REPUBLIC PICTURES

Predecessors:

  • Monogram Pictures

  • Mascot Pictures

  • Liberty Pictures

  • Majestic Pictures

  • Chesterfield Pictures

  • Invincible Pictures

Founded: 1935
Founder: Herbert J. Yates
Defunct: 1967
Successor: Library of original films now held by Paramount Pictures


Republic Pictures Corporation, now held under Melange Pictures, LLC, was an American film studio based in Los Angeles, California, that operated from 1935 to 1967. The studio had production and distribution facilities in Studio City and a movie ranch in Encino. Republic was renowned for its specialization in Westerns, cliffhanger serials, and B-films with a focus on action and mystery. It played a significant role in the careers of prominent Western stars such as Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and John Wayne. The studio also managed the financial and distribution aspects of several high-profile films directed by John Ford and even produced a Shakespearean film directed by Orson Welles. Under the leadership of Herbert J. Yates, Republic earned a reputation as a mini-major film studio, producing nearly 1,000 motion pictures.


Company history

Created in 1935 by Herbert J. Yates, Republic Pictures Corporation emerged from Yates' extensive involvement in the film industry, which included investing in 20th Century Pictures at its founding in 1933 and owning the film processing laboratory Consolidated Film Industries. Faced with the economic challenges of the Great Depression, Yates found that major studios had established their own in-house laboratories, leaving his lab with diminished business. Concurrently, small independent producers struggled against competition from the larger studios and the broader economic downturn. To ensure the stability of Consolidated, Yates decided to establish his own studio. He acquired six smaller independent Poverty Row studios—Monogram Pictures, Mascot Pictures, Liberty Pictures, Majestic Pictures, Chesterfield Pictures, and Invincible Pictures—all of which were in debt to his laboratory. Yates persuaded these studios to merge into Republic Pictures Corporation under his leadership, presenting it as a collaborative enterprise focused on producing low-budget films.


  • The largest component of Republic was Monogram Pictures, managed by producers Trem Carr and W. Ray Johnston, which specialized in "B" films and operated a nationwide distribution system.

  • Mascot Pictures Corporation, led by Nat Levine, was the most technologically advanced studio in Republic, known for its serials and first-class production facility, the former Mack Sennett lot in Studio City. Mascot had also recently signed Gene Autry as a singing cowboy star.

  • Majestic Pictures, under Larry Darmour, had developed a loyal exhibitor following, combining big-name stars and rented sets to give its modest productions a polished appearance.

  • Republic adopted its original "Liberty Bell" logo from M. H. Hoffman's Liberty Pictures and also utilized Hoffman's expertise in low-budget film production.

  • Chesterfield Pictures and Invincible Pictures, two sister companies with the same ownership, were proficient in producing low-budget melodramas and mysteries.

Acquiring and integrating the six smaller studios enabled Republic to start with a well-established production team, a company of veteran B-film supporting players, and a promising star, along with a complete distribution system and a modern studio. The merger promised the principals independence in their productions under Republic's banner and higher budgets to enhance film quality. However, as Herbert J. Yates learned more about film production and distribution from his partners, he began to assert increasing control over the film departments, leading to dissension. Trem Carr and W. Ray Johnston departed and revived Monogram Pictures in 1937. Larry Darmour resumed independent production with Columbia Pictures, while Nat Levine struggled to recover from the loss of his studio, staff, and stars, all of whom were now contracted to Republic. Yates then installed a new team of "associate" producers loyal to him, taking full control of the studio and managing experienced staff as employees rather than independent collaborators.


Additionally, Republic acquired Brunswick Records to handle recording sessions with singing cowboys Roy Rogers and Gene Autry, hiring Cy Feuer as the head of the studio's music department. At the 1958 annual meeting, Yates announced the end of motion picture production at Republic.


