Cinerama Releasing Corporation

Cinerama Releasing Corporation, commonly abbreviated CRC, was an American motion-picture distribution company established in 1967. It operated as the distribution arm associated with Cinerama, Inc., a company whose name derived from the widescreen exhibition and production enterprise that had become known for large-format cinematic presentation. CRC was not primarily a conventional production studio: its central function was to bring films to theaters, including pictures produced by or connected with Cinerama, foreign acquisitions, and films from ABC Pictures, the motion-picture production unit of the American Broadcasting Company. The company emerged during a period when the U.S. film business was being reshaped by television competition, the decline of the traditional studio system, and the rise of independent distributors and production-financing arrangements. Cinerama Releasing Corporation was designed as an independent distributor rather than as a fully integrated studio that financed, produced, owned, and distributed every title in its program. The distinction was commercially important. CRC generally distributed films without retaining a copyright interest in each production, relying instead on distribution arrangements and acquired pictures. Cinerama, Inc. had been acquired in 1963 by William R. Foreman, identified in the historical record as the owner of the Pacific Coast Theater chain. Following that acquisition, the Cinerama organization developed CRC as a separate distribution operation. The company’s activities expanded beyond the original Cinerama-associated repertoire. Its program included motion pictures from overseas as well as projects connected with ABC Pictures. This gave CRC a broader commercial identity than a distributor devoted only to the Cinerama exhibition format. By around 1970, CRC was described as an “instant major,” a term used for ambitious distribution companies that rapidly achieved a significant position in the theatrical market without having the long-established infrastructure of the traditional major studios. The company reached approximately a 10 percent market share at that stage, making it a notable participant in the U.S. theatrical distribution business. Its prominence reflected the ability of independent or newly organized distributors to assemble substantial release slates during a period of industry transition. ABC Pictures ceased operations in early 1973. After that change, CRC shifted increasingly toward distributing films it had acquired rather than relying on a continuing flow of ABC-financed or ABC-associated productions. By August 1974, the company had released 125 acquired films, according to the historical account summarized in its reference material. Its productions and reissues were subsequently handled by American International Pictures, indicating a further narrowing or redistribution of CRC’s direct operating role. The corporate structure behind the brand eventually disappeared. Cinerama, Inc., CRC’s parent company, was liquidated in May 1978. The Cinerama name ultimately became associated with Pacific Coast Theater, ending the period in which Cinerama Releasing Corporation functioned as a significant independent U.S. film distributor. CRC is therefore best understood as a historical distribution brand rather than as a continuing film studio or modern entertainment company.

The background to Cinerama Releasing Corporation lies in the changing structure of American cinema during the 1960s. Cinerama, Inc. had been purchased in 1963 by William R. Foreman, who was associated with the Pacific Coast Theater chain. Four years later, Cinerama Releasing Corporation was organized to serve as an independent theatrical distributor. Although it carried the Cinerama name, its business was broader than the release of films made specifically for the Cinerama presentation system. CRC handled films produced by its namesake parent organization, but it also distributed foreign pictures and titles connected with ABC Pictures, the film-production division of the American Broadcasting Company. This combination reflected the increasingly flexible relationship between production and distribution in the late 1960s. CRC was a distributor rather than a fully integrated studio, and the available historical account emphasizes that it generally did not retain copyright ownership in the individual productions it released. The company’s rapid expansion made it an example of an “instant major,” a label applied to distributors that quickly obtained substantial market influence. By 1970, CRC had attained roughly 10 percent of the market. Its rise occurred alongside broader changes in Hollywood, including the weakening of the old studio system and the growing importance of independently assembled film packages. CRC’s business changed after ABC Pictures ceased operations in early 1973. Without that continuing source of associated projects, the company concentrated increasingly on acquired films. By August 1974, it had released 125 such titles. At the same time, American International Pictures handled CRC productions and reissues, suggesting that the company’s activities were being divided among different distribution arrangements rather than maintained through a single integrated release operation. The parent company’s liquidation in May 1978 brought the Cinerama corporate structure to an end. The Cinerama name subsequently became associated with Pacific Coast Theater. CRC therefore belongs to the history of American theatrical distribution as a short-lived but commercially consequential independent distributor. Its significance rests less on a continuing catalog brand than on its role in the late-1960s and 1970s movement toward acquisition-led distribution and rapidly expanding independent film companies.

