Editing Janus Films (section)

==History==
Janus Films was founded in 1956 by [[Bryant Haliday]] and [[Cyrus Harvey, Jr.]], in the historic [[Brattle Theater]], a [[Harvard Square]] landmark in [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]]. Prior to the conception of Janus, Haliday and Harvey began screening both foreign and American films at the Brattle Theater and proceeded to regularly fill the 300-seat venue. Having purchased the theater, Haliday, together with Harvey, converted the Brattle into a popular [[Movie theater|movie house]] for the showing of [[art film]]s.<ref>{{cite web|title=A History of Janus Films|url=http://www.brattlefilm.org/brattlefilm/series/2006/janus/history.html|work=Brattle Theater|publisher=Brattle Film Foundation|access-date=3 Sep 2021|year=2001–2007|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301224853/https://www.brattlefilm.org/brattlefilm/series/2006/janus/history.html|archivedate=1 Mar 2021}}</ref>

Perceiving potential success in the film business, Haliday and Harvey moved into the [[New York City]] market and began running the [[55th Street Playhouse]]. Janus Films was subsequently launched in March 1956 and the Playhouse was used as the primary location for exhibiting Janus-distributed films. The two owners eventually sold Janus Films in 1965 following a decline in the American art film market,<ref name="Janus">{{cite web|title=Janus Films, the Face of Art and Foreign Film|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6430428|work=NPR|access-date=26 April 2012|author=Andrea Shea|date=3 November 2006}}</ref> and in 1966 Haliday also sold the Brattle, while Harvey continued to manage the theater into the 1970s.

In 1977, Kino International (now [[Kino Lorber]]) acquired rights to the company's film collection, which became the foundation for Kino's international library of films.<ref name="NYTOLD">{{cite web |last1=Nichols |first1=Peter |title=An Eye for the Small, the Old, the Out of the Way |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/17/arts/an-eye-for-the-small-the-old-the-out-of-the-way.html |website=The New York Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527063931/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/17/arts/an-eye-for-the-small-the-old-the-out-of-the-way.html |archive-date=27 May 2015 |date=17 August 1997}}</ref> 

Janus was later acquired by [[Saul J. Turell]] and [[William J. Becker]].<ref name="Janus" /> Janus Films, alongside [[The Criterion Collection]], was sold to [[Steven Rales]] in May 2024 in a private acquisition.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kay |first=Jeremy |date=2024-05-20 |title=Indian Paintbrush founder Steven Rales buys Criterion, Janus Films (exclusive) |url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/indian-paintbrush-founder-steven-rales-buys-criterion-janus-films-exclusive/5193832.article |access-date=2024-05-20 |website=[[Screen International|Screen Daily]] |language=en}}</ref>