established in November 1979 as Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, releasing 20 titles: The Anderson Tapes, Bell, Book and Candle, Born Free, Breakout,...
, and remains so to this day) under the Universal name, while Paramount took over full ownership of CIC Video and merged it under its own video division.
Australia
In Australia, CIC operated as CIC/Fox, a joint venture with 20th Century Fox20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
. CIC/Fox distributed titles by Walt Disney Productions, Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, Universal
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
, Metro Goldwyn Mayer, United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
(since 1982, a year after MGM merged with UA) and 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
. The joint venture was ended in 1986, a year after Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
purchased Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
and Village Roadshow distributed the titles that CIC-Fox had operated except Universal and Paramount (although Roadshow manufactured CIC-Taft Video, the replacement for Rigby-CIC, CIC-Fox's video division).
Vanity Plate Fanfare
CIC's vanity plateVanity plate
A vanity plate or personalized plate , prestige plate, private number plate, or personalised registration or custom plate or personalised plate is a special type of vehicle registration plate on an automobile or other vehicle...
fanfare was composed by Jerry Goldsmith
Jerry Goldsmith
Jerrald King Goldsmith was an American composer and conductor most known for his work in film and television scoring....
for the motion picture A Gathering of Eagles
A Gathering of Eagles
A Gathering of Eagles is a 1963 film about the U.S. Air Force during the Cold War and the pressures of command. The plot is patterned after the World War II film Twelve O'Clock High, which producer-screenwriter Sy Bartlett also wrote, with elements also mirroring Above and Beyond and Toward the...
. The fanfare first appeared over the vanity plate for Universal-International
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
in that film. A new arrangement of the fanfare was composed for CIC.
See also
- Paramount PicturesParamount PicturesParamount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
- Universal StudiosUniversal StudiosUniversal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
- Metro-Goldwyn-MayerMetro-Goldwyn-MayerMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
- CIC VideoCIC VideoCIC Video was a home video distributor, owned by Cinema International Corporation , and operated in some countries by local operators...
- United International PicturesUnited International PicturesUnited International Pictures is a joint venture of Paramount Pictures and Universal Studios , to distribute some of the two studios' films theatrically outside the United States , Canada, and the Anglophone...