RKO Pictures

RKO (Radio-Keith-Orpheum) Pictures is an American film production company.

Related Topics:
American - Film

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Radio-Keith-Orpheum was formed in 1928 as a combination of the Keith-Albee-Orpheum (KAO) theater chains, Joe Kennedy's Film Booking Office of America (FBO) studio, the American Pathé film studio, and the Radio Corporation of America's Photophone division. Kennedy had bought FBO in 1925, and taken control of KAO and its subsidiary, American Pathe, in 1927. RCA, hoping to join in the sound-film boom, approached Kennedy about using Photophone for FBO pictures; from this came further talks, and the creation of the Radio-Keith-Orpheum holding company, announced in October, 1928.

Related Topics:
1928 - Joe Kennedy's - Film Booking Office of America - Pathé - Radio Corporation of America - 1925

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Kennedy's role in the new company was to drive up the share price; he and his associates did so successfully, pushing RKO's price into the stratosphere even before film production had begun. Kennedy sold the last of his RKO stock in 1931, as the country, and RKO, tumbled into depression.

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The prominence of the word "radio" in the corporate name "Radio-Keith-Orpheum" reflected RCA's 66% holding. It was claimed that the broadcasting-tower logo of the production arm, "Radio Pictures," was suggested by David Sarnoff himself.

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