Famous Movie Companies in the U.S.A. 美国著名电影公司

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环球影片公司(Universal Picture Co.)

                               
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    The Universal name is synonymous with some of the greatest filmed entertainment ever made. Its heritage spans more than 90 years of filmmaking history, coinciding with the earliest days of Hollywood. Today, Universal is recognized as a multi-faceted entertainment company and industry leader.

    In April 2002, Universal Studios and USA Networks, Inc. combined strengths to create Vivendi UNIVERSAL Entertainment (VUE), the U.S.-based film, television and recreation entity of Vivendi Universal, a global media and communications company. In addition to its premier film and television operations, VUE also includes world-renowned theme parks; a major production studio; a vast library of films and television titles; and a global distribution operation that extends to all existing and emerging platforms, including branded television channels, the Internet, DVD and video-on-demand.

    President and Chief Operating Officer Ron Meyer is leading an aggressive, long-term strategy to maximize the value of Universal's motion picture and television properties by creating franchises with long term branding opportunities across all of Universal's businesses. He heads a strong management team comprised of the industry's top executives, who attract and nurture the creative community's best talent.

    For more than 90 years, Universal Studios has been bringing unique entertainment experiences to millions of people around the world. We do this through our motion pictures and home videos, theme parks and attractions, television networks and programming, and much more. We are in the business of thrills and chills as well as tears and laughter -- of inspiring wonder and ultimately transforming moments into lasting memories.

    Universal Studios has broadened its reach as one of the leading entertainment companies in the world. The Universal global brand has come to stand for the finest in exciting, exhilarating entertainment.

    电影制片公司。1912年美国独立电影公司的老板C.莱默尔把他的公司和N.鲍尔斯等六七家小电影公司合并，组成环球影片公司，在30—40年代成为美国电影业的8家大公司之一。

    莱默尔于1914年在好莱坞北面建起了摄影棚和供拍外景用的场地，命名为环球城。1915年3月环球城正式启用；当年生产影片250部。30-40年代生产了大量低成本影片，其中大多是西部片、音乐片、恐怖片和滑稽片。如B.卡洛夫主演的恐怖片，D.窦萍主演的音乐片，B.阿博和L.卡斯特洛主演的滑稽片，都有很高的票房价值，赢利颇丰。在它的产品中，象《西线无战事》(1930)那样的严肃作品极少。1946年环球公司和国际影片公司合并为环球国际公司。1952年德卡唱片公司购得了环球国际公司的大部分股票之后，恢复了旧名。以后该公司又归美国音乐公司(MGA)所有，直到80年代。50年代一改过去大量摄制低成本片的做法，采取少拍片以提高技术质量的方针。同时采用资助独立制片人拍摄影片的方法，其中不乏成功之作，如《斯巴达克斯》(1960)。 60年代，公司集中全力提供电视片和供电视放映的影片。同时还把环球城作为好莱坞的一个旅游中心向旅游者开放而利润倍增。70 年代摄制了颇有影响的《美国风情画》(1973)以及该公司历史上获利最多的娱乐影片《大白鲨》(1975)。

派拉蒙影业公司 (Paramount Pictures, Inc.)

                               
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    Paramount's lineage dates back to 1912 when Adolph Zukor, the owner of a New York nickelodeon, secured American distribution rights to Sarah Bernhart's four-reel film, Queen Elizabeth. The film's triumphant opening on July 12, 1912 as the first full-length drama shown in the United States prompted Zukor to found the Famous Players Film Company. Famous Players began to produce movies in New York, beginning with The Prisoner of Zenda and The Count of Monte Cristo. A year later Zukor invested in a film distribution company named Paramount Pictures.

    June 28, 1916 marked a turning point in Paramount's history. The Jesse L. Lasky Company, which was producing films in Hollywood, California, merged with Famous Players to form the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation. The corporation consolidated its production and distribution divisions, and audiences began seeing "Paramount Pictures." Zukor and Lasky then constructed a vast new studio on Marathon Street in Hollywood, which the company has occupied since 1926.

