United Artists

American moving image production and distribution company (founded 1919)

United Artists is a Hollywood movie company. The original company was created in 1919 by actors by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks.[1] This group did not want to depend on commercial studios.

United Artists Corporation
United Artists Digital Studios
Company typeSubsidiary
Industrymovie, music
FoundedFebruary 5, 1919
FounderMary Pickford
Charlie Chaplin
Douglas Fairbanks
D. W. Griffith
HeadquartersWest Hollywood, California, United States
Key people
Paula Wagner
Tom Cruise
ProductsMotion pictures
Owner21st Century Fox
ParentIndependent (1919–1967)
Transamerica (1967–1981)
MGM/UA Entertainment Co. (1981–1986)
Independent (1986)
MGM/UA Communications Co. (1986–1990)
MGM-Pathé Communications Co. (1990–1992)
Crédit Lyonnais (1992–1997)
Tracinda Corporation (1997–2005)
MGM Holdings Inc. (2005–2023)
21st Century Fox (2023–present)
Websitewww.unitedartistsreleasing.com

Ownership

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In 1967, United Artists was bought by Transamerica Corporation. In 1981, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and United Artists merged to form MGM/UA Entertainment Co.. In 1985, Turner Broadcasting System announced it would buy MGM/UA. Then in 1986, MGM split from Turner (while keeping MGM's library of pre-May 1986 films, television and cartoons to make way for Turner Entertainment Co.) and renamed to MGM/UA Communications Co.. In 1990, MGM/UA was bought out by Pathé and renamed to MGM-Pathé Communications. In 1992, MGM-Pathé was bought by Crédit Lyonnais and reverted to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In 1997, MGM was sold to Tracinda Corporation. In 2005, MGM/UA formed the new company MGM Holdings.

The current United Artists formed in November 2006. It was a partnership between producer/actor Tom Cruise and his production partner, Paula Wagner, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. from 2012 to 2015. It is a fully owned subsidiary of MGM. In 2015 it was owned by DHX Media until sold back to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, while handling UA's movies from 1952 to 2016. However, MGM decided to purchase United Artists back from DHX. They sold UA's stake to Amblin Partners in 2017, with newer movies produced by UA, under a partnership between MGM and Amblin.

United Artists Records

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United Artists Records was a record label founded by Max E. Youngstein in 1957.[2] It was started in order to distribute records of its movie soundtracks. Later the label began recording music of other types.

References

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  1. Woo, Elaine (September 29, 2011). "Mo Rothman dies at 92; found new audience for Chaplin". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  2. Freudenheim, Milt (July 11, 1997). "Max Youngstein, 84; Helped Run United Artists". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 May 2017.