The Rank Organisation
The Rank Organisation was a British entertainment conglomerate founded by industrialist J. Arthur Rank in April 1937. It quickly became the largest and most vertically integrated film company in the United Kingdom, owning production, distribution and exhibition facilities. It also diversified into the manufacture of radios, TVs and photocopiers (as one of the owners of Rank Xerox). The company name lasted until February 1996, when the name and some of the remaining assets were absorbed into the newly structured Rank Group plc. The company itself became a wholly owned subsidiary of Xerox and was renamed XRO Limited in 1997.[1]
 | |
| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | 23 April 1937 |
| Founder | J. Arthur Rank |
| Defunct | 7 February 1996 |
| Fate | Assets sold to Rank Group. Film assets now owned by ITV plc |
| Successor | Rank Group |
| Headquarters | London, England |
The company logo, the Gongman, first used in 1935 by the group's distribution company General Film Distributors[2] and seen in the opening titles of the films, became a celebrated and enduring film emblem.[3]