Predecessor: Producers Distributing Corporation
Founded: 1939
Defunct: 1947
Successors:

• Eagle-Lion Films (1950)

• United Artists (1955)

Headquarters: Poverty Row
Key People:

• Sigmund Neufeld

• Sam Newfield

• George R. Batcheller, Jr.

• Leon Fromkess

Owner:

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM Holdings)

• Amazon

Parent: United Artists Corporation

United Artists (UA), an American film production company now owned by Amazon MGM Studios, was originally founded in 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffith, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks. It was established as a venture to allow actors to control their financial and artistic interests independently from the major commercial studios. Over the years, United Artists underwent several ownership changes and structural revamps before being acquired by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in 1981 for approximately $350 million (equivalent to $1.2 billion today). On September 22, 2014, MGM acquired a controlling interest in One Three Media and Lightworkers Media, merging them to revive United Artists' television production unit as United Artists Media Group (UAMG). MGM then absorbed UAMG into its television division on December 14, 2015. MGM briefly revived the United Artists brand under United Artists Digital Studios for the web series "Stargate Origins" as part of its Stargate franchise but retired the name in 2019, opting to use the MGM brand for subsequent releases.

A distribution venture between MGM and Annapurna Pictures, launched on October 31, 2017, was rebranded as United Artists Releasing on February 5, 2019, in honor of the company's 100th anniversary. However, following MGM's acquisition by Amazon, United Artists Releasing was folded into MGM on March 4, 2023, due to "newfound theatrical release opportunities" after the successful box-office opening of "Creed III." In July 2024, Amazon MGM Studios announced the revival of United Artists, entering a multi-year first-look deal with film producer Scott Stuber, who will also oversee all releases under the newly revived banner, marking the return of the brand after over a decade of dormancy.

History

Early years

In 1918, Charlie Chaplin found himself unable to persuade his parent company, First National Pictures, to increase his production budget, despite being one of their most successful producers. At the same time, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, under separate contracts with First National and Famous Players–Lasky, respectively, were nearing the end of their agreements with no new offers on the horizon. Suspecting something was amiss, Sydney Chaplin, Charlie's brother and business manager, reached out to Pickford and Fairbanks. Together, they hired a private detective who uncovered a plan to merge all production companies and bind "exhibition companies" to five-year contracts.

On February 5, 1919, Chaplin, Pickford, Fairbanks, and D.W. Griffith incorporated United Artists as a joint venture company. Each held a 25% stake in the preferred shares and a 20% stake in the common shares, with the remaining 20% of common shares controlled by lawyer and advisor William Gibbs McAdoo. The idea for the venture had originated a year earlier with Fairbanks, Chaplin, Pickford, and cowboy star William S. Hart, all of whom were already established Hollywood figures. They sought to create their own company to gain greater control over their work, prompted by Hollywood producers and distributors who were tightening their grip on actor salaries and creative decisions, leading to the formation of the studio system. Although Griffith eventually joined the planning, Hart decided to withdraw before anything was formalized. Upon hearing of their plan, Richard A. Rowland, head of Metro Pictures, reportedly remarked, "The inmates are taking over the asylum." With guidance from McAdoo, who was also the son-in-law and former Treasury Secretary of President Woodrow Wilson, the four partners founded their distribution company. Hiram Abrams became its first managing director, and the company set up its headquarters at 729 Seventh Avenue in New York City.

The original terms called for each star to produce five pictures a year. By the time the company was operational in 1921, feature films were becoming more expensive and polished, and running times had settled at around ninety minutes (eight reels). The original goal was thus abandoned.

United Artists' (UA) first production, His Majesty, the American, written by and starring Douglas Fairbanks, was a success. However, funding for movies was limited. Unlike other studios that sold stock to the public, United Artists relied on weekly prepayment installments from theater owners for upcoming films, which slowed production. As a result, the company distributed an average of only five films per year during its first five years. By 1924, D.W. Griffith had left the company, and UA faced a financial crisis. Veteran producer Joseph Schenck was hired as president, bringing experience from a decade of film production and securing commitments for films featuring his wife, Norma Talmadge, his sister-in-law, Constance Talmadge, and his brother-in-law, Buster Keaton. Contracts were also signed with independent producers like Samuel Goldwyn and Howard Hughes. In 1933, Schenck formed a new company with Darryl F. Zanuck, called Twentieth Century Pictures, which provided four films a year, making up half of UA's schedule.