Liberty Pictures

Liberty Pictures was an American film production company active in the 1930s and was part of Poverty Row, known for producing low-budget B pictures. The company was one of two studios controlled by producer M.H. Hoffman, the other being Allied Pictures. Liberty Pictures made its debut with the film Ex-Flame in 1930, which was loosely based on the Victorian novel East Lynne. In 1935, Liberty Pictures was acquired by the larger Republic Pictures. As part of this acquisition, Republic adopted Liberty Pictures' symbolic motif, the Liberty Bell ringing in Philadelphia. This merger was part of Herbert Yates' broader effort to consolidate Poverty Row and establish a significant studio.


Filmography

  • Ex-Flame (1930)

  • The She-Wolf (1931)

  • Cheaters (1934)

  • Once to Every Bachelor (1934)

  • Take the Stand (1934)

  • Two Heads on a Pillow (1934)

  • When Strangers Meet (1934)

  • School for Girls (1934)

  • No Ransom (1934)

  • Sweepstake Annie (1935)

  • The Crime of Dr. Crespi (1935)

  • Born to Gamble (1935)

  • The Old Homestead (1935)

  • The Spanish Cape Mystery (1935)

  • Dizzy Dames (1935)

  • Without Children (1935)

MOVIE STUDIO


Types of films

In its early years, Republic Pictures was often labeled a "Poverty Row" company due to its focus on B movies and serials. The studio's technical staff, primarily from Mascot Pictures, was well-versed in producing weekly chapter plays, leading Republic to quickly gain a following with its own serials starting in 1936. These serials, many based on radio and comic-strip adventures, included popular titles like Dick Tracy (1937), starring Ralph Byrd, which led to three sequels. The Lone Ranger (1938) and The Lone Ranger Rides Again (1939) were well received, and Adventures of Captain Marvel (1941) showcased impressive visual effects. Post-World War II serials saw a shift to more economical productions with shorter runtimes and generic storylines, but they remained popular, with King of the Carnival (1955) being the last in the series. Republic maintained many of its serials in circulation, continuing to show them in local theaters into the 1960s.


The core of Republic's success lay in its feature-length Westerns. Stars like John Wayne, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Bill Elliott, Allan "Rocky" Lane, and Rex Allen rose to prominence with the studio. By the mid-1940s, under Herbert J. Yates, Republic began producing higher-quality films, including The Quiet Man (1952), Sands of Iwo Jima (1949), Johnny Guitar (1954), and The Maverick Queen (1956). Unlike other Poverty Row studios, Republic avoided controversial subject matter and exploitation films, maintaining a more conservative approach.


Judy Canova was Republic's leading female star, especially popular in rural areas. The studio produced many "hillbilly" musicals and comedies featuring Canova and the Weaver Brothers and Elviry. Canova left Republic in 1943 due to a salary dispute but returned in 1951.


In 1946, Republic incorporated animation into Sioux City Sue, which led to attempts in animated cartoons. Bob Clampett, after leaving Warner Bros., directed It's a Grand Old Nag for Republic, but the series was discontinued due to declining profits. Another cartoon series, Jerky Journeys, produced in 1949 by Leonard Levinson, also saw limited success.


From the mid-1940s, Republic featured Vera Hruba Ralston, a former ice skater from Czechoslovakia and Yates' wife from 1952. Despite Yates' efforts to build her up as a dramatic star, her Czech accent and charm did not resonate with audiences, leading to complaints from exhibitors. John Wayne even left Republic in 1952 partly due to having to appear in films with Ralston. She continued to appear in Republic films until the studio's final production, Spoilers of the Forest (1957).


The American film industry faced significant challenges in the mid-to-late 1940s due to wartime cost pressures, postwar trade restrictions, the Paramount Case, and the rise of television. In response, Yates reduced short subject and serial production and restructured Republic’s feature output into four categories: "Jubilee" (Western films made quickly and cheaply), "Anniversary" (films with moderate budgets and longer shooting schedules), "Deluxe" (major productions with higher budgets), and "Premiere" (films by top directors with budgets over $1,000,000). Some "Deluxe" films were produced by independent companies and released by Republic.