    Paramount's early artists included directors Cecil B. DeMille and William S. Hart, and stars Mary Pickford, Rudolf Valentino and Clara Bow. Wings, the studio's 1928 release, received the very first Academy Award? for Best Picture from the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

    A few of Paramount's memorable post-World War II films include The Ten Commandments, White Christmas, Shane, Psycho, Romeo and Juliet, True Grit, The Godfather films, Ordinary People, Reds, Terms of Endearment, Saturday Night Fever, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Beverly Hills Cop, Ghost, The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, the Star Trek movies, Indecent Proposal, Forrest Gump, Braveheart, Mission Impossible and Titanic. Many of these titles are available rom Paramount Home Entertainment. Please check our online catalog.

    Gulf+Western Industries, Inc. acquired control of Paramount on March 24, 1966. The corporation turned its interest toward the new entertainment division, and on June 5, 1989, G+W was renamed Paramount Communications Inc. On March 11, 1994, Paramount merged with Viacom Inc, under the leadership of Sumner Redstone, chairman of the board and chief executive officer. Sherry Lansing is chairman, Paramount Motion Picture Group. Today, Paramount Pictures, together with Paramount Television, CBS Television, Simon & Schuster Publishing, MTV Networks, Showtime Networks, Infinity, BET, UPN, Paramount Parks and Blockbuster Entertainment comprise the entertainment leader, Viacom Inc.

    Paramount Pictures is the only major motion picture studio located in Hollywood. It is an expansive, self-contained state-of-the-art production center and business community.

    A.楚柯尔在1912年创立名演员公司，J.L.拉斯基于1913年建立杰西.拉斯基故事片公司。1916年上述两家制片公司合并成立名演员—拉斯基公司。次年，新公司兼并了12家制片公司；以后再把派拉蒙影片发行公司也并了过来，遂于1927年改名为派拉蒙—名演员—拉斯基公司。1930年又兼并了拥有多家影院的帕布利克斯公司，再改公司名为派拉蒙帕布利克斯，逐步发展成为好莱坞的大公司。1930年公司由于领导层的矛盾与经营不善被纽约联邦地区法院宣布破产，1935年重新组织成立了派拉蒙影业公司。新公司生产了一系列由 M.魏斯特、B.克罗斯贝、B.霍甫、D.拉摩、G.古柏和 C.考尔白等人主演的赚钱影片而再次兴起。当时公司的导演有J.von斯登堡，E.刘别谦和R.马莫里安等。公司在40年代发掘吸收了不少新人，如A.莱德、V.莱克、B.兰开斯特、K.道格拉斯等人。导演有B.怀尔德、P.斯特吉斯。公司在40年代最赚钱的影片是《与我同行》。50—60年代，派拉蒙和其他大公司一样受到美国影业萧条的打击，影片产量下降，收入减少。1966年石油资本集团购买了派拉蒙，使其成为海湾与西方石油公司的一家子公司。随着 70年代美国电影业的复兴，派拉蒙摄制了《教父》(一、二集)、《油脂》、《周末狂欢》等票房价值很高的影片，公司逐年有盈余，并于1978年达到了创纪录的数字。

20世纪福斯电影公司 (20th Century-Fox Film Corp.)

                               
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    Established in 1994 as the independent arm of Twentieth Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures is a filmmaker-oriented company, creating distinctive films helmed by world-class auteurs and exciting newcomers. By blending specialty releases with trademark arthouse fare, Fox Searchlight's leadership has solidified its position in the independent film marketplace.

    This year, Fox Searchlight Pictures kicked off April with Cedric the Entertainer's first starring vehicle, JOHNSON FAMILY VACATION, which hits the road with an all star cast that includes Bow Wow, Vanessa Williams, Shannon Elizabeth, Solange Knowles and Steve Harvey. In June, moviegoers met NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, some sweet moon boots, and skills that can't be topped. The film, which premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, also opened the US Comedy Arts Film Festival, where it was awarded Best Feature.

