Warner Bros.-Seven Arts

Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, Inc.
Company typePublic
IndustryFilm
Television
Music
GenreEntertainment
PredecessorWarner Bros. Pictures, Inc.
Seven Arts Productions
FoundedJuly 15, 1967 (1967-07-15)[1]
DefunctDecember 16, 1969 (1969-12-16)[2]
FateAcquired by Kinney National Services Inc. and rebranded as Warner Bros. Inc.
SuccessorWarner Bros. Inc.
Headquarters
4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California
,
United States
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Benjamin Kalmenson (President)
Haskel Masters (Vice-President)
Jack L. Warner (Vice-Chairman of the board)
Eliot Hyman (Chairman of the board)
Parent Kinney National Services Inc. (July–December 1969)
SubsidiariesWarner Bros.-Seven Arts Television
Warner Bros.-Seven Arts Records
Atlantic Records
Seven Arts Productions
Warner Bros.-Seven Arts Animation

Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, Inc. was an American entertainment company active from 1967 until 1969.

History

Seven Arts Productions acquired Jack L. Warner's controlling interest in Warner Bros. Pictures for $32 million in November 1966.[3][4][5][6] The merger between the two companies was completed by July 15, 1967, and the combined company was named Warner Bros.-Seven Arts. Eliot Hyman, founder of Seven Arts, was named chairman. Warner Bros. Pictures president Benjamin Kalmenson served as president of the combined company.[7] Warner remained on the board as vice chairman.[8] Alan Hirschfield was named financial vice president in October.[9]

The head of production was Hyman's son, Kenneth Hyman. During his tenure, Hyman oversaw the production of hits like Bullitt, Girl On A Motorcycle, Rachel, Rachel and The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, and The Wild Bunch, as well as George Lucas' first film THX 1138.[10][11]

In February 1968, Warner Bros.-Seven Arts sold its 25% stake in Associated British Pictures Corporation to Electric & Musical Industries.[12]

The acquisition included Warner Bros. Records (which was renamed Warner Bros.-Seven Arts Records), and Reprise Records.[13] Later that same year, Warner Bros.-Seven Arts also purchased Atlantic Records.[14][15]

Acquisition by Kinney

Within a year of the acquisition, Warner Bros.-Seven Arts was fielding merger offers.[16] By 1969, it had become a takeover target for multiple companies, including Commonwealth United Corporation, National General Corporation, and Kinney National Service.[17] However, concern over antitrust laws ultimately ruled out National General and Commonwealth, leaving Kinney as the preferred suitor.[18] Kinney sold its Ashley Famous talent agency in order to avoid any conflict of interest in the deal.[19]

Warner Bros.-Seven Arts was officially acquired by Kinney National Company in July 1969. The Hymans resigned from the company and Ted Ashley was named chairman of the film studio in August.[19] On December 16, 1969, Warner Bros.-Seven Arts was rebranded as Warner Bros. Inc.

The final film to be released under the Warner Bros.-Seven Arts name was Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, which was released in February 1970. The studio's next film, Woodstock, which was released in March, was credited as a Warner Bros. production, and this credit would be applied to all other productions from the studio afterward with Warner Bros. reestablished as a major film studio.

In September 1971, Kinney National spun off its non-entertainment assets as National Kinney Corporation, and changed its name to Warner Communications Inc.[20][21][22] on February 10, 1972.[23]

Filmography

See also: List of Warner Bros. films (1960–1969)

See also

References

  1. ^ "Amended Proposed Decision" (PDF). www.justice.gov. 29 August 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  2. ^ Newspaper.com (16 December 1969). "Warner Bros. Drops Name of Seven Arts". Valley Times. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  3. ^ "Jack L. Warner, President, Agrees to Sell His Interest In a $32-Million Deal; 7 ARTS IS BUYING 33% OF WARNER". The New York Times. 15 November 1966. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  4. ^ Warner Sperling, Cass (Director) (2008). The Brothers Warner (DVD film documentary). Warner Sisters, Inc. Archived from the original on 17 February 2016.
  5. ^ "Company History". warnerbros.com. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  6. ^ "Warner Brothers Records Story". bsnpubs.com. 23 April 2004. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  7. ^ "Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, Ltd., Chooses Hyman as Chairman". The New York Times. 18 July 1967. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  8. ^ "Warner to Produce On Broadway". The New York Times. 19 December 1968. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  9. ^ "Warner Bros.-7 Arts Elects Vice President". The New York Times. 13 October 1967. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  10. ^ "Kenneth Hyman: Legendary producer behind such gems as Bullitt, THX1138 and Girl On A Motorcycle". Bizarre Magazine. Archived from the original on 1 April 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  11. ^ Delugach, Al (2 July 1987). "Hyman to Head New Century's Overseas Unit". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  12. ^ "Warner-Seven Arts in Deal". The New York Times. 2 February 1968. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  13. ^ Knoedelseder, Jr., William K. (20 March 1989). "MUSIC TO WARNER'S EARS : Profit from Records Unit, the Industry Leader, Far Outstrips High-Profile Movie Division". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  14. ^ "Stay Tuned By Stan Cornyn: 7 Arts Buys Atlantic, Too". Rhino. 23 May 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  15. ^ "Maitland to Head W7 Record-Music Wing". Billboard. 13 July 1968. p. 3. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  16. ^ "Seeburg Is Seeking a Merger Or Other Tie to Warner Bros". The New York Times. 8 August 1968. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  17. ^ "KINNEY IS SEEKING WARNER CONTROL; It Offers Securities Said to Be Worth $400-Million Acquisitions and Combinations Are Planned by Corporations". The New York Times. 29 January 1969. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  18. ^ Cole, Robert J. (26 February 1969). "WARNER BACKING BID FROM KINNEY; Film Maker's Board Spurns Commonwealth's Offer COMPANIES TAKE MERGER ACTIONS". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  19. ^ a b "Warner Bros. Picks New Chief Officer And Head of Board (Published 1969)". The New York Times. 5 August 1969. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  20. ^ Hammer, Alexander R. (2 March 1974). "FRENCH MAY BUY NATIONAL KINNEY". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  21. ^ Bender, Marylin (13 August 1972). "From Caskets to Cable". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  22. ^ Porter, Rick (9 June 2025). "It's Not You, It's WB: A Brief History of Warners' 21st Century Mergers and Breakups". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  23. ^ "Kinney Changes Name". Des Moines Tribune. 11 February 1972. Retrieved 8 November 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.