Schenck also formed a separate partnership with Pickford and Chaplin to buy and build theaters under the United Artists name, expanding internationally to Canada and Mexico. By the late 1930s, UA had a presence in over 40 countries. When Schenck was denied an ownership share in 1935, he resigned and arranged the merger of 20th Century Pictures with Fox Film Corporation to form 20th Century Fox. Al Lichtman succeeded Schenck as UA's president. Throughout the 1930s, other independent producers like Walt Disney Productions, Alexander Korda, Hal Roach, David O. Selznick, and Walter Wanger also distributed films through UA. However, as the business evolved, many of these partners left; Disney and Samuel Goldwyn Productions moved to RKO, and Wanger went to Universal Pictures.

By the late 1930s, UA finally began turning a profit, largely due to Goldwyn's contributions. However, Goldwyn's multiple lawsuits over disputed compensation eventually led him to leave the company. MGM's 1939 hit Gone with the Wind was initially slated for UA, but producer David O. Selznick wanted Clark Gable, who was under contract to MGM, to play Rhett Butler. That same year, Fairbanks passed away. UA then became embroiled in lawsuits with Selznick over his distribution of some films through RKO, with Selznick criticizing UA's operations as sloppy before leaving to start his own distribution arm.

In the 1940s, United Artists struggled financially due to poorly received films, and cinema attendance continued to decline with the rise of television. The company eventually sold its Mexican releasing division to the local company Crédito Cinematográfico Mexicano.

Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers (1940s and 1950s)

In 1941, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Walt Disney, Orson Welles, Samuel Goldwyn, David O. Selznick, Alexander Korda, and Walter Wanger—many of whom were affiliated with United Artists—formed the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers (SIMPP). Later members included Hunt Stromberg, William Cagney, Sol Lesser, and Hal Roach. The Society aimed to promote the interests of independent producers in an industry dominated by the studio system. SIMPP fought against what it viewed as anti-competitive practices by the seven major film studios—Loew's (MGM), Columbia Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, RKO Radio Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and Warner Bros./First National—that controlled the production, distribution, and exhibition of motion pictures.

In 1942, SIMPP filed an antitrust lawsuit against Paramount's United Detroit Theatres, accusing Paramount of conspiring to control first- and subsequent-run theaters in Detroit. This was the first antitrust lawsuit brought by producers against exhibitors, alleging monopoly and restraint of trade. The landmark 1948 U.S. Supreme Court Paramount Decision ordered the major Hollywood studios to sell their theater chains and cease certain anti-competitive practices, effectively dismantling the studio system. By 1958, having achieved many of its founding goals, SIMPP ceased operations.

Krim and Benjamin

In need of a turnaround, Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin hired Paul V. McNutt, a former governor of Indiana, as chairman in 1950, along with Frank L. McNamee as president. However, McNutt lacked the necessary skills to resolve United Artists' financial issues, and both were replaced after only a few months. On February 15, 1951, lawyers-turned-producers Arthur B. Krim, Robert Benjamin, and Matty Fox approached Pickford and Chaplin with an unconventional proposal: they would take over United Artists for ten years. If the company became profitable in any of the first three years, they would gain the option to acquire half of the company by the end of the decade and eventually take full control. To support this effort, Spyros Skouras, president of Fox Film Corporation, extended a $3 million loan to UA through Krim and Benjamin's negotiations.

Krim and Benjamin transformed UA into the first "studio without a studio," primarily acting as financiers for independent producers. Unlike traditional studios, UA did not own a lot or maintain expensive production staff; instead, they leased space at the Pickford/Fairbanks Studio, avoiding the overhead costs associated with running a studio. Among their first clients were Sam Spiegel and John Huston, whose Horizon Productions provided UA with significant successes like "The African Queen" (1951) and "Moulin Rouge" (1952). In its first year under new management, UA also released "High Noon," turning a $313,000 profit compared to a $871,000 loss the previous year. Other clients soon followed, including Stanley Kramer, Otto Preminger, Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions, and actors newly freed from restrictive studio contracts.

During a time of instability in the film industry due to theater divestment, the business model was considered risky. In 1955, movie attendance hit its lowest level since 1923. During this period of uncertainty, Chaplin sold his 25 percent share in UA to Krim and Benjamin for $1.1 million, followed by Pickford, who sold her share for $3 million a year later. In the late 1950s, United Artists produced two modest films that became both financial and critical successes: "Marty" (1955), which won the Palme d'Or and the Best Picture Oscar, and "12 Angry Men" (1957), which, according to Krim, was being shown on television around the world 24 hours a day, 365 days a year before the era of home video. By 1958, UA was earning annual profits of $3 million.

