Editing PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (section)

=== PolyGram Filmed Entertainment ===
[[File:PolyGram Filmed Entertainment 1992.jpg | thumb|right | Logo used from 1992 to 1999.]]
[[File:PolyGram Filmed Entertainment 1992.png | thumb|right | PolyGram Film Distribution logo, used in 1992.]]
[[File:PolyGram Filmed Entertainment 1992-1999.png | thumb|right | PolyGram Filmed Entertainment logo, used from 1992 to 1998.]]
In the early 1980s, PolyGram Video was launched. PolyGram Video, headed by Michael Kuhn and David Hockman, was created to distribute concert films and feature films acquired from third-parties, as well as long-form music videos and stand-up comedy videos from the likes of ''[[Roy Chubby Brown]]'', ''[[Jethro (comedian)|Jethro]]'' and ''[[Bernard Manning]]''; in 1986, a joint venture with Heron Communications, '''Channel 5 Video''' began operation.<ref name=":02">{{Cite news|date=1986-01-01|title=Heron, PolyGram Set Joint Venture With Low Pricing|page=25|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> Channel 5 Video later began to obtain the rights to titles from Heron's US children's arm, [[Hi-Tops Video]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 July 1987 |title=Channel Five Moves Into Music & Kid Vid |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1987/1987-07-11-Billboard-Page-0058.pdf |access-date=5 May 2024 |website=World Radio History}}</ref> Kuhn and Hockman were able to parlay PolyGram Video's success into financing feature films. The first film produced by PolyGram's new film division was ''[[P.I. Private Investigations]]'' in 1987.<ref>Kuhn, pp. 17-23</ref> During the late 1980s and early 1990s, PolyGram continued to invest in a diversified film unit with the purchases of individual production companies.<ref name="4wf" /> In 1989, PolyGram launched Manifesto Film Sales to handle the licensing of films outside North America.<ref>Kuhn, pp. 40-41</ref> In 1991, PolyGram's Michael Kuhn became the head of PolyGram Filmed Entertainment,<ref name="4wf" /> with US$200 million pumped in with the intention of developing a European film studio that could produce and distribute films internationally on a scale to match the [[Major film studio|major Hollywood studios]].

Following the style of its music business, the company produced films through a number of creatively semi-autonomous 'labels', such as [[Working Title Films]] in the United Kingdom and [[Propaganda Films]] and [[Interscope Communications]] in the [[United States]]; it also built up its own network of distribution companies.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Groves |first=Don |date=1991-01-14 |title=Polygram Plots Its Return To Film Biz |url=https://variety.com/1991/scene/markets-festivals/polygram-plots-its-return-to-film-biz-99128424/ |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Citron |first=Alan |date=1992-08-11 |title=Polygram Takes Over Interscope : Entertainment: The British record giant buys 51% of the successful Hollywood film production company. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-08-11-fi-5365-story.html |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

Film production within PolyGram differed from traditional Hollywood studios, in that power to make ('green light') a film was not centralised in the hands of a small number of executives, but instead was decided by negotiations between producers, management and marketing. Kuhn claimed that "movies sort of green lit themselves."

In 1993, PolyGram purchased Vision Video Ltd (which was previously the video arm of [[Virgin Group]]) from [[General Electric Capital]] for $5.6 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1993/film/news/polygram-s-visionary-deal-103553/|title=PolyGram's Visionary Deal|publisher=Variety|date=31 January 1993|access-date=24 November 2024}}</ref>

