RKO Radio Pictures | Origin, Studios & Films

Instructor Anna Dean Show bio

Anna has a bachelors in Anthropology/Archaeology from Texas A&M University and a masters in Ancient Near Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago. She has worked as a substitute teacher and currently works as a collections technician for the Hall of the Americas and Hall of Ancient Egypt at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Her specialties are Egyptology, Classicism, and the history of the Americas.

Explore the history of RKO Radio Pictures and its influence during Hollywood's Golden Age. Discover RKO films, actors, and the studio's connection to Disney. Updated: 05/27/2023

RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Origin of RKO Pictures
RKO Studios in the Golden Age
RKO Films
Lesson Summary

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RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.

RKO Radio Pictures, Inc., or simply RKO, was an American company that produced and distributed movies. It significantly contributed to the cinema industry and played a vital part in the Golden Age of Hollywood. In 1928, the Keith-Albee-Orpheum (KAO) theater network and the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) merged to form RKO Radio Pictures. The combination was intended to develop and distribute both sound and silent movies under one integrated roof. RKO swiftly became a prominent Hollywood company and made various films in many genres. However, after facing financial difficulties and changing ownership in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the studio endured several reorganizations and multiple sales. It finally stopped producing in 1957 but kept distributing its back catalog until 1959.

Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack's legendary monster film King Kong (1933) was one of RKO's biggest successes. It had ground-breaking special effects for its time and is now regarded as a pivotal movie in cinema history. Citizen Kane (1941) was directed by Orson Welles, who also co-wrote the screenplay and acted in the movie. It is frequently cited as one of the best movies ever made. It is renowned for its unique cinematography, narrative structure, and examination of the life of a fictitious newspaper magnate.

Citizen Kane is a widely acclaimed movie produced by RKO.

One of RKO's most well-liked artists was Fred Astaire, a well-known actor, singer, and dancer. With Ginger Rogers frequently by his side, he appeared in several musical movies for the studio, such as Top Hat (1935) and Swing Time (1936). Katharine Hepburn collaborated with RKO on several projects. Her well-known RKO movies include the classic screwball comedy Bringing Up Baby (1938) and Morning Glory (1933), for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

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Origin of RKO Pictures

RKO Pictures, formerly known as RKO Radio Pictures, was established in 1928 due to a union between the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) and the chain of Keith-Albee-Orpheum (KAO) theaters. A vertically integrated film corporation that could produce and distribute both silent and sound pictures was what was intended by this combination. The first full-length motion picture directed by RKO was presented in 1929, the same year the business was established. The musical movie was titled Syncopation, and Bert Glennon was the director. Even though it wasn't a huge hit, Syncopation demonstrated RKO's dedication to exploring the possibilities of sound in movies and served as the start of its enormous filmography.

RKO is an acronym created from the original firms' names. The "R" stood for the Radio Corporation of America (RCA). This well-known electronics business was instrumental in creating and applying sound technologies in the motion picture business. The Keith-Albee-Orpheum (KAO) theater network, which provided its theatrical assets and expertise to the merger, was represented by the "K" and "O" letters. RKO was created by combining these initials and became the official name of the new organization. Though the business was initially called RKO Radio Pictures, the name was later abbreviated to RKO Pictures to represent its more comprehensive range of film offerings, including sound and silent films. As a result, the studio created various movies across various genres and significantly shaped the Golden Age of Hollywood.

The RKO logo placed at the beginning or end of films distributed by the company

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RKO Studios in the Golden Age

RKO Studios significantly contributed to the film industry during Hollywood's Golden Age in the 1930s and 1940s by creating various pictures in different genres. However, the studio frequently changed ownership and management, which impacted RKO Pictures' development. In addition, RKO experienced financial issues in the early 1930s due to the Great Depression. Production chief David O. Selznick, a banker, was hired in 1931 and was instrumental in changing the studio's fortunes. The company released the films King Kong (1933) and Bringing up Baby (1938) during this time, which helped RKO establish a reputation for creating visual effects.