Public company

United Artists went public in 1957 with a $17 million stock and debenture offering, averaging the release of 50 films per year. In 1958, the company acquired Ilya Lopert's Lopert Pictures Corporation, which specialized in distributing foreign films that often attracted criticism or faced censorship issues. That same year, after an unsuccessful attempt to purchase a record company, UA established the United Artists Records Corporation and United Artists Music Corporation. In 1968, UA Records merged with Liberty Records and its subsidiaries, including Imperial Records and Dolton Records. By 1972, these entities were consolidated into United Artists Records, which was eventually acquired by EMI in 1979, bringing labels like Blue Note Records into the fold.

In 1959, after several unsuccessful pilot projects, United Artists ventured into television with its first series, The Troubleshooters, and later released its first sitcom, The Dennis O'Keefe Show. During the 1960s, as other mainstream studios faced decline or underwent acquisitions and diversification, UA prospered, winning 11 Academy Awards, including five for Best Picture. The studio built relationships with prominent filmmakers and producers such as the Mirisch brothers, Billy Wilder, and Joseph E. Levine. In 1961, it released West Side Story, which won ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

UA expanded its television division by purchasing Ziv Television Programs in 1960, leading to successful shows like Gilligan's Island, The Fugitive, The Outer Limits, and The Patty Duke Show. The television unit also accumulated a profitable rental library, including the pre-1950 Warner Bros. features, shorts, and cartoons, as well as 231 Popeye shorts purchased from Paramount Pictures in 1958, all distributed through United Artists Associated.

In 1963, UA released Stanley Kramer's films It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and A Child Is Waiting. The studio also introduced U.S. audiences to The Beatles by releasing A Hard Day's Night (1964) and Help! (1965). Around the same time, UA backed Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli's production of Dr. No (1963) for $1 million, launching the highly successful James Bond franchise, which continues today. UA also supported other major projects, such as the Pink Panther series, beginning in 1964, and Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Westerns, which made Clint Eastwood a star with A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

Transamerica subsidiary

In 1967, on the strength of United Artists' film and television successes, Transamerica Corporation acquired 98 percent of UA's stock, appointing David and Arnold Picker to lead the studio. A new logo was introduced, incorporating Transamerica's striped T emblem with the tagline "Entertainment from Transamerica Corporation," which was later shortened to "A Transamerica Company." In 1968, United Artists Associated was restructured as United Artists Television Distribution. However, in 1970, UA faced a financial setback, losing $35 million, prompting Transamerica to replace the Pickers with the return of Arthur Krim and Robert Benjamin.

Despite these challenges, UA continued to release successful films, including the 1967 Best Picture winner In the Heat of the Night and The Graduate, a Best Picture nominee that UA distributed internationally. Other hits included the 1971 adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof. However, the 1972 film version of Man of La Mancha was a failure. UA supported new talent, including Woody Allen, Robert Altman, Sylvester Stallone, Saul Zaentz, Miloš Forman, and Brian De Palma, beginning a long-term relationship with Woody Allen, starting with Bananas (1971). Throughout the 1970s, UA thrived with series like the James Bond films, the Pink Panther series, and Woody Allen’s comedies.

In 1973, UA took over the sales and distribution of MGM's films in Anglo-America, while Cinema International Corporation managed the international distribution rights, later transitioning to United International Pictures in the 1980s. As part of the deal, UA acquired MGM's music publishing division, Robbins, Feist, and Miller. In 1975, Harry Saltzman sold his 50 percent stake in Danjaq, the holding company for the James Bond films, to UA. That same year, UA released One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which won the Best Picture Oscar and became the studio's highest-grossing film, with a total gross of $163 million. The studio continued its winning streak with Rocky in 1976 and Annie Hall in 1977, becoming the first studio to win the Best Picture Oscar three years in a row and establishing itself as the studio with the most Best Picture winners at the time, totaling 11.

However, Transamerica was unhappy with UA's releases like Midnight Cowboy and Last Tango in Paris, which received X ratings from the Motion Picture Association of America. In response, Transamerica demanded the removal of its byline, "A Transamerica Company," from these films' prints and advertising. At one point, Transamerica considered phasing out the United Artists name entirely, replacing it with Transamerica Films. Krim attempted to persuade Transamerica to spin off United Artists, but he could not reach an agreement with Transamerica's chairman.

Film library

The majority of United Artists' post-1952 film library is now owned by MGM, while most of its pre-1952 films were sold to other companies, such as National Telefilm Associates (now part of the Melange/Republic Pictures holdings, owned by Paramount Global, with distribution handled by Paramount Pictures), or have entered the public domain. Throughout its history, UA primarily functioned as a distributor rather than a traditional film studio, with copyrights typically credited to the original production companies. This is why some UA releases, like High Noon (1952) and The Final Countdown (1980), remain under copyright but are not owned by MGM. Additionally, the MGM titles that UA distributed from 1973 to 1982 are now owned by Turner, a division of Warner Bros.