United Artists
United Artists Corporation (UA) is an American production and distribution company founded in 1919 by D.W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks as a venture premised on allowing actors to control their own interests rather than being dependent upon commercial studios.[2]
For the cinema chain, see Regal Cinemas. For the former record label, see United Artists Records. For its joint venture successor, see United Artists Releasing.United Artists Digital Studios (2018–2019)
February 5, 1919 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States
December 31, 2019
currently exists in-name-only
- United Artists Releasing
(until March 4, 2023)[1] - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Beverly Hills, California, United States
- Motion pictures
- Television shows
Official website (archived)
After numerous ownership and structural changes and revamps, United Artists was acquired by media conglomerate Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in 1981 for a reported $350 million ($1.2 billion today).[3] On September 22, 2014, MGM acquired a controlling interest in One Three Media and Lightworkers Media and merged them to revive the television production unit of United Artists as United Artists Media Group (UAMG). MGM itself acquired UAMG on December 14, 2015, and folded it into their own television division.[4]
MGM briefly revived the United Artists brand name under United Artists Digital Studios for the Stargate Origins web series as part of its Stargate franchise but retired it after 2019 and used their eponymous MGM brand instead for its new subsequent content releases.
A local joint distribution venture between MGM and Annapurna Pictures launched on October 31, 2017[5] was rebranded as United Artists Releasing on February 5, 2019, in honor of its 100th anniversary.[6][7] However, the new parent company of MGM, Amazon, folded it into MGM on March 4, 2023, citing "newfound theatrical release opportunities" following the box-office opening success of Creed III.[1] The company exists largely in-name-only.
UA films on video
UA originally leased the home video rights to its films to Magnetic Video, the first home video company. Fox purchased Magnetic in 1981 and renamed it 20th Century-Fox Video that year. In 1982, 20th Century-Fox Video merged with CBS Video Enterprises (which earlier split from MGM/CBS Home Video after MGM merged with UA) giving birth to CBS/Fox Video. Although MGM owned UA around this time, UA's licensing deal with CBS/Fox (which also included sublabels Key Video and Playhouse Video) was still in effect. However, the newly renamed MGM/UA Home Video started releasing some UA product, including UA films originally released in the mid-80s. Prior to MGM's purchase, UA licensed foreign video rights to Warner Bros. through Warner Home Video, in a deal that was set to expire in 1991.[73] In 1986, the pre-1950 WB and the pre-May 1986 MGM film and television libraries were purchased by Ted Turner after his short-lived ownership of MGM/UA, and as a result CBS/Fox lost home video rights to the pre-1950 WB films to MGM/UA Home Video, which licensed them from Turner. When the deal with CBS/Fox (inherited from Magnetic Video) expired in 1989, the UA released films were released through MGM/UA Home Video.
Before the Magnetic Video and Warner Home Video deals in 1980, United Artists had exclusive rental contacts with a small video label called VidAmerica in the US, and another small label called Intervision Video in the UK.[74][75][76] for the home video release of 20 titles from the UA library (e.g. The Great Escape, Some Like It Hot, and Hair, along with a few pre-1950 WB titles).
United Artists Broadcasting
United Artists owned and operated two television stations under the "United Artists Broadcasting" name: WUAB in Cleveland, Ohio (nominally licensed to Lorain, Ohio) which the studio built and sign on in 1968,[77] WRIK-TV in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which was purchased in 1969,[78] and held a construction permit for a station in Houston, Texas.[79] In 1970, United Artists purchased radio station WWSH in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[80]
United Artists left the broadcasting business starting in 1977 by selling WUAB to the Gaylord Broadcasting Company[81] and WWSH to Cox Enterprises,[80] followed by WRIK-TV's sale to Tommy Muñiz in 1979.[82]