Landmarks
This chronology is indicative only.
It covers -
- beginnings
- vertical integration
- diversification
- games
- disassembly
Context is provided by the broader communications and media timeline on this site.
Beginnings
1875 establishment of flour miller Joseph Rank Ltd
1890 Gaumont Company founded in UK as subsidiary of France's Gaumont
1922 Ostrer brothers take control of Gaumont-British production, distribution and exhibition group
1927 Billy Butlin opens first amusement park
1927 Picadilly/Gainsborough absorbed by Gaumont-British
1928 Gaumont-British expands exhibition interests, becomes Gaumont-British Picture Corporation
1932 J Arthur Rank forms British National Films Company
1933 Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC) consolidates BIP, BIF, Pathe, Wardour Films and Associated British Cinemas
1934 Pinewood Studios formed by Henry Boot
1935 Rank, Henrietta Yule and John Corfield become owner-operators of Pinewood Film Studios
1936 Korda builds Denham Studios
1936 Butlin opens first holiday camp at Skegness
Vertical integration
1936 Rank and C M Woolf form General Cinema Finance Corporation (GCFC)
1936 GCFC buys General Film Distributors (UK distributors for Universal Pictures)
1937 Butlins becomes public company
1937 Odeon Theatres becomes public company headed by Oscar Deutsch
1937 Rank forms the Rank Organisation as vehicle for interests in Pinewood Film Studios and Denham Film Studios
1938 Butlines opens camp at Clacton
1938 Rank Organisation buys Odeon cinema chain
1938 buys Amalgamated Studios in Elstree
1938 Rank Screen Advertising founded as subsidiary of Odeon Theatres
1938 Rank Organisation buys Amalgamated Studios in Elstree
1941 Ostrers sell Gaumont-British Picture Corporation stake to J Arthur Rank
1945 Rank Organisation buys 50% of Australian Greater Union Theatres
1946 Butlins reopens at Skegness, Clacton, Pwllheli and Ayr
1947 establishment of Butlins Irish & Continental Holidays
Diversification
1949 Rank sells studio in Islington
1949 sells Shepherd's Bush studio to BBC
1949 buys radio manufacturer Bush (Bush Radio)
1952 Denham Studios closed
1955 Rank merges its Odeon and UK Gaumont cinema chains
1956 partnership with Haloid Corporation as Rank Haloid (later Rank Xerox)
1960 sells Top Rank Records to EMI
1962 acquires radio manufacturer Murphy, forms Rank Bush Murphy Group
1969 restructuring of Xerox partnership, with Rank Xerox established as joint-venture company
1971 first Hard Rock café opened in London by Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton
1978 Rank Bush Murphy Group sold to Great Universal Stores
1984 AHL buys Rank's stake in Greater Union Theatres
Games
1988 Mecca Leisure buys Hard Rock chain
1988 Rank forms partnership with MCA to develop Universal Studios Escape in Florida
1990 Rank buys Mecca Leisure for £895m
1995 Rank sells part of stake in Rank Xerox for £620m
1996 Carlton buys Cinema Media (former Rank Screen Advertising) for £58.8m, subsequently renamed Carlton Screen Advertising
1996 Rank buys Duplico video duplicator
1996 Rank buys Tom Cobleigh chain of pubs and restaurants.
1996 acquisition of Hard Rock Café Canada
1996 Rank Group replaces Rank Organisation
1997 acquisition of Hard Rock Cafes and brand rights for Caribbean and Argentina
1997 Rank sells more of remaining interest in Rank Xerox
1997 buys Parkdean Holidays
1997 Carlton buys Rank Film Distributors and film library for £65m
Disassembly
1999 Rank sells Nightscene nightclubs to Northern Leisure for £150m
1999 sells Haven Catered Parks for £8m
1999 sells Butlins Hotels for £7m
2000 Pinewood Studios was sold for £62m to consortium led by Michael Grade
2000 Odeon chain sold to Cinven for £280m
2000 Rank sells Holidays Division for £700m
2000 buys Electric Switch
2000 buys Pioneer Video Manufacturing Inc.
2000 buys Park Tower Casino
2000 sells Tom Cobleigh pub restaurants business for £90m
2000 sells 50% stake in Universal Studios Escape (Florida) for £182m
2003 buys Blue Square Limited for £65m
2004 sells Rank Leisure Machine Services for £30m
2005 Rank sells Deluxe film processing arm to MacAndrews & Forbes for £437m
2006 Rank sells the UK operations of Deluxe Media to Sony for £5.9m
2006 sells exclusive West End casino the Clermont Club to Quek Leng Chan's BIL International for £31m