Crown International Pictures
Encyclopedia
Crown International Pictures is an independent film studio formed in 1959 by Newton P. Jacobs
Jacobs was a former branch head of RKO Pictures
until 1947 when he formed his own company "Favorite Films"; a film releasing organisation. Jacobs became one of the first franchises for showing American International Pictures
(AIP). Like AIP, Crown International Pictures (CIP) is primarily known for low budget flicks, grindhouse
cinema, biker
films, exploitation film
s, and B-movie
drive in fare. The company was later headed by Jacobs's original vice-president Mark Tenser who became President in 1973 with Jacobs moving up to become Chairman of the Board
. Jacobs's daughter Marilyn Jacobs Tenser became vice president.
and The Seventh Commandment and cheaply acquired overseas films such as First Spaceship on Venus
and Varan the Unbelievable
released as a double feature
in 1962. In 1963 Crown began producing their own films starting with Coleman Francis
's The Skydivers
.
CIP began by releasing 6 films a year in 1961 with the number rising to 12 films ten years later. Jacobs felt that CIP survived by having carefully planned growth and not over extending their product. Jacobs said that CIP did not want to be regarded as a mini major studio but as the top of the independents to give the company more freedom in selecting and exploiting their film product.
Well over 50 per cent of CIP's product market were drive-in theatres with the number decreasing to 30 per cent in 1981.
Notable movies include-
They also acted as importer for Sonny Chiba
's Street Fighter films to the United States.
The director of Death Machines (1976) gave an account of how Crown picked up and shot new scenes for his film that included shooting a prologue that would make the martial arts film a science fiction one to make it more in line with current box office trends.
Crown often retitled their releases to make them sound more exciting or exploit current trends. Red Jacobs told the Los Angeles Times
in November 1963 "A title is the handle...You can't lift a picture very high if the handle is weak"
A great many of Crown's releases have been released to DVD
on BCI Home Entertainment's Welcome to the Grindhouse
Starlite Drive-In Theater and Drive-In Cult Classics series.
Several CIP films have been shown on Mystery Science Theater 3000
.
Since Navarre Corporation
's closing of its subsidiary BCI Home Entertainment, DVD distribution of Crown's library has transferred to Mill Creek Entertainment
.
Jacobs was a former branch head of RKO Pictures
RKO Pictures
RKO Pictures is an American film production and distribution company. As RKO Radio Pictures Inc., it was one of the Big Five studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theater chains and Joseph P...
until 1947 when he formed his own company "Favorite Films"; a film releasing organisation. Jacobs became one of the first franchises for showing 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...
(AIP). Like AIP, Crown International Pictures (CIP) is primarily known for low budget flicks, grindhouse
Grindhouse
A grindhouse is an American term for a theater that mainly shows exploitation films. It is named after the defunct burlesque theaters located on 42nd Street in New York City, where 'bump n' grind' dancing and striptease were featured.- History :...
cinema, biker
Motorcycling
Motorcycling is the act of riding a motorcycle. A variety of subcultures and lifestyles have been built up around motorcycling.-Benefits:Robert M. Pirsig's book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was a paean celebrating motorcycling...
films, exploitation film
Exploitation film
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex,...
s, and B-movie
B-movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
drive in fare. The company was later headed by Jacobs's original vice-president Mark Tenser who became President in 1973 with Jacobs moving up to become Chairman of the Board
Chairman of the Board
The Chairman of the Board is a seat of office in an organization, especially of corporations.Chairman of the Board may also refer to:*Chairman of the Board , a 1998 film*Chairmen of the Board , a 1970s American soul music group...
. Jacobs's daughter Marilyn Jacobs Tenser became vice president.
Filmography
Crown International began releasing both low budget films by American producers such as Bloodlust!Bloodlust!
