Rank Film Distributors of America

Rank Film Distributors of America was a short lived distribution company established in the USA by the Rank Organisation to distribute its films. The company only lasted a few years before collapsing.^[1]

History

In 1956 Rank established Rank Film Distributors of America to distribute its films in the USA. It would distribute fifteen Rank films plus some non Rank movies.^[2][3][4][5] John Davis of Rank declared "it was not a gamble but a reasonable business risk... We know that in our line up product we have stories, stars, backgrounds that cannot fail to appeal."^[6]

The company lost a reported $1 million in its first year with its only success being The Pursuit of the Graf Spee, which made over $500,000. However some high-profile films such as Reach for the Sky made just $100,000 and most films grossed between $50,000 and $75,000.^[7]

Irv Sochin, general sales manager, left the company in October 1958 which was seen as a sign trouble within the company.^[8][9] The company had high hopes for the US success of Night to Remember but this film also underperformed.^[7]Filmink called the film "a tribute to the whole Rank Organisation" and its poor "financial performance must have shattered the studio."^[10]

The company closed on 28 March 1959, its movies being handed over to Lopert Films.^[11] The company was called a "fiasco".^[12]

Select films distributed

• Reach for the Sky (1956)
• Battle of the River Plate (1956)
• A Night to Remember (1958)