PolyGram also built up a sizable film and television library that could be profitable. In 1995, the company purchased [[ITC Entertainment]] for $156 million.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-01-17-fi-21037-story.html |title=ITC Entertainment Sold to Polygram for $156 Million |work=Los Angeles Times |date=1995-01-17 |access-date=2012-10-22}}</ref> Through this purchase, PolyGram acquired 350 feature films, several thousand hours of television programming, and gained further access into the television market.<ref name="4wf">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-02-21-fi-34446-story.html |title=Screen Play : PolyGram Hopes to Bolster Its Hollywood Presence With Purchase of Once-Venerable ITC Entertainment |work=Los Angeles Times |date=1995-02-21 |access-date=2012-10-22 |first=Patrice |last=Apodaca}}</ref> That same year, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment acquired a 75% majority stake in British home video distributor [[Abbey Home Entertainment]]. In 1997, PFE agreed to purchase the [[Trans World Entertainment (film company)|Epic film library]], which included a thousand feature films from a variety of companies, from [[Crédit Lyonnais]] for $225 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1997/film/news/new-epic-librarian-1116678770/|title=New Epic librarian|first1=Rex|last1=Weiner|date=3 December 1997}}</ref> PolyGram also attempted purchasing [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/07/17/business/kerkorian-group-plans-to-buy-mgm-studio-for-1.3-billion.html |title=Kerkorian Group Plans to Buy MGM Studio for $1.3 Billion |work=The New York Times |date=1996-07-17 |access-date=2012-10-22 |first=Geraldine |last=Fabrikant}}</ref> and [[The Samuel Goldwyn Company]]'s library,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/31/business/company-news-polygram-said-to-drop-goldwyn-offer.html |title=Company News;Polygram Said To Drop Goldwyn Offer|work=The New York Times |date=1996-01-31 |access-date=2012-10-22}}</ref>  but to no avail. In July 1998, PolyGram was in talks to sell their stake in Abbey Home Entertainment back to Ian and Anne Miles, letting AHE trade independently again. On December 7, 1997, PolyGram and [[Warner Bros.]] reached a deal to co-finance films produced by [[Castle Rock Entertainment]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Cox|first=Dan|date=1997-12-08|title=WB, Polygram to co-fund Castle Rock|url=https://variety.com/1997/film/news/wb-polygram-to-co-fund-castle-rock-1116679438/|access-date=2022-01-09|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref>
[[File:PolyGram Film Distribution 1998.png | thumb|right | PolyGram Film Distribution logo, used in 1998.]]
PFE's film distribution arm was based in the [[United Kingdom]], and invested heavily in British film making — some credit it with reviving the British film industry in the 1990s. Despite a successful production history, new Philips CEO [[Cor Boonstra]] began to draw back Philips' media operations, excepting their stake in PolyGram, in 1997.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Variety Staff |date=1997-07-22 |title=Philips quitting media biz, except for Polygram stake |url=https://variety.com/1997/biz/news/philips-quitting-media-biz-except-for-polygram-stake-1116676468/ |access-date=2024-05-05 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> At the time, Philips was seen as a bloated conglomerate riddled with problems; Boonstra initially denied that PolyGram would be sold.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CAN HE FIX PHILIPS? HECK, CAN ANYONE? NEW CEO COR BOONSTRA IS AN OUTSIDER WHO TALKS A GOOD TURNAROUND GAME FOR THE ELECTRONICS GIANT--BUT MAY HAVE TO MOVE FASTER. - March 31, 1997 |url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1997/03/31/224067/index.htm |access-date=2024-05-05 |website=money.cnn.com}}</ref> However, by early 1998, Boonstra's attitude had shifted and various bidders began to make themselves known, as Philips began to pursue a manufacturing-only business model.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Week |first=Marketing |date=1998-06-11 |title=Why Phillips must sharpen up its act |url=https://www.marketingweek.com/why-phillips-must-sharpen-up-its-act/ |access-date=2024-05-05 |website=Marketing Week |language=en}}</ref> At the same time, PolyGram had been suffering from their own internal issues, chiefly a series of loss-making films and a lack of major pop music hits.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Eller |first1=Claudia |last2=Philips |first2=Chuck |date=1998-05-07 |title=Philips Puts PolyGram Empire Up for Sale |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-may-07-fi-47137-story.html |access-date=2024-05-05 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> In hindsight, analysts have also pointed to another reason for Boonstra's sale of the assets, namely Philips manufacturing blank CDs, as [[music piracy]] subsequently impacted the music industry hugely in the years afterwards.