Bloodlust! is a horror/thriller film about a group of young adults who visit a tropical island only to become prey for a sadistic hunter. Filmed in 1959 and released in 1961, the feature was picked up for cinema release by Crown International Pictures...
and The Seventh Commandment and cheaply acquired overseas films such as First Spaceship on Venus
First Spaceship on Venus
First Spaceship on Venus, German: Der schweigende Stern , Polish: Milcząca Gwiazda, is a 1960 East German/Polish film directed by Kurt Maetzig and based on the novel The Astronauts by Stanisław Lem...
and Varan the Unbelievable
Varan the Unbelievable
Varan the Unbelievable, released in Japan as , is a 1958 Kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda and Eiji Tsuburaya , and their last black-and-white monster film. The title character Varan is one of Toho Studios' least-famed creations. Although shown in Japanese-language theaters in the USA, the film...
released as a double feature
Double feature
The double feature, also known as a double bill, was a motion picture industry phenomenon in which theatre managers would exhibit two films for the price of one, supplanting an earlier format in which one feature film and various short subject reels would be shown.The double feature, also known as...
in 1962. In 1963 Crown began producing their own films starting with Coleman Francis
Coleman Francis
Coleman C. Francis was an American actor, writer, producer, and director perhaps best-known for his film trilogy consisting of The Beast of Yucca Flats , The Skydivers , Red Zone Cuba , all three of which were filmed in the general Yucca Mountain, Nevada area and used preoccupation with light...
's The Skydivers
The Skydivers
The Skydivers is a 1963 film directed by Coleman Francis. It stars Kevin Casey as Beth, Eric Tomlin as Joe, Anthony Cardoza as Harry, and Marcia Knight as Suzy...
.
CIP began by releasing 6 films a year in 1961 with the number rising to 12 films ten years later. Jacobs felt that CIP survived by having carefully planned growth and not over extending their product. Jacobs said that CIP did not want to be regarded as a mini major studio but as the top of the independents to give the company more freedom in selecting and exploiting their film product.
Well over 50 per cent of CIP's product market were drive-in theatres with the number decreasing to 30 per cent in 1981.
Notable movies include-
- The Beast of Yucca FlatsThe Beast of Yucca FlatsThe Beast of Yucca Flats is a B horror film released in 1961. The film stars Swedish former wrestler Tor Johnson and was both written and directed by Coleman Francis...
(1961) - Secret File Hollywood (1962)
- Madmen of Mandoras/They Saved Hitler's BrainThey Saved Hitler's BrainThey Saved Hitler's Brain is a 1969 science fiction film that was adapted for television from a shorter theatrical feature film, Madmen of Mandoras, directed by David Bradley. The film was lengthened with about twenty minutes additional footage shot by UCLA students at the request of the distributor...
(1963) - Indian Paint (1965)
- Orgy of the DeadOrgy of the DeadOrgy of the Dead is an unrated 1965 film directed by Stephen C. Apostolof under the alias A. C. Stephen. The screenplay was adapted by cult film director Edward D. Wood, Jr from his own novel...
(1965) - To the Shores of HellTo the Shores of HellTo the Shores of Hell is a 1966 Vietnam war film directed by Will Zens and starring Marshall Thompson, Richard Arlen, Dick O'Neill and Robert Dornan that was distributed by Crown International Pictures. Dornan may possibly have co-written the film as his Mother's maiden name was "McFadden".-Plot...
(1966) - Catalina CaperCatalina CaperCatalina Caper is a 1967 comedy musical mystery film starring Tommy Kirk. It is one of the last in the beach party film genre. This entry blends the beach format with a standard crime-caper comedy...
(1967) - Mondo Balordo (1967) a Mondo filmMondo filmA mondo film is an exploitation documentary film, sometimes resembling a pseudo-documentary, usually depicting sensational topics, scenes, and situations...
narrated by Boris KarloffBoris KarloffWilliam Henry Pratt , better known by his stage name Boris Karloff, was an English actor.Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein , Bride of Frankenstein , and Son of Frankenstein... - The HellcatsThe HellcatsThe Hellcats, also known as Biker Babes, is a 1967 outlaw biker film. It was featured on the television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 ....
(1967) - Wild RebelsWild RebelsWild Rebels is a 1967 film directed by William Grefe. It was featured as an episode of movie-mocking television series Mystery Science Theater 3000, and was released on the Collection, Volume 9 box set. The tag line for the movie was "They live for kicks... love for kicks.....
