CBS Theatrical Films

CBS Theatrical Films
Division
Industry movie
Fate closed
Predecessor Cinema Center Films
Successor CBS Films
Founded 1979
Defunct 1985
Headquarters CBS Television City, Los Angeles, California, United States
Number of locations
 Toronto
London
Paris
Tokyo
Victoria
Brasilia
Bogotá
Mexico City
Area served
 Worldwide
Products films
Parent CBS

CBS Theatrical Films was the film production branch of the U.S. television network, CBS, in the 1980s.

CBS was also a partner in TriStar Pictures, which started as a joint venture with Columbia Pictures (owned by The Coca-Cola Company), and Time, Inc.'s HBO.[1]

History

CBS began its theatrical films operation in 1979, headed by Donald March, and turned the operation into the separate CBS Theatrical Films division in 1980.[2] The company was active from 1979 to 1985. In that time, it had four presidents (March, Michael Levy, Bill Self, and Alan Levin). None of its releases were commercial successes.[3]

Closure

Several factors contributed to the closure of CBS Theatrical Films. As a so-called boutique, it was disadvantaged because it was usually only offered left over films after the major studios had selected the more likely commercial successes. Television movies did better in the ratings than theater films already released via cable and video. With additional startup boutiques, the market was overcrowded causing box office strain at the same time movie production costs doubled to $10 million with marketing matching that level. Another factor was that as a boutique, CBS Theatrical Films did not have a distribution system, so had to release its films through major studios, which sometimes resulted in disadvantageous release dates.[3] Most of their films were distributed by Warner Bros.[4] (The Challenge and their final production The Lightship were released through Embassy Pictures and Castle Hill Productions respectively). Today most of the movies made by the company are distributed by Paramount Pictures on DVD, as Paramount Pictures has a home video distribution deal with CBS.

Films produced

Cancelled film

Starblasters was to be a video game themed movie, due to be released about Christmas time 1982, at least some of the film was to be computer-animated. It would have been the second video game themed movie after Tron which was released in July of that year.[5]

External links

References

  1. ↑ Palmer, L. (1998) "How to write it, how to sell it: everything a screenwriter needs to know about Hollywood" (pp. 232-235). St. Martin's Press, New York. ISBN 0-312-18726-2.
  2. ↑ "CBS turns theatrical films operations into division". The Wall Street Journal. 1980-12-02.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Harmetz, Aljean (1985-11-15). "ABC and CBS give up on the movie business". Orlando Sentinel.
  4. ↑ Lumenick, Lou (May 16, 2009). "CBS And Theatrical Films: If At First You Don't Succeed...". NY Post.com. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  5. ↑ Bloom, Steve (1982). Video Invaders. Arco Publishing, Inc. p. 132. ISBN 0-668-05518-9.