    成立于1935年5月，由默片时代的大公司福斯电影公司和20世纪影片公司合并而成，是30-40年代好柒坞8家大电影公司之一。当时公司拥有导演E.刘别谦、E.卡善、O.普雷明格等人，并拥有不少受观众欢迎的电影明星，如S.邓波儿、L.杨、H.方达、G.佩克等，他们曾拍摄了一些有一定质量的影片。这一时期，公司生产的影片样式不一，艺术质量也参差不齐，但影片的技术质量都比较高。 t940年J.福特为公司导演的《怒火之花》可作为艺术与技术质量俱佳的例子。从50年代开始，美国电影业进入衰退时期。该公司为了与新兴的电视抗衡，曾致力于研究宽银幕在商业上的应用。1953年9月16日根据圣经故事改编拍摄的宽银幕故事片《长袍》在纽约罗克亚影院上映，这第一部宽银幕故事片不仅是该公司成立以来最赚钱的影片，也是电影从默片进入有声片以来在技术上的一次突破。60年代，摄制了美国电影史上成本空前的影片《克娄巴特拉》(1963，一译《埃及艳后》)，遭到失败。1972年又推出《海神号遇险记》，开创了泛滥于70年代的灾难片样式。70年代后期，该公司拍片很少。1981年大石油商M.戴维斯买下了这家公司。

哥伦比亚影业公司 (Columbia Pictures Corp.)

                               
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    American motion-picture studio that became a major Hollywood studio under its longtime president, Harry Cohn. Columbia originated in 1920 when Cohn, Joe Brandt, and Harry's brother Jack Cohn founded the C.B.C. Sales Film Corporation to produce shorts and low-budget westerns and comedies. In an attempt to refurbish the studio's reputation, its name was changed to Columbia.

    Columbia TriStar Films Pty Ltd is an affiliate of Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International, a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. Sony Pictures Entertainments global operation includes motion picture production and distribution of filmed entertainment in 67 countries around the world.

    Columbia TriStar Films Australia is responsible for the theatrical distribution of feature films within the Australian marketplace. Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment is an affiliate of Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment International, a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment is one of the oldest and largest Hollywood based film studios. We have one of the largest back catalogues with a library of over 4,000 film and television products. Columbia TriStar also has an enviable record of success having won more Academy Awards than any other studio.

    Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment is responsible for distribution of video entertainment products. This includes Rental and Retail of VHS & DVD product.

    1920年，原来在环球影片公司工作的H.科恩、J.科恩两兄弟和J.布兰特在好莱坞成立了一家摄制喜剧短片的小公司，名叫CBC电影销售公司。1924 年改名为哥伦比亚影片公司，并于30年代发展成为美国电影业的8家大公司之一，这主要是由于H. 科恩的精明强干和公司导演F.卡普拉的创作才能起了作用。卡普拉在公司工作10年，拍摄了不少颇受欢迎的喜剧，其中包括《一夜风流＞(1934)、《弟斯先生进城》(1936)、《史密斯先生上华盛顿＞(1939)等。50年代，哥伦比亚公司开始采用对独立制片人和导演资助的办法拍摄影片。公司先后资助一些颇有名气的导演人拍片，如：S.施皮格尔、D.里恩、O.普雷明格、E.卡善、R.罗森和F.齐纳曼，拍出了不少质量高、影响大的影片，如《生于昨天》 (1950)、《永垂不朽》(1953)、《在江边》(1954)、《桂河大桥》(1957)、《阿拉伯的劳伦斯》(1962)、《猜猜谁来吃晚餐》 (1967)等。50-60年代的美国电影危机年代，哥伦比亚公司通过它的子公司银幕珍品公司向电视台出售公司以前的旧片并为电视台摄制电视片，成为好莱坞最早与电视结合的大公司之一。1968年公司改组，改名为哥伦比亚影片工业公司，下属两个主要分支机构哥伦比亚影片公司和银幕珍品公司，继续从事对独立制片的投资、电视片摄制和新兴的录像带工业。80年代该公司附属于美国可口可乐公司。

华纳兄弟影业公司 (Warner Bros.)   

                               
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    WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT, a fully integrated, broad-based entertainment company, is a global leader in the creation, production, distribution, licensing and marketing of all forms of entertainment and their related businesses. Warner Bros. Entertainment, a Time Warner Company, stands at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry, from feature films to television, home video/DVD, animation, comic books, interactive entertainment and games, product and brand licensing, international cinemas and broadcasting.

    In addition to its long-standing position as the industry's preeminent creator and distributor of feature films, television programs, animation, video and DVD, Warner Bros. Studios has also become one of the foremost authorities on utilizing licensing and merchandising to grow and reinforce its brands, on pioneering new forms of distribution, and on marshaling its vast creative and business resources to build world-renowned entertainment franchises that become appreciating assets in its unrivaled library.

