Industry | Home video company |
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Fate | Assets were sold to Gaiam |
Founded | 1984 |
Defunct | 2005 |
Headquarters | Midtown Manhattan, New York City |
Key people | Kenneth Cayre Joseph Cayre Stanley Cayre |
Products | Now-public domain works and anime |
GoodTimes Entertainment, Ltd. was a home video company that originated in 1984 under the name of GoodTimes Home Video. Though it produced its own titles, the company was well-known due to its distribution of media from third parties and classics. The founders for the company were Kenneth Cayre, Joseph Cayre, and Stanley Cayre (often referred to and credited simply as the "Cayre Brothers") of Salsoul Records . Its headquarters were in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The company had a distribution facility in Jersey City, New Jersey and a duplication facility in Bayonne, New Jersey.[1]They folded into GT Media in 2007, releasing only two products: The GT Express and the 2007 DVD release of The Retrievers.
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GoodTimes Entertainment began with the distribution of copies of public domain titles. Though the company also produced and distributed many low-priced fitness videos, its most recognized line of products were the series of low-budget traditionally animated films from companies such as Jetlag Productions, Golden Films, and Blye Migicovsky Productions, as well a selection of the now-public domain works of Burbank Films Australia.
Walt Disney Pictures sued GoodTimes Entertainment because of the close similarity between GoodTimes and Disney's animated films. As a result of that lawsuit, GoodTimes was required to prints its name atop its VHS covers, but was still allowed to produce animated films. [2]
Expanding from home video distribution, GoodTimes Entertainment founded its spin-off, GT Interactive as a way to distribute video games.
At different times, GoodTimes contracted with Columbia Pictures, NBC, Worldvision Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera, Orion Pictures, and Universal Studios to release inexpensive tapes of many of their films and programs for retail sale.
In addition, GoodTimes released several compilations assembled from public domain films, movie trailers, old television programs and newsreels. Most of these were credited to Film Shows, Inc.
In 2005, GoodTimes Entertainment filed for bankruptcy and its assets were then sold to Gaiam.
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