X-Nico

2 unusual facts about Rank Organisation


Geoffrey Barkas

After the war, Barkas returned to film-making, working for the Rank Organisation making children's films including The Little Ballerina.

Wesley Ruggles

His career was on the downslide when he teamed with the Rank Organisation in 1946 to produce and direct London Town with Sid Field and Petula Clark, based on a story he wrote.


Gainsborough Pictures

After the departure of Balcon to MGM-British, the Rank Organisation gained an interest in Gainsborough and the studio made such popular films as Oh, Mr Porter! (1937) and Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes (1938).

Henry Cornelius

Ealing head Michael Balcon wasn’t keen on someone quitting Ealing returning to their fold, but recommended him and his film to be produced by the Rank Organisation.

Josh MacRae

Accompanying himself on guitar, he had two hits in Britain, "Talking Army Blues" (on Top Rank Records, in 1960) and "Messing About on the River" (Pye, 1962).

Kenneth Richmond

Though he made a memorable appearance as the wrestler Nikolas in Jules Dassin's Night and the City, Richmond was most recognizable as the shirtless gongman banging the enormous gong preceding the opening credits for J. Arthur Rank's famed British productions of the Rank Organisation (movies such as Great Expectations, Black Narcissus, The Red Shoes, and Kind Hearts and Coronets).

Simon and Laura

Simon and Laura is a 1954 stage comedy by Alan Melville that in 1955 became a Rank Organisation film produced at Pinewood Studios.


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