|
The Intercontinental Releasing Corporation (IRC) was an American film company, primarily involved in the production and distribution of films and television programs.〔InBaseline Database (Intercontinental Releasing Corporation) ()〕 IRC was founded in September 1974 as the larger film studios' grip on domestic and international distribution diminished.〔California Articles of Incorporation 09/04/1974, Intercontinental Releasing Corporation, State Reference ID 00721732〕 From its Los Angeles offices the company expanded into other areas of media entertainment but remained focused on domestic and foreign film distribution.〔(Guinness, James, (IRC), ''America Film Archive'' )〕 However, IRC periodically produced feature films, which were released under its own banner.〔Variety Magazine ()〕 On August 23, 1998, IRC filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. The company was dissolved, its assets sold, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquired most of the IRC's important films.〔(Guinness, James, (IRC), ''America Film Archive'' )〕〔Music Pictures, Inc. (Robertson, George Article on IRC and its bankruptcy) ()〕 ==Overview== The Hollywood Consent Decree of 1940 eliminated the distribution monopoly between large film production companies and self-owned film exhibitor and distribution entities.〔(SIMPP (The Consent Decree of 1940 )〕 Independent producers, dissatisfied with the legal proceedings, decided to organize in order to better represent themselves in the ongoing litigation. By 1941, a number of the most prominent independents including Walt Disney, Samuel Goldwyn and David O. Selznick had joined together to form the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers (SIMPP), which entered the antitrust battle. By the mid-1960s, MGM, Paramount, 20th Century Fox and other large studios had surrendered their control over the marketplace. This permitted independent producers to enter the production and distribution arenas.〔Supreme Court Verdict that Brought an End to Hollywood Studio System ()〕 With increased independent film-production came a need for increased distribution both domestically and overseas. In September 1974, IRC was formed in order to take advantage of this evolving opportunity.〔California Articles of Incorporation 09/04/1974, Intercontinental Releasing Corporation, State Reference ID 00721732〕〔(Guinness, James, (IRC), ''America Film Archive'' )〕〔InBaseline Database (Intercontinental Releasing Corporation) ()〕 IRC's early distribution efforts began with the Dino De Laurentiis and John Sturges production of ''Chino'', filmed a year earlier, in 1973.〔Internet Movie Database ()〕 Charles Bronson and Jill Ireland starred in this Italian western, which was also directed by Sturges. Foreign distribution rights had already been contracted out but not the US theatrical rights. Securing this property for domestic distribution helped establish the new company,〔(Guinness, James, (IRC), ''America Film Archive'' )〕 especially since the project had the well-known names of De Laurentiis, Sturges, Bronson and Ireland attached. In the same year, IRC ventured into film production with the 1974 production of ''Alice Goodbody'',〔Internet Movie Database ()〕 an exploitation film directed by Tom Scheuer, starring Colleen Brennan and Dudley Foster. The IRC distribution image further improved in 1971 when it secured the US theatrical distribution of Ken Annakin’s ''The Call of the Wild'', starring Charlton Heston.〔Internet Movie Database (Locations) ()〕 Heston was internationally known and this film addition helped burnish the company’s increasingly sizable lineup.〔(Guinness, James, (IRC), ''America Film Archive'' )〕 As IRC's catalog of films grew, other film distributorships followed. IRC also continued its film production efforts with such films as ''Dark Sunday'' (1976),〔(All About Films (Dark Sunday) )〕 ''House of Shadows'' (1983) with Yvonne De Carlo,〔(Starpulse Cast and Crew (House of Shadows) )〕 and the David Hess film ''To All a Goodnight''.〔Internet Movie Database ()〕 The latter film became one of the first maniacal killer Santa Claus films, attracting considerable attention at the time of its release.〔(The Bloody Pit of Horror: To All a Good Night (1980) )〕 IRC released ''Assignment Berlin'' (1982), chosen as one of twenty films that year to represent the United States in two major international European film festivals.〔(Guinness, James, (IRC), ''America Film Archive'' )〕〔(Robertson, George, A 17-Year Overnight Success )〕 John Kincade's 1987 sci-fi film ''Terminal Entry'', with Eddie Albert and Yaphet Kotto, was well received,〔Turner Classic Movies Database (Terminal Entry) ()〕 as was the Warren Chaney action-adventure production of ''Behind the Mask (1992)'',〔(Watson Remme, A Peek Behind the Mask, Film History, 11/27/01 )〕〔InBaseline Movie Database ()〕 starring Deborah Winters and Roy Alan Wilson. The films produced and/or distributed by IRC crossed a wide range of genres.〔(Watson Remme, A Peek Behind the Mask, Film History, 11/27/01 )〕 They extended from such exploitation films as Jim O’Connoly’s ''Mistress Pamela'' (1974)〔Internet Movie Database ()〕 and Hubert Frank's ''Vanessa'' (1977)〔Internet Movie Database (Venessa) ()〕 to Ted Lange's ''Othello'' (1989) and the Warren Chaney western ''The Broken Spur''.〔InBaseline Data base ()〕 IRC’s line up included such diverse films as Arthur Jeffreys’ psychological thriller ''Demented'' (1980),〔Internet Movie Database ()〕 Jack Starrett’s drama ''Hollywood Man'' (1976),〔MSN Database (The Hollywood Man) ()〕 the animated ''Mighty Mouse in the Great Space Chase'' (1982),〔Mighty Mouse Superstar Summary ()〕 and John Mark Robinson revenge-thriller ''Kid'' (1990), starring C. Thomas Howell.〔Internet Movie Database ()〕 ' (1993), directed by Danny Huston, was a period drama based on the life of novelist Sidonie Gabrielle Cole.〔Variety Magazine (Becoming Collette) ()〕 IRC's 1976 release ''The Girl from Starship Venus'' was an entry into science fiction, albeit space exploitation.〔Internet Movie Database Girl From Starship Venus ()〕 IRC continued in production throughout its existence. Sometimes it produced independently, and sometimes jointly with other production companies.〔(Guinness, James, (IRC), ''America Film Archive'' )〕 ''Home Sweet Home'' (1981), directed by Nettie Peña, was a joint production between IRC and Movies Anonymous Partnership,〔Internet Movie Database (Home Sweet Home) ()〕 whereas Don Edmunds' ''Bare Knuckles'' (1977), starring Sherry Jackson, was an in-house production.〔Internet Movie Database (Bare Knuckles) ()〕 IRC expanded into music, television and other entertainment enterprises with the creation of several corporate spin-off entities including the IRC Music Corporation, the IRC Video Corporation and the Television Motion Picture Shooting Association, Inc.〔(Guinness, James, (IRC), ''America Film Archive'' )〕 Other IRC-related interests included Gco Pictures, Inc., and Creative Film Partners, LP.〔Variety Magazine ()〕 Eventually IRC's expansion efforts coupled with the financial collapse of some of its business partners created a diminished cash flow. The company's key figure and Chief Executive Officer Sandy Cobe retired in 1994.〔Variety Magazine (Sandy Cobe Obituary) ()〕 His loss to the company plus increasing cash flow problems led to its Chapter 13 filing in 1996.〔(Guinness, James, (IRC), ''America Film Archive'' )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Intercontinental Releasing Corporation」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|