The Combine was the name given to the association between exhibitor Union Theatres and the production and distribution company Australasian Films on 6 January 1913. The Combine had a powerful influence on the Australian film industry of the 1910s and 1920s and was frequently the subject of criticism for hampering Australian production, including by filmmakers such as Raymond Longford.[1]
On 4 March 1911, the firm of Johnson and Gibson merged with J and N Tait to form Amalgamated Pictures. This company then merged with the General Film Company of Australia, West's Pictures and Spencer's Pictures; then, in January 1913, it merged again with Greater J.D. Williams Amusement Company.[2] In some states, the name "Union Theatres" remained the recognised name despite the "Combine" name.
The Combine dominated the Australian film industry for a number of years and later evolved into the Greater Union organisation.[3]