Anglo-Amalgamated Explained

Industry:Film production
Film distribution
Fate:Absorbed into EMI Films
Successor:Anglo-EMI Film Distributors
Foundation:1945
Defunct:1971
Location Country:United Kingdom
Key People:Nat Cohen
Stuart Levy
Divisions:Anglo Amalgamated Film Distributors

Anglo-Amalgamated Productions was a British film production company, run by Nat Cohen and Stuart Levy, which operated from 1945 until roughly 1971 (after which it was absorbed into EMI Films). Low-budget and second features, often produced at Merton Park Studios, formed much of its output. It was the UK distributor of many films produced by American International Pictures (AIP), who distributed AA's films in the United States.

It is remembered for producing the first 12 Carry On films (all of which were produced at Pinewood Studios) and B-movie series such as The Scales of Justice, Scotland Yard and the Edgar Wallace Mysteries. It also produced the Michael Powell film Peeping Tom (1960) and such films as John Schlesinger's A Kind of Loving (1962), Billy Liar (1963) or Ken Loach's Poor Cow (1967). The company's distribution arrangement with American International Pictures led to the last two films in Roger Corman's series of films based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Masque of the Red Death and The Tomb of Ligeia (both 1964), being joint productions made in the UK. AA's film distribution subsidiary was Anglo Amalgamated Film Distributors Ltd. Anglo had a film production arm called Insignia Films.

In 1962, Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC) purchased 50% of the shares of Anglo Amalgamated.[1] [2] In 1967 they took over 74%.[3]

At its peak Anglo Amalgamated made a return of £3 million a year.[4]

Its library is now owned by StudioCanal via Lumiere Pictures and Television.[5]

Selected credits

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Company Meeting: Associated British Picture Corporation. The Spectator. 16 August 1962. 25. 17 July 2015.
  2. http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=slnsw_public&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=CS352805509&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0 "A.B. Pictures Acquire 50% Of Anglo Amalgamated." Times [London, England] 5 Apr. 1962: 21. The Times Digital Archive.
  3. "Associated British Picture Corporation." Sunday Times [London, England] 3 September 1967: 44. The Sunday Times Digital Archive. Web. 29 March 2014.
  4. "BUSINESS diary." Times [London, England] 28 March 1969: 31. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 6 April 2014.
  5. News: Mitchell. Wendy. Network Distributing acquires rights to 450 films from StudioCanal library. 17 December 2012. Screen Daily. 24 April 2015.