(1967) - Single Room FurnishedSingle Room FurnishedSingle Room Furnished is a 1968 drama film featuring Jayne Mansfield in her final "filmed" starring role. In it she plays three different and complex characters and over time many have considered this film to contain one of Mansfield's finest performances as she demonstrates her dramatic acting...
(1968) starring Jayne MansfieldJayne MansfieldJayne Mansfield was an American actress working both in Hollywood and on the Broadway theatre... - Blood of Dracula's CastleBlood of Dracula's CastleBlood of Dracula's Castle is a 1969 horror cult B-movie directed by Al Adamson.-Plot:Count Dracula and his vampire wife , hiding behind the pseudonyms of Count and Countess Townsend, lure girls to their castle in the Arizona desert to be drained of blood by their butler George , who then mixes...
(1969) - Blood ManiaBlood ManiaBlood Mania is a 1970 film written by Peter Carpenter and Tony Crechales and directed by Robert Vincent O'Neil.-Plot:...
(1970) - Cindy and Donna] (1970)
- Chain Gang Women (1971)
- The Stepmother (1972)
- SanteeSantee (film)----Santee 1973 is a Western movie, starring Glenn Ford and directed by Gary Nelson.- Plot :Jody Deakes joins up with his father after many years, just to discover that his dad is part of an outlaw gang on the run from a relentless bounty hunter named Santee...
(1973), a Glenn FordGlenn FordGlenn Ford was a Canadian-born American actor from Hollywood's Golden Era with a career that spanned seven decades...
Western - PolicewomenPolicewomenPolicewomen is a 1974 exploitation film about a female police officer who infiltrates an all-women criminal gang. The film was written and directed by Lee Frost, and stars Sondra Currie , Tony Young, and Phil Hoover.Despite the fact that the story actually features...
(1974) - The Sister in-Law (1974)
- The TeacherThe Teacher (1974 film)The Teacher is a 1974 American coming-of-age suspense film, written, produced, and directed by Hickmet Avedis and released by Crown International Pictures. The film stars Angel Tompkins, Jay North and Anthony James, and tells the story of an 18-year-old's first relationship with his alluring...
(1974) - Best Friends (1975 Film)Best Friends (1975 film)Best Friends is a 1975 film directed by Noel Nosseck and starring Richard Hatch. The film has a grossly misleading poster art which eludes to a Native American revenge theme. In actuality, this thriller centers on the slow psychotic deterioration of a Vietnam war veteran who aims to restore his...
(1975) - Pick-Up (1975)
- Soul Vengeance/Welcome Home Brother Charles (1975)
- Trip With Teacher (1975)
- SextetteSextetteSextette is a 1978 Crown International Pictures comedy/musical motion picture that starred Mae West. Other actors in the cast included Timothy Dalton, Dom DeLuise, Tony Curtis, Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, George Hamilton, Alice Cooper and Walter Pidgeon....
(1976) - The Pom Pom GirlsThe Pom Pom GirlsThe Pom Pom Girls is a 1976 film directed by Joseph Ruben. The screenplay was written by Ruben and based on a story by him and Robert J. Rosenthal...
(1976) - The Crater Lake MonsterThe Crater Lake MonsterThe Crater Lake Monster is a 1977 B-rated horror film directed by William R. Stromberg for Crown International Pictures, and starring Richard Cardella...
(1977) - The Van (1977)
- Malibu HighMalibu HighMalibu High is a 1979 low budget exploitation film directed by Irvin Berwick and stars Jill Lansing.-Synopsis:High school student Kim Bentley is having a tough time of things at the moment, she has been dumped by her boyfriend Kevin for rich girl Annette , her grades are slipping and she has no...
(1978) - Van Nuys Blvd.Van Nuys Blvd. (film)Van Nuys Blvd. was a 1979 motion picture released by Crown International Pictures, written and directed by William Sachs. The movie featured 1974 Playboy Playmate of the Year Cynthia Wood. The film tells the story of a small-town boy who hears about the wild nights of cruising Van Nuys Boulevard...
