RKO Radio Pictures

RKO can be traced to a Milwaukee nickelodeon (1909); after a series of mergers it became the nucleus of Mutual Film Corp.; in 1928, it emerged as Radio-Keith-Orpheum and was involved in production, distribution, and exhibition; the studio employed many of the top creative talents of the 1930s and 40s and was responsible for film classics such as Citizen Kane, Bringing up baby, Suspicion, Gay divorcee, and The magnificent Ambersons; additionally RKO was the distributor of many of Samuel Goldwyn, Walt Disney, and other independently produced films; Howard Hughes acquired controlling interest in RKO (1948), purchased all outstanding stock in the early 1950s, and eventually sold to General Tire where motion pictures were abandoned for broadcasting and cable TV; the studio was closed and the real estate sold to Desilu in the 1950s.

The Radio-Keith-Orpheum Corporation (RKO) began in the late 1920's with a merger between the Film Booking Office of America and the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theater chain. Three years later, with the takeover of American Pathe, a major Hollywood production and distribution studio was born. Over the years, production chiefs included David O. Selznick, Merian C. Cooper, George Schaefer, and Dore Schary. Among the memorable motion pictures produced by and /or released through RKO were the Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers musicals, early Katharine Hepburn films, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, King Kong, Alfred Hitchcock's Suspicion and Notorious, and Orson Welles' Citizen Kane . RKO began its decline when Howard Hughes bought a controlling interest in 1948. In 1955 Hughes sold the company to the General Teleradio Corporation who, in turn, sold the television rights to over seven hundred films. The studio property was purchased by Desilu Productions in 1958.

The Radio-Keith-Orpheum Corporation (RKO), one of the major Hollywood production and distribution studios of the 30's and 40's, began in 1928 with a merger between the Film Booking Office of America and the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theater chain.

In 1931, with the takeover of American Pathe the mergers were complete. Over the years, production chiefs included David O. Selznick, Merian C. Cooper, George Schaefer and Dore Schary. Among the memorable motion pictures produced by or released through RKO were the Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers musicals, early Katharine Hepburn films, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, KING KONG, Alfred Hitchcock's SUSPICION and NOTORIOUS, and Orson Welles' CITIZEN KANE.

RKO began its decline when Howard Hughes bought a controlling interest in 1948. In 1955 Hughes sold the company to the General Teleradio Corporation which, in turn, sold the television rights to over seven hundred films. The studio property was purchased by Desilu Productions in 1958.