Rising success (1954–1968)
In 1954, the studio started producing Father Knows Best on CBS and The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin on ABC, which became their biggest successes at the time.[11]
On July 1, 1956, studio veteran Irving Briskin stepped down as stage manager of Columbia Pictures and formed his own production company, Briskin Productions, Inc., to release series through Screen Gems and supervise all of its productions.[12] On December 10, 1956, Screen Gems expanded into television syndication by acquiring Hygo Television Films (Serials Inc.) and its affiliated company United Television Films, Inc. Hygo Television Films was founded in 1951 by Jerome Hyams, who also acquired United Television Films in 1955 that was founded by Archie Mayers.[13]
During that year, the studio began syndicating Columbia Pictures' theatrical film library to television, including the series of two-reel short subjects starring the Three Stooges in 1957. Earlier on August 2, 1957, they also acquired syndication rights to "Shock Theater", a package of Universal Pictures horror films (later shifted to MCA TV), which was enormously successful in reviving that genre.[14] The company also distributed Universal Pictures' other films (pre-1948 sound films) around that time.[15]
From 1958 to 1974, under President John H. Mitchell and Vice President of Production Harry Ackerman, Screen Gems delivered TV shows and sitcoms: Dennis the Menace, The Donna Reed Show, Hazel, Here Come the Brides, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Gidget, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, The Flying Nun, The Monkees, The Girl with Something Extra, and The Partridge Family.
It was also the first distributor for Hanna-Barbera Productions, an animation studio founded by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera after leaving Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which was signed up in 1957,[16] and it was also the distributor of the Soupy Sales show. The company also entered a co-production deal with Canada's CTV Television Network and produced several shows, many of which were filmed or taped in Toronto for distribution to Canadian stations (Showdown, The Pierre Berton Show). The company even expanded as far as Australia, opening Screen Gems Australia to produce shows for that country's networks, including The Graham Kennedy Show for the Nine Network.[17]
In the late 1950s, Screen Gems also entered into ownership and operation of television stations. Stations owned by Screen Gems over the years included KCPX (Salt Lake City; now KTVX, owned by Nexstar Media Group), WVUE-DT (New Orleans; now owned by Gray Television), WAPA-TV (San Juan; now owned by the Hemisphere Media Group), WNJU (Linden, NJ; now Telemundo/NBCUniversal O&O), and several radio stations, as well, including 50,000-watt clear channel WWVA (Wheeling, WV; now owned by iHeartMedia). As a result, in funding its acquisitions, 18% of Screen Gems' shares were spun off from Columbia and it became a publicly traded company on the NYSE until 1968. Screen Gems also provided technical assistance and partial control of a private television station in Venezuela, Canal 11 Televisión, which existed from 1966 to 1968.[18][19]
In 1963, William Dozier, who was one of the top Screen Gems' employees, and senior vice president of production, left to start Greenway Productions, with a nonexclusive agreement with the studio for joint distribution of its TV productions.[20] Even though none of Greenway's shows went to SG, Greenway immediately struck a deal with rival television producer 20th Century-Fox Television in 1964.[21]
In 1963, Screen Gems entered music publishing with the purchase of Don Kirshner's Aldon Music, with Kirshner named head of the Columbia-Screen Gems music division. Four years later, he departed Screen Gems after coming into conflict with The Monkees over their desire to play on their records. Lester Sill replaced Kirshner and remained head of music publishing until 1985. Screen Gems-Columbia Music was sold to EMI for $23.5 million in 1976.
From 1964 to 1969, former child star Jackie Cooper was vice president of program development. He was responsible for packaging series (such as Bewitched) and other projects and selling them to the networks.
For the 1965–1966 season, Screen Gems announced that it would sign three big creative programmers to develop new series, which was announced in June 1964. Among them was writer Sidney Sheldon, director Hy Averback, and writer David Swift.[22]
In 1965, Columbia Pictures acquired a 50% interest in New York-based commercial production company EUE, which was incorporated into Screen Gems and renamed EUE/Screen Gems. The studios were sold in 1982 to longtime Columbia Pictures executive George Cooney shortly after Columbia Pictures was sold to the Coca-Cola Company.