(1979) - GalaxinaGalaxinaGalaxina is a low-budget 1980 American comedy/science fiction film, best remembered for its lead actress, Playboy Playmate of the Year for 1980 Dorothy Stratten, who was murdered shortly after the movie's release....
(1980) - Budo: The Art of KillingBudo: The Art of KillingBudo: The Art of Killing is an award winning 1978 Japanese martial arts documentary created and produced by Hisao Masuda and financed by The Arthur Davis Company. Considered a cult classic, the film is a compilation of various Japanese martial art demonstrations by several famous Japanese...
(1982) - My TutorMy TutorMy Tutor is a 1983 film directed by George Bowers. It stars Matt Lattanzi, Caren Kaye, Kevin McCarthy and Crispin Glover.-Premise:The film details high school graduates' attempts to lose their virginity during the summer vacation before leaving to college, and one's eventual relationship with his...
(1983) - Weekend PassWeekend PassWeekend Pass is a 1984 comedy film written and directed by Lawrence Bassoff, based on a story by Mark Tenser.-Plot:Four Navy recruits fresh from boot camp graduation in San Diego spend a weekend pass together out on the town in Los Angeles before shipping out for further training.-Principal...
(1984) - My ChauffeurMy ChauffeurMy Chauffeur is an American comedy film starring E. G. Marshall, Deborah Foreman, and Howard Hesseman. It was written and directed by David Beaird. The original music score was composed by Paul Hertzog. The film was released on January 24, 1986, and was marketed with the tagline "Some women will,...
(1986) - JocksJocks (film)Jocks is a 1987 teen comedy. The film was directed by Steve Carver and written by Michael Lanahan and David Oas.Jocks was shot in Las Vegas, Nevada and in Los Angeles, California.-Plot:...
(1987) - My Mom's a Werewolf (1989)
- Malibu Spring BreakMalibu Spring BreakMalibu Spring Break is a 2003 comedy starring Playboy Bunny Pilar Lastra. It also stars Kristin Novak and Charity Rahmer. It is Crown International Pictures's 1st release after 14 years of dormancy.-Plot:...
(2003)
They also acted as importer for Sonny Chiba
Sonny Chiba
, also known as Sonny Chiba, is a Japanese actor, singer, film producer, film director and martial artist.Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience.- Early life :Born in Fukuoka, Fukuoka,...
's Street Fighter films to the United States.
The director of Death Machines (1976) gave an account of how Crown picked up and shot new scenes for his film that included shooting a prologue that would make the martial arts film a science fiction one to make it more in line with current box office trends.
Crown often retitled their releases to make them sound more exciting or exploit current trends. Red Jacobs told the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
in November 1963 "A title is the handle...You can't lift a picture very high if the handle is weak"
Television and DVD
In 1964 Crown packaged several of the features that they released in the cinema or had acquired rights to became part of a package of the Westhampton Film Corporation. Renown American television production company Desilu entered film syndication in 1964 by acquiring the rights to show Crown International films as part of the "Westhampton Feature Package".A great many of Crown's releases have been released to DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on BCI Home Entertainment's Welcome to the Grindhouse
Welcome to the Grindhouse
The Welcome to the Grindhouse is a series of double feature DVDs featuring exploitation films from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. The series is released by BCI Entertainment. The first wave was released on July 3, 2007....
Starlite Drive-In Theater and Drive-In Cult Classics series.
Several CIP films have been shown on Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
.
Since Navarre Corporation
Navarre Corporation
Navarre Corp. is a public distribution and publishing company founded in 1983 by Eric H. Paulson. The company is headquartered in New Hope, Minnesota...
's closing of its subsidiary BCI Home Entertainment, DVD distribution of Crown's library has transferred to Mill Creek Entertainment
Mill Creek Entertainment
Mill Creek Entertainment is a home entertainment company that manufactures movie and television DVD compilation box sets at "value" prices. Nashville's Amity Entertainment is an affiliate to Mill Creek...
.