Although Republic Pictures primarily released its films in black and white, it occasionally produced higher-budget films in color, such as The Red Pony (1949) and The Quiet Man. In the late 1940s and 1950s, under Yates, the studio adopted a low-cost, two-color process called Trucolor, similar to Cinecolor and favoring blues and oranges. This process was used in films like Johnny Guitar, The Last Command (1955), and Magic Fire (1956). In 1956, Republic introduced its own widescreen film process, Naturama, with The Maverick Queen being the first film produced using this technology.


Television era

Shut out of attempts to acquire television broadcasting licenses, most studios resisted making their film libraries available to local stations. However, Republic Pictures took a different approach and established a subsidiary, Hollywood Television Service, in December 1950. Earl Collins, Republic's branch manager in Los Angeles, was appointed president of this new TV arm. Collins announced that, effective June 25, 1951, much of Republic's backlog of feature films would be available to local stations, and that the studio lot would be available for rental to independent TV producers. Republic's features, including the Gene Autry and Roy Rogers westerns, were edited to a running time of 53 minutes and 30 seconds to fit neatly into one-hour time slots, which TV programmers found highly convenient. Hollywood Television Service also produced television shows in the style of Republic's serials, such as The Adventures of Fu Manchu (1956). Additionally, in 1952, the Republic studio lot became the first home of MCA's series factory, Revue Productions.


Despite Republic’s apparent suitability for television series production, the studio lacked the finances and vision to fully capitalize on the medium. By the mid-1950s, thanks to its sale of old features and leasing of studio space to MCA, television became a critical support for Republic. During this period, the studio produced Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe, a 12-part serial that, although unsuccessful as a theater release, was later sold to NBC for television distribution.


MCA, a talent agent, influenced the studio, bringing in high-paid clients for occasional features. There were even rumors that either MCA or former MGM head Louis B. Mayer might buy the studio outright. As television’s popularity grew and the demand for motion pictures declined, Republic began to reduce its film production, dropping from 40 features annually in the early 1950s to just 18 in 1957. In 1956, the company temporarily ceased feature production, despite having recorded a profit of $919,000 that year. Inspired by the success of American International Pictures in catering to teenage audiences, Republic abandoned its old "no exploitation" rule and released several films about juvenile delinquency in the late 1950s, including The Wayward Girl (1957), Juvenile Jungle (1958), and Young and Wild (1958). At the 1958 annual meeting, a tearful Yates informed shareholders that feature film production was ending, and the distribution offices were shut down the following year.


Republic Corporation

On July 1, 1958, Victor M. Carter, a Los Angeles businessman and turnaround specialist, acquired a controlling interest in Republic Pictures for nearly $6 million and became its president. He transformed the company into a diversified business, expanding into plastics and appliances in addition to film and studio rentals and Consolidated Film Industries, and renamed it Republic Corporations. By 1963, Republic began leasing its backlot to other firms, including CBS, after using the studio for series production for several years. In February 1967, CBS purchased Republic's studio outright. Having significantly increased the stock price for shareholders, Carter sold his controlling interest. Apart from producing a 1966 package of 26 Century 66 made-for-TV movies edited from the studio's serials to capitalize on the Batman television series' popularity, Republic Pictures' involvement in Hollywood ended with the sale of the studio lot. The studio's film library was sold to National Telefilm Associates (NTA).


Republic also made non-entertainment acquisitions, including Mansbach Metal Company and Kentucky Electric Steel Company in September 1968. However, the company reported a $13 million loss for the year ending October 1970 and a $43 million loss for the year ending July 1971. Sanford Sigoloff, who later gained a reputation as a turnaround expert, was promoted to President.


Today, the studio lot is known as CBS Studio Center. It became home to CBS's Los Angeles stations KCBS-TV and KCAL-TV in 2006. In 2008, CBS relocated from its Hollywood Television City operations to the Radford lot, and its executives are based at the site.