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCullen |first=Aidan |date=2023-10-27 |title=Killing Your Business While It's Still Working: That (Kodak) Moment |url=https://theinnovationshow.io/killing-your-business-while-its-still-working-that-kodak-moment/ |access-date=2024-05-05 |website=The Innovation Show |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Philips ultimately decided to sell PolyGram to the beverage [[Conglomerate (company)|conglomerate]] [[Seagram]] in 1998 (Seagram had chosen PolyGram over EMI because of PolyGram's better management);<ref>{{Cite news |title=Suitors Buzz Around Polygram |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/1998-05-24/suitors-buzz-around-polygram |access-date=2024-05-05 |work=Bloomberg.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Eller |first1=Claudia |last2=Philips |first2=Chuck |date=1998-05-15 |title=Seagram, Philips Confirm Talks for All of PolyGram |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-may-15-fi-49855-story.html |access-date=2024-05-05 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> only interested in PolyGram's music operations, Seagram, which at the time controlled [[Universal Pictures]], looked forward to divesting in PFE. After being dissatisfied with offers to buy the studio (including a joint venture between [[Canal+ (French TV channel)|Canal+]] and [[Artisan Entertainment]]), Seagram opted to sell off individual assets and folded whatever remained into Universal.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-oct-09-fi-30635-story.html | work=Los Angeles Times | first=Claudia | last=Eller | title=Seagram May Settle for Sale of Film Library | date=October 9, 1998}}</ref> In October 1998, [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] (MGM) paid $235–250 million to acquire 1,300 films released before March 31, 1996, from PolyGram, however, the deal did not include the ITC library, which in 1999, was sold to [[Carlton Communications]] (now known as [[ITV Studios]]) for $150 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.soundandvision.com/content/mgm-signs-250-million-agreement-acquire-polygram-film-library|title=MGM Signs $250 Million Agreement to Acquire PolyGram Film Library|date=25 October 1998|website=Sound & Vision}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-oct-23-fi-35357-story.html |title=MGM Agrees to Acquire PolyGram Movie Library|work=Los Angeles Times |date=1998-10-23 |access-date=2012-10-22 |first=Claudia |last=Eller}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Thal |first=Peter |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/carlton-pays-150m-for-film-library-1075109.html |title=Carlton pays $150m for film library |work=The Independent |date=1999-01-20 |access-date=2012-10-22 |location=London}}</ref> Some of PFE's North American distribution assets, including PolyGram Video's US and Canada operations were sold to [[USA Network]]s.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-apr-08-fi-25336-story.html | work=Los Angeles Times | title=USA Will Buy Some Seagram Film Assets | date=April 8, 1999}}</ref> Universal would inherit the remaining titles, which included a third of the pre-April 1996 films, one-third of the post-April 1996 films, as well as PolyGram Television's library, and PolyGram Video's international operations. Universal would then set up their own international arm from the ashes of PFE's international division on February 9, 1999 that included theatrical and video distribution; pulling out of [[CIC Video]] and nearly pulling out of [[United International Pictures]].<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Carver|first1=Benedict|last2=Dawtrey|first2=Adam|date=1999-02-10|title=U to start int'l distrib|url=https://variety.com/1999/film/news/u-to-start-int-l-distrib-1117491165/|access-date=2022-01-09|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/1999/biz/news/u-par-s-cic-not-clicking-1117491103/|title=U-Par’s CIC not clicking|date=8 February 1999|access-date=31 January 2025}}</ref> After the box office failure of ''[[Mickey Blue Eyes]]'', a title inherited from PolyGram that ended up becoming one of the few titles that were self-distributed by Universal internationally until 2007, all the theatrical assets of Universal Pictures International were folded into United International Pictures, which continued to exist until 2006.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Petrikin|first=Chris|date=1999-10-15|title=U, Par extend UIP pact|url=https://variety.com/1999/film/news/u-par-extend-uip-pact-1117756685/|access-date=2022-01-09|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref>

PolyGram Video took over the distribution of [[Manga Entertainment]]'s titles in Australia and New Zealand in late 1996 after Siren Entertainment's license to the Manga Video catalog expired, but PolyGram lost the license to the Manga Video catalog in 1998 after [[Madman Entertainment]] took over the licenses. This was due to Manga Entertainment being moved from Island Records to Palm Pictures.