1. 1978Parent company is liquidated

   Cinerama, Inc. was liquidated in May, and the Cinerama name later passed to Pacific Coast Theater.

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2. 1974CRC reaches 125 acquired releases

   By August, the company had released 125 acquired films, while American International Pictures handled its productions and reissues.

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3. 1973ABC Pictures ceases operations

   ABC Pictures ended operations, prompting CRC to rely more heavily on acquired films.

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4. 1970CRC reaches approximately 10 percent market share

   The company was regarded as an instant major after achieving an estimated 10 percent share of the theatrical market.

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5. 1967Cinerama Releasing Corporation is formed

   CRC was created as an independent distributor for Cinerama-related films, foreign films, and ABC Pictures productions.

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6. 1963Cinerama, Inc. is acquired by William R. Foreman

   William R. Foreman, identified as the owner of the Pacific Coast Theater chain, purchased Cinerama, Inc., establishing the ownership context preceding CRC’s formation.

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An independent theatrical distributor positioned between the traditional Hollywood major studios and smaller acquisition-focused distributors. CRC used the Cinerama name while handling a broad slate of widescreen, foreign, acquired, and ABC Pictures-related films.

• Theatrical film distributionFilm distribution1967

  CRC’s principal offering was theatrical distribution. It arranged the release of motion pictures through cinemas rather than functioning mainly as a producer or rights-owning studio. Its program included films associated with Cinerama, foreign acquisitions, and titles connected with ABC Pictures.

• Acquired filmsFilm acquisitions and distribution1973

  After ABC Pictures ended operations in 1973, CRC increasingly focused on films acquired from outside sources. This became a major part of the company’s later release activity, with 125 acquired films reported by August 1974.

• Reissues and CRC productionsFilm reissue distribution

  CRC-associated productions and reissues formed another part of the company’s distribution activity. By 1974, these releases were being handled by American International Pictures rather than solely through CRC’s own operation.

• 1974Production and reissue handling moves to American International PicturesStrategy

  CRC was increasingly operating as an acquisition-oriented distributor after the end of ABC Pictures.

  What changed. American International Pictures handled CRC productions and reissues.

  Aftermath. The arrangement further separated CRC’s acquired-film distribution activity from the handling of its productions and reissues.

  Source
• 1973Shift toward acquired-film distributionStrategy

  ABC Pictures ended operations in early 1973, reducing the availability of films connected with that production unit.

  What changed. CRC moved primarily toward distributing non-financed films acquired from outside sources.

  Aftermath. The change was followed by a substantial acquired-film program; by August 1974, CRC had released 125 acquired films.

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• 1978Cinerama, Inc. is liquidated

  The parent company was liquidated in May 1978, ending the corporate context in which Cinerama Releasing Corporation had operated.

  Bankruptcy
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• 1974CRC reports a large acquired-film release program

  By August 1974, CRC had released 125 acquired films, while its productions and reissues were being handled by American International Pictures.

  Product generation
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• 1973ABC Pictures ends operations

  After ABC Pictures stopped operating, CRC moved toward distributing films acquired from outside producers rather than relying primarily on ABC-associated projects.

  Other
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• 1970CRC reaches instant-major status

  The distributor reached an estimated 10 percent share of the U.S. theatrical market and was described as an “instant major.”

  Other
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• 1967Cinerama Releasing Corporation is established

  CRC was established as an independent distributor for Cinerama-related motion pictures, foreign films, and films associated with ABC Pictures.

  Other
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1. Cinerama Releasing Corporation
2. Lost Illusions: American Cinema in the Shadow of Watergate and Vietnam, 1970–1979