Rank: The Later Years

A look at some of the numerous meetings that we undertook in order to issue 8mm films to our customers.

Contracts & Rights Chapter 33

Following the first three successful contracts with Rank Film Distributors, the powers that be virtually gave us their blessing to issue almost any of their product on Super 8 with just a simple phone call. The phone call needn’t be just from ourselves, it could be from Rank Labs at Denham. On hearing this news Peter John head of 8 and 16mm printing at Rank Labs, began to scour the vaults for 16mm negs that had been produced by Rank for producing 16mm prints for their  library and would periodically send a list. He would produce test prints of those we found of interest and if we were satisfied with the Super 8 check print, we would give him the go ahead for a bulk order, and Peter would contact Rank Film Distributors with the title(s), which would be added to a new, open contract. Using this method we released ‘Who Dares Wins’, 1982; ‘The Sea Wolves’, 1980; ‘Bugsy Malone’, 1976;  ‘Genevieve’, 1953;   ‘Carry on Girls’, 1973; ‘Carry on Again Doctor’, 1969; ‘Carry on Behind’, 1875; ‘Doctor in Trouble’, 1970: ‘Carry on at Your Convenience’, 1971; ‘Carry on Loving’, 1970; ‘Carry on up the Khyber’, 1968; ‘That’s Carry On’, 1977; ‘All Coppers Are…’, 1972; Silence of the Lambs’, 1991; ‘Halloween’, 1978; ‘The Fog’, 1980; ‘Platoon’, 1986; ‘Robocop’, 1987; ‘Robocop II’, 1990; ‘Vampire Circus’, 1972; ‘Twins Of Evil’, 1971 and ‘The Terminator’, 1984 and there may have been others. Of course this all came to an end when Rank closed their 8 and 16mm department.

…. to be continued.