Derann Contracts and Rights
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The Disney Deal #3
Read more: The Disney Deal #3Our contact at Disney, Maggie Allison, had many ‘firsts’ written into our contracts. To begin with Disney would choose the laboratory we would use to print their product and carefully monitor of the number of copies printed, (in order that they would receive the correct royalty each month, (10 to 15%, per print, depending on…
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The Disney Deal #2
Read more: The Disney Deal #2For almost 7 years, Derek and myself would make appointments to see a Disney sales manager at their London office, to introduce ourselves and keep our names and that of Derann in their minds. Once we felt that our names and faces had become known and reputable, we slowly began a series of talks, that…
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The Disney Deal #1
Read more: The Disney Deal #1There was already a friendly business relationship between Walt Disney and Derann or should I say Disney and Derek Simmonds, when I joined the company in 1975. At that time Walt Disney had their own world wide and well established 8mm sales catalogue and issued numerous 6-8 minute edited sequences and highlights from their theatrical…
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Single Film Contracts
Read more: Single Film ContractsI f you’ve been following these posts you will be forgiven for assuming that every contract we signed was for a minimum of six or so titles, however that wasn’t always the case, as the following three will demonstrate. “TODO POR NADA” Does the title ‘Todo por Nada’ ring any bells, you may know it…
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The Snowman
Read more: The SnowmanI don’t think that we’d seen anything but a few stills from the Snowman and no one had been very impressed, we’d all felt that they looked childish and a little sketchy. Derek in particular hadn’t for one minute, been prepared for the praise that staff member Dale Hemenway had heaped upon the title. So…
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The 20th Century Fox Contract
Read more: The 20th Century Fox ContractFollowing the success of the MGM features it didn’t take long for Derek to persuade Twentieth Century Fox, that the time was right for them to allow us to issue full length features. ‘The Sound of Music’, 1965, was the one and only choice for us to begin with and with us offering our customers…
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The MGM Features
Read more: The MGM FeaturesIn reality this entry should be headed ‘The Ken Contract’! Read on and you’ll understand. Bob Lane of Ken Films, must have decided it was time to slow down and take it easy, for it was his offer to let us print and distribute the MGM features, beginning with ‘Gone With The Wind’ that heralded…
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The Plank
Read more: The PlankWhen Derek asked after the rights to the ‘The Plank’, at Rank Film distributors we were taken aback as they said that they hadn’t the rights (the BBFC give Assoc. London Films Ltd as the distributor), it soon became apparent that like EMI’s, TVs ‘The Avengers’, this too had extra strings attached. Following a four…
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The Smallest Show on Earth
Read more: The Smallest Show on EarthAcquiring this feature for super 8 was a monumental task! If you’ve yet to view this comedy gem produced by British Lion in 1957, then now is the time to get acquainted. This tale follows a young couple, who inherit a small cinema, the Bijou, that comes complete with a group of aging employees. After…
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The Pacific International Deal
Read more: The Pacific International DealJust where we purchased ‘The Adventures of the Wilderness Family’, 1975; and its sequel, released in 1978; from, I am unable to recall, there’s been too much water under the bridge. Both were produced by Pacific International Pictures, but I don’t remember them having offices over here. However I’ve checked the ntry on IMDb and…