    One of the most respected, diversified and successful motion picture and television studios in the world, Warner Bros. Studios began when the brothers Warner (Albert, Sam, Harry and Jack L.) incorporated their fledgling movie company on April 4, 1923. In 1927, the release of the world's first synchronized-sound feature film, "The Jazz Singer," set a character and tone of innovation and influence that would become synonymous with the name Warner Bros. And--as Al Jolson foretold in this milestone movie--"you ain't heard nothin' yet!"

    Since those early days, Warner Bros. Studios has amassed an impressive legacy based on world-class quality entertainment and technological foresight, and created a diversified entertainment company with an unparalleled depth and breadth that has resulted in 20 consecutive record-breaking years. Its unmatched consistency and success is built on a foundation of stable management throughout its history (especially by entertainment industry standards), long-term creative relationships with many of the world's leading stars and producers, and an unwavering dedication to excellence.

    Today, the vast Warner Bros. library, considered one of the best and largest in the world, consists of more than 6,600 feature films, 40,000 television titles and 14,000 animated titles (including over 1,500 classic animated shorts). The library currently consists of film from such distinguished banners as Warner Bros. Pictures, Castle Rock, Lorimar Pictures, RKO and classic MGM (pre-1986).

    1923年4月由华纳4兄弟创建。当时总部设在纽约，制片厂设在好莱坞附近的伯班克。华纳兄弟1917年开始在纽约从事电影的发行放映业务，建立华纳公司摄制影片是业务的扩展。1925年接管维泰葛拉夫制片公司，并于1927年摄制、发行电影史上第一部有声影片《爵士歌手》，从而使华纳公司于30年代初进入了好莱坞8大电影公司的行列。华纳公司在30年代以拍摄强盗片、歌舞片和传记片著称，尤以E.G.鲁宾逊、J. 贾克奈、H.鲍嘉等人主演的强盗片最有观众。传记片中也有不少受欢迎的作品，如P.茂尼主演的《左拉传》(1937)等。华纳的影片一般都比较朴素、紧凑，成本也较低，其主题都或多或少与30年代初发生的美国经济危机有联系。50年代美国电影萧条时期，华纳把财力转向制作电视系列片。60年代开始，越来越多地采用向独立制片人投资的制片方式。它成功地拍摄了《窈窕淑女》(1964)、《谁害伯弗吉尼亚.沃尔夫》(1966)、《邦妮和克莱德》 (1967)等。1967年加拿大发行电视片的七艺公司买下了华纳公司，改名为华纳—七艺公司。两年后，华纳—七艺公司又转让到一个大企业集团金尼全国服务公司手中，改组为华纳交流公司。这个公司经营的业务范围甚广，制片和发行影片仅是其中的一个项目。

米高梅公司 (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)

                               
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    The name is taken from the three companies that formed a corporate merger to create MGM Studios in 1924; Metro Picture Corporation (formed in 1915), Goldwyn Picture Corporation (1917), and Louis B. Mayer Pictures (1918), under the control of movie theater magnate Marcus Loew. Louis B. Mayer became the studio boss, and Irving Thalberg, the "Boy Wonder", was head of production.  They took on the motto Ars Gratia Artis (Art for Art's Sake) and their trademark lion, "Leo" in 1928 (who had been born in captivity in Dublin Zoo in Ireland).

    For many years, the MGM Lion was the live-action mascot for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, appearing in the opening MGM logo sequence to every movie produced by the studio. The cartoon version of the MGM Lion appears in the Tom and Jerry theatrical animated cartoon; Jerry and the Lion. Under Mayer's and Thalberg's management, MGM Studios became the largest film company in Hollywood (although they were actually located in Culver City) by the mid-1930s. In this era, they produced a number of classic films, including Grand Hotel and the Tarzan series, and made stars out of Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford, among others. Thalberg was removed from his position as head of production in 1932, after disputes with Mayer and Schenck, and subsequently suffering a heart attack; at that point, Mayer started bringing in independent producers (notably David O. Selznick) to cover the studio's output. When Thalberg returned the next year, he was reduced to nothing more than a unit producer.

