Republic Pictures Corporation

Republic Pictures was organized in 1935, largely the result of a reorganization of Monogram Pictures, a small, independent motion picture production company in Los Angeles, and two other independents, Liberty Pictures and Mascot Pictures, whose studio in the San Fernando Valley (once the Mack Sennett studio) became the primary production facility of Republic Pictures. Under the leadership of Herbert J. Yates, Republic Pictures became known as the "King of the B" studios, as the Gene Autry and Roy Rogers serials, together with feature film offerings were, more often than not, found on the lower half of double-bill showings. Occasionally, however, Republic produced uncharacteristically expensive "prestige" productions including John Ford's The Quiet Man (1952), The Red Pony (1949), scored by Aaron Copland, and Orson Welles' controversial version of Macbeth (1948). When the need for assembly line quickies waned in the 1950s, Republic ceased production in 1959. The studio was sold to CBS and is now CBS Studio City.

Republic Pictures Corporation was created in 1935; formed by Herbert J. Yates, owner of a film laboratory, by merging four minor studios; created "B" movies, producing mostly westerns, in assembly-line fashion; occasionally produced a major motion picture under direction of Raoul Walsh, John Ford, or Orson Welles; as "B" movies were eliminated in the 1950s, Republic abandoned film production in favor of television programming; Yates retired in 1959.

Biography

Republic Pictures Corporation was created in 1935; formed by Herbert J. Yates, owner of a film laboratory, by merging four minor studios; created B movies, producing mostly westerns, in assembly-line fashion; occasionally produced a major motion picture under direction of Raoul Walsh, John Ford, or Orson Welles; as B movies were eliminated in the 1950s, Republic abandoned film production in favor of television programming; Yates retired in 1959.