Republic Pictures

Republic Pictures Corporation (aka Republic Entertainment) is an independent film, television, and video distribution company that was originally a movie production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, best known for its specialization in quality B pictures, westerns and movie serials.

Aftermath

During the early 1980s, NTA re-syndicated most of the Republic film library for use by then-emerging cable televsion, and by 1986 found itself so successful with these product lines that it bought the Republic Pictures name and logo. A television-production unit was set up under the Republic name, and offered, among other things, the CBS series Beauty and the Beast. There were also a few theatrical films, including Freeway. The "new" Republic also began marketing the original's serial library on videotape.

Related Topics:
Beauty and the Beast - Freeway

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Bought by Aaron Spelling's Spelling Entertainment, Republic won a landmark legal decision re-activating the copyright on Frank Capra's 1946 RKO film It's a Wonderful Life; (under NTA, they had already acquired the film's negative, music score, and the story on which it was based, "The Greatest Gift").

Related Topics:
Spelling Entertainment - Frank Capra - RKO - It's a Wonderful Life

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Soon after, Spelling consolidated its many divisions, reducing Republic Pictures to a marketing brand-name. Republic's video division shut down in 1995, allowing the video rights to the Republic library to be leased to Artisan Entertainment, while the library itself continued to be released under the Republic name and logo. By the end of the decade, Viacom bought the portion of Spelling it did not own previously, thus Republic became a wholly-owned division of Paramount. Artisan (later sold to Lions Gate Home Entertainment) continued to use the Republic name, logo, and library under license from Paramount.

Related Topics:
Artisan Entertainment - Viacom - Paramount - Lions Gate Home Entertainment

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As of 2005, Republic Pictures' holdings consist of a catalog of 3,000 films and TV series, including the original Republic library (except for the Roy Rogers and Gene Autry catalogs, owned by their respective estates); the pre-1973 NBC library (including Bonanza), most of the Quinn Martin (The Fugitive, The Streets of San Francisco, etc.) and Aaron Spelling (The Love Boat, Twin Peaks, Beverly Hills 90210, etc.) catalog; select pre-1952 UA (High Noon, Copacabana, etc.) and NTA holdings (Fleischer cartoons, It's a Wonderful Life, etc.). These are now sold on video through Lions Gate Home Entertainment, while Paramount holds television- and theatrical-distribution rights.

Related Topics:
NBC - Bonanza - Quinn Martin - The Fugitive - The Streets of San Francisco - Aaron Spelling - The Love Boat - Twin Peaks - Beverly Hills 90210 - High Noon - Copacabana - Lions Gate Home Entertainment

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Paramount will have title to the Republic library after September, 2005, as they regain video rights from Lions Gate.

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