    After Thalberg's death in 1936, Mayer had full control of the day-to-day production duties of the studio, and MGM's output progressed from the literary works Thalberg had preferred to the crowd-pleasers Mayer preferred. Between 1936 and the start of World War II, MGM produced a number of now-classic films, including Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz. During the war, MGM threw itself head-first into war support; many MGM stars helped sell war bonds and performed at USO shows, and a few MGM personnel (notably James Stewart and Clark Gable) enlisted. During this time, MGM also became involved in the animation business. Their animation department started in the late 1930s, when Hugh Harman and Rudolph Ising came over from Warner Bros. Later on, MGM became home to Tex Avery (who joined them in 1941 after a dispute with Warners producer Leon Schlesinger).

    Tex produced a number of famous shorts at MGM, including Red-Hot Riding Hood, Swing Shift Cinderella, and the Droopy series. MGM's biggest cartoon stars, however, were the cat-and-mouse duo of Tom and Jerry. Created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, Tom and Jerry won MGM several Oscars and nominations.

    After the war, MGM underwent a sea change, and started primarily producing musicals. Most of the great stars of song and dance worked for MGM at the time, including Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, and Frank Sinatra. Many of these musicals were successes, but by 1948, the studio was being hit by cost overruns (stemming from the huge budgets given to every picture, even the lackluster ones), and the mismanagement was causing a noticeable drop in quality. No MGM productions won Oscars between 1946 and 1948. This caused the old feud between Mayer and Schenck to flare up; it seemed Mayer was spending more time tending to his herd of thoroughbred race horses than the day-to-day operations of the studio. Schenck ordered Mayer to sell the horses, bring costs under control once again, and hire a "new Thalberg". Writer and producer Dore Schary was hired for this job, and almost immediately the conflicts began. Mayer's taste for wholesomeness and "beautiful" movies went completely against Schary's desire for message pictures and gritty realism. In August 1951, after having sparred with Schary over several of his pet projects, Mayer was fed up; he called the head office and said, "It's either him, or me." Jumping at the chance to fire his arch-rival, Schenck picked Schary, ousting Mayer from the post he'd held for 27 years. An embittered Mayer later attempted an unsuccessful corporate takeover of the studio, but mainly stayed out of the public eye until his death in 1957.

    Despite the chaos, MGM was able to keep the studio running through the early 1950s. Under Schary's watch, MGM produced some of their best-regarded musicals (An American in Paris, Singin' in the Rain, Show Boat). MGM also started releasing movies in the CinemaScope format (licensed from Fox) to compete with the the up and coming television phenomenon. However, MGM also lost one of their biggest stars when they released Judy Garland from her contract in 1950.

    1924年5月17日，美国洛氏公司的老板M.洛把该公司所属的米特罗影片公司和高尔温影片公司、L.B.梅耶制片公司合并，组成米高梅公司。30年代好莱坞鼎盛时期，米高梅公司是最大的电影公司，每年要生产40—50部影片。米高梅在这一时期拥有美国最受观众欢迎的影星和导演，影星如G.嘉宝、C.盖博、J.哈罗、S.屈赛、R.泰勒、J.克劳馥、N.希拉等等，导演如E.von斯特劳亨、K.维多、F.朗格、G.顾柯、V.弗莱明等等。从30年代到第二次世界大战结束，米高梅摄制了数以百计的影片，除了少数影片如《块肉余生》、《叛舰喋血记》(1935)、《茶花女》(1939)、《忠勇之家》 (1942)、《双城记》等之外，90%为平庸之作，内容浅薄、脱离现实，往往千篇一律地以虚构的故事、美满的结尾，配上受观众欢迎的大明星和较高的摄制技巧去招徕观众。米高梅公司日复一日地象工厂生产工业品的流水装配线那样大量生产这种影片，为好莱坞赢得“梦幻工厂”的“美名”出了大力。40年代末到 50年代初，米高梅曾一度以拍摄大场面歌舞片为重点，生产了几部颇有特色的歌舞片，如《雨中曲》(1952)等。50年代美国电影业发生危机，到60年代初该公司连年亏损，影片产量逐年下降，到70年代初至80年代每年只拍三、四部影片。70年代初，美国拉斯韦加斯的大资本家K.克科里安买下了米高梅公司。新的主管人员把米高梅公司的道具服装等统统拍卖出去，并把资金投入拉斯韦加斯、里诺等赌城的房地产、旅馆业和其他能获利的方面。到70年代末米高梅公司又再度繁荣，但制片却只是这个公司的广泛业务范围之一，1981年米高梅公司出资买下联美公司，改名为米高梅—联美娱乐公司。