The studio saw several management changes following Selznick's departure from RKO in 1933. The aviation and movie mogul Howard Hughes bought a majority stake in RKO in 1939. Hughes made significant adjustments, hiring new personnel and funding challenging initiatives. During Hughes' ownership of RKO, movies like Orson Welles' breakthrough masterwork Citizen Kane (1941) and The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) were produced. Despite these aesthetic triumphs, Hughes' management style and persistent meddling in the creative process caused conflict inside the studio and financial problems. As a result, RKO struggled to remain profitable, and in 1948 Hughes sold the studio's majority ownership.

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RKO Films

These movies reflect the broad spectrum of RKO's output during its heyday and across various genres:

King Kong (1933)
Top Hat" (1935)
The Informer (1935)
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Gunga Din (1939)
Citizen Kane (1941)
The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Notorious (1946)
Out of the Past (1947)

Regarding the distribution of the RKO film library, the rights to the movies were auctioned off and changed hands numerous times after the studio stopped making movies in 1957. Over time, the library was purchased and distributed by other businesses. The 1989 acquisition of the RKO film library's rights by Ted Hartley's RKO Pictures LLC is one such transaction. Thanks to this acquisition, RKO Pictures LLC could distribute and use the collection of films.

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Lesson Summary

In 1928, the Keith-Albee-Orpheum and Radio Corporation of America distribution companies merged to form RKO Radio Pictures, Incorporated (RKO). This company would become one of the largest distribution studios in Hollywood for the next three decades, producing such classics as King Kong, Citizen Kane, and other films starring legendary actors such as Fred Astaire and Katharine Hepburn. For a time, even film studio giant Disney distributed with RKO before founding their own distribution company. In 1939, Howard Hughes bought a controlling stake in RKO. While the company continued to produce landmark films, Hughes' controlling business administration methods began to cause problems. Internal trouble and the advent of household television sets caused a slow decline for the company, culminating in RKO ceasing production in 1955. They would continue distributing their preexisting film collection for the next four years before the remainder of the studio assets were liquidated in 1959.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who are some of the actors in RKO films?

During its Golden Age, RKO Pictures had many performers and actresses, including Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, who starred in several well-liked musicals like Top Hat (1935) and Swing Time (1936). Katharine Hepburn starred in films including Bringing Up Baby (1938) and The Little Minister (1934). Other prominent actors include Orson Welles, who directed and acted in Citizen Kane (1941), as well as Cary Grant, who is well-known for his work in Bringing Up Baby (1938).

What happened to RKO Radio Pictures?

Financial issues and several ownership and management changes plagued RKO Pictures. The studio needed help adjusting to the changing film industry, which now included the expansion of television. RKO continued to release its back catalog of movies after it stopped producing in 1957 until 1959. Then, the studio's premises were sold off, and its assets were progressively liquidated. Ownership of the RKO film library has shifted over time.

Is RKO Radio Pictures still in business?

RKO Pictures is not a functioning company. RKO Pictures discontinued production in 1957 as a result of financial issues and several ownership and management changes. Although ownership of the RKO film library has shifted over the years, the studio itself is no longer a participant in the movie business. The rights to RKO Pictures' film catalog may still be distributed and used by other businesses or entities, despite the fact that the company is not currently operating.

Did RKO own Disney?

Disney was not owned by RKO. The Walt Disney Company and RKO Pictures were independent companies in the movie business. During the 1930s to the 1950s, RKO Pictures distributed a few of Disney's pictures, but this was a commercial arrangement where RKO acted as Disney's distributor. In the late 1950s, Disney founded its own distribution business, Buena Vista Distribution, and seized the rights to its pictures, which had previously been released by RKO.

What did RKO Radio Pictures stand for?

RKO is an acronym for "Radio-Keith-Orpheum." The "R" stands for Radio Corporation of America (RCA), a preeminent electronics business that created movie sound technology. The "K" stood for Keith-Albee-Orpheum, a well-known chain of movie theaters that joined with RCA to create the new company. One of the merging theater chains represented by the letter "O" was Orpheum.

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Table of Contents

RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.

Origin of RKO Pictures

RKO Studios in the Golden Age

The End of RKO

RKO Films

RKO Radio Pictures and Disney