Cinerama Releasing Corporation
Encyclopedia
Cinerama Releasing Corporation, or CRC, is a defunct motion picture company established in 1952 that originally released films produced by its namesake parent company
for major Hollywood studios (e.g. MGM's How the West Was Won
and Warner Brothers' Battle of the Bulge
).
In 1963, the owner of the Pacific Coast Theatre chain purchased CRC to be an independent distributor of widescreen motion pictures produced by Cinerama, various foreign films and ABC Circle Films, the film production unit of the American Broadcasting Company
. Films made under the CRC banner include They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, Straw Dogs, and Walking Tall
. ABC Circle films ended in 1973, the last production of CRC was released in 1974.
Though CRC closed operations during 1974, its productions and reissues were temporarily handled by American International Pictures
.
Cinerama
Cinerama is the trademarked name for a widescreen process which works by simultaneously projecting images from three synchronized 35 mm projectors onto a huge, deeply-curved screen, subtending 146° of arc. It is also the trademarked name for the corporation which was formed to market it...
for major Hollywood studios (e.g. MGM's How the West Was Won
How the West Was Won (film)
How the West Was Won is a 1962 American epic Western film. The picture was one of the last "old-fashioned" epic films made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to enjoy great success. It follows four generations of a family as they move ever westward, from western New York state to the Pacific Ocean...
and Warner Brothers' Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge (film)
Battle of the Bulge is a widescreen war film produced in Spain that was released in 1965. It was directed by Ken Annakin. It starred Henry Fonda, Robert Shaw, Telly Savalas, Robert Ryan, Dana Andrews and Charles Bronson...
).
In 1963, the owner of the Pacific Coast Theatre chain purchased CRC to be an independent distributor of widescreen motion pictures produced by Cinerama, various foreign films and ABC Circle Films, the film production unit of the American Broadcasting Company
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. Films made under the CRC banner include They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, Straw Dogs, and Walking Tall
Walking Tall
Walking Tall is a 1973 semi-biopic of Sheriff Buford Pusser, a former professional wrestler-turned-lawman in McNairy County, Tennessee. It starred Joe Don Baker as Pusser...
. ABC Circle films ended in 1973, the last production of CRC was released in 1974.
Though CRC closed operations during 1974, its productions and reissues were temporarily handled by American International Pictures
American International Pictures
American International Pictures was a film production company formed in April 1956 from American Releasing Corporation by James H. Nicholson, former Sales Manager of Realart Pictures, and Samuel Z. Arkoff, an entertainment lawyer...
.
Film Library
CRC merely was distributor of films, without retaining copyright stakes over each productions. Therefore, the rights to a number of CRC's films are scattered and rest with the production companies:- Productions by ABC Circle Films are owned by The Walt Disney CompanyThe Walt Disney CompanyThe Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
(ABC is now a subsidiary of Disney) with home video rights going to MGMMetro-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...
. - Productions by Bing Crosby Productions (BCP)Rysher EntertainmentRysher Entertainment is the owner of TV and film programming content, primarily distributed around the world by CBS Television Distribution and CBS/ Paramount Pictures...
are now owned by 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...
. - Tales from the Crypt is owned by 20th Century Fox20th Century FoxTwentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
, successor-in-interest to MetromediaMetromediaMetromedia was a media company that owned radio and television stations in the United States from 1956 to 1986 and owned Orion Pictures from 1986-1997.- Overview :...
. - Rights to The MackThe MackThe Mack is a 1973 blaxploitation film starring Max Julien and Richard Pryor. Although the movie was produced during the era of such blaxploitation movies as Dolemite, its producers do not label it a true blaxploitation picture...
are owned by New Line Home Video.