COMPANY·HISTORIES
SIC 7812

Motion Picture and Video Tape Production

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

25companies1835–1997founding years25still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedBertelsmann AG
1835
FoundedGaumont SA
1895
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedLefrak Organization Inc.
1905
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedColumbia TriStar Motion Pictures Companies
1924
FoundedHasbro, Inc.
1926
FoundedVictor Company of Japan, Limited
1927
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedThe Atlantic Group
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedBouygues S.A.
1952
FoundedThe Jim Henson Company
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedInternational Management Group
1960
FoundedUnivision Communications Inc.
1961
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
FoundedHome Box Office Inc.FoundedPolyGram N.V.
1972
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedLarry Flynt Publishing Inc.
1976
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedAmblin Entertainment
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedNational Media Corporation
1986
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
FoundedPrimedia Inc.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
FoundedAll American Communications Inc.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Bertelsmann AG →
Active · founded 1835 · Germany
Bertelsmann AG is the largest media group in Germany and Europe, and the second-largest in the world to the U.S.-based…
Gaumont SA →
Active · founded 1895 · France
With one of the most illustrious names in motion picture history, Gaumont SA has developed into one of Europe's leading…
Lefrak Organization Inc. →
Active · founded 1905
Lefrak Organization Inc.
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation →
Active · founded 1915
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation is a subsidiary of Fox Inc., which is owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch's News…
Columbia TriStar Motion Pictures Companies →
Active · founded 1924
Columbia TriStar Motion Pictures Companies is part of Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.
Hasbro, Inc. →
Active · founded 1926
Truly successful toy companies do not just make toys; they manufacture popular culture.
Victor Company of Japan, Limited →
Active · founded 1927 · Japan
Victor Company of Japan, Limited (JVC) is one of several Japanese companies that has evolved to dominate the…
The Seagram Company Ltd. →
Active · founded 1928 · Canada
The Seagram Company Ltd., which is 32-percent owned by the Bronfman family, is a major international liquor giant…
The Atlantic Group →
Active · founded 1947
The Atlantic Group consistently ranks among the most successful recording companies in the United States.
Bouygues S.A. →
Active · founded 1952 · France
Bouygues S.A.
Hanna-Barbera Cartoons Inc. →
Active · founded 1957
Hanna-Barbera Cartoons Inc., founded by the animation team of Joseph Barbera and William Hanna in 1957, rose to…
The Jim Henson Company →
Active · founded 1958
The Jim Henson Company is a leading producer of films, stage shows, television specials, and series for family…
International Management Group →
Active · founded 1960
Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, International Management Group is the world's largest and most influential sports…
Univision Communications Inc. →
Active · founded 1961
Univision Communications Inc.
Scitex Corporation Ltd. →
Active · founded 1968 · Israel
Herzlia, Israel-based Scitex Corporation Ltd.
Home Box Office Inc. →
Active · founded 1972
Home Box Office Inc.
PolyGram N.V. →
Active · founded 1972
Netherlands-based PolyGram N.V.
Dorling Kindersley Holdings plc →
Active · founded 1974 · United Kingdom
For nearly a quarter-century, Dorling Kindersley Holdings plc (DK) has focused on creating an enduring catalog of over…
Larry Flynt Publishing Inc. →
Active · founded 1976
Larry Flynt Publishing Inc.
Amblin Entertainment →
Active · founded 1984
Nested in a back lot at Universal Studios, Amblin Entertainment is producer/director Steven Spielberg's movie…
National Media Corporation →
Active · founded 1986
National Media Corporation is the world's largest publicly held direct response (infomercial) television company and a…
The Kushner-Locke Company →
Active · founded 1988
The Kushner-Locke Company is an independent entertainment company based in Los Angeles.
Primedia Inc. →
Active · founded 1989
Primedia Inc.
All American Communications Inc. →
Active · founded 1991
All American Communications Inc.
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, L.L.C. →
Active · founded 1997
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, L.L.C.
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