Cinema Center Films

Cinema Center Films was the theatrical film production division established by the CBS Television Network in 1967. It represented CBS's first sustained attempt to enter feature-film production and was created during a period when major American television companies were seeking a larger role in theatrical entertainment. The unit operated from the former Republic Pictures facilities in Studio City, Los Angeles, which CBS had acquired in February 1967 and subsequently renamed CBS Studio Center. CBS chairman William S. Paley and network president Frank Stanton founded the company, appointing Gordon T. Stulberg as its first chief. CBS initially envisaged a substantial production program: the company announced plans to make approximately ten films per year, with an average production cost of about $3.5 million. Rather than build a distribution network of its own, Cinema Center entered into an agreement with National General Pictures in August 1967. That arrangement provided financing and distribution support for a slate reported at 22 films and valued at $60 million. The company recruited established performers, producers, and production organizations. Its first prominent talent arrangement involved Doris Day and resulted in With Six You Get Eggroll, a commercial comedy that helped establish Cinema Center's initial image. Other deals involved Jack Lemmon's Jalem Productions, Steve McQueen's Solar Productions, Robert Culp's company, producer William Graf, and other independent filmmakers. A proposed relationship with Bob Banner Associates did not produce the anticipated series of projects. A four-picture arrangement with Jalem ultimately produced The April Fools and The War Between Men and Women. During its early years, Cinema Center was often characterized within the film industry as a maker of relatively light, commercially accessible films that could also perform well when later shown on CBS television. Stulberg sought to broaden that perception by recommending more ambitious and challenging material. The company backed films such as The Boys in the Band and Little Big Man, the latter becoming its largest box-office success despite substantial cost overruns. Cinema Center also financed the Broadway play Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?, extending CBS's entertainment activities beyond television and film. Management responsibility changed during the unit's operation. Cinema Center initially reported through CBS network president John A. Schneider; Paley later transferred oversight to Goddard Lieberson, the president of Columbia Records, which was then owned by CBS. Advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather was hired in 1969 to handle promotion for the division and help reposition it in the marketplace. Stulberg left Cinema Center for 20th Century Fox in 1971 after overseeing most of its production activity. CBS closed Cinema Center Films in 1972. The company's last release was the animated Peanuts musical Snoopy Come Home. Contemporary accounts summarized the theatrical operation as having produced roughly 30 films, although financial reporting cited in historical accounts also used a smaller count of 27 films when discussing the unit's losses under Stulberg. The unit reportedly did not record an annual profit during its active period and lost money on most of its films, with aggregate losses cited at approximately $30 million. Cinema Center's commercial legacy changed after its closure. In 1973, Warner Bros. took over distribution of its films from National General Pictures in a deal that also involved First Artists Productions. In 1979, CBS licensed 28 Cinema Center films to Viacom for $30 million. Revenue from network television, pay television, and other ancillary markets subsequently demonstrated that the library could generate value even though the theatrical operation itself had struggled. The experience helped inform later CBS efforts to participate in feature-film production, including CBS Theatrical Films in the 1980s and the CBS involvement in Tri-Star Pictures. Those later ventures were separate from Cinema Center Films and should not be treated as continuations of the original unit.

Cinema Center Films was founded by CBS in 1967 as the network's first dedicated theatrical film production division. Its creation followed CBS's acquisition of the former Republic Pictures studio complex in Studio City, Los Angeles. The facilities were renamed CBS Studio Center and became the operational base for the new unit. CBS chairman William S. Paley and president Frank Stanton appointed Gordon T. Stulberg to lead the division, with an initial plan to produce approximately ten films annually at average costs of about $3.5 million. CBS considered several distribution possibilities before reaching an agreement with National General Pictures in August 1967. The distributor agreed to support a slate of 22 films with reported financing of $60 million. Cinema Center also pursued relationships with producers and performers who could supply recognizable commercial projects. Doris Day became the subject of the company's first notable talent arrangement, leading to With Six You Get Eggroll. Agreements were also made with Jalem Productions, William Graf, Steve McQueen's Solar Productions, and Robert Culp's production company. A proposed series with Bob Banner Associates did not materialize. The unit's early films encouraged a perception that it specialized in soft, broadly accessible entertainment suitable for eventual television broadcast. Stulberg attempted to counter that view by urging CBS to finance more distinctive material. Cinema Center consequently became associated with both mainstream comedies and more ambitious films, including The Boys in the Band and Little Big Man. Little Big Man was described as the company's largest box-office success, although its production costs exceeded expectations. The Jalem deal produced The April Fools in 1969 and The War Between Men and Women in 1972. Cinema Center also entered live entertainment through financing for the Broadway production Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?, which opened in 1970. Administrative control shifted within CBS. The film division initially reported to network president John A. Schneider. Paley later reassigned oversight to Goddard Lieberson, head of Columbia Records, another CBS-controlled entertainment business. In 1969, Ogilvy & Mather was hired for Cinema Center's advertising, supporting the company's effort to improve its industry profile and market its releases more effectively. Stulberg left for 20th Century Fox in 1971. CBS closed Cinema Center Films in 1972, with the animated Peanuts feature Snoopy Come Home serving as its final release. Historical accounts describe the company as having produced about 30 films, while financial discussions also refer to 27 films under Stulberg's tenure. The operation did not report a profit in any year and was said to have lost money on 20 of 27 films, with cumulative losses of approximately $30 million. After the shutdown, the film library continued to circulate. Warner Bros. assumed distribution from National General Pictures in 1973. CBS later licensed 28 films to Viacom in 1979. Television, pay television, and other ancillary revenues made the library more valuable over time and helped demonstrate that the theatrical venture's failure did not eliminate the long-term worth of its content. CBS subsequently made other attempts to participate in feature-film production, including CBS Theatrical Films and its involvement in Tri-Star Pictures, but those later ventures were separate entities rather than continuations of Cinema Center Films.

• 1979

  Cinema Center library licensed to Viacom

  [1]Cinema Center Filmsen.wikipedia.org

  CBS licensed 28 films to Viacom, illustrating the library's continuing value in television and ancillary distribution.

• 1972

  Cinema Center Films closes

  [1]Cinema Center Filmsen.wikipedia.org

  CBS discontinued the unit after several years of unprofitable theatrical operations. Snoopy Come Home was its last film.

• 1970

  Cinema Center backs a Broadway production

  [1]Cinema Center Filmsen.wikipedia.org

  The company financed Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?, extending its activities into Broadway theater.

• 1969

  The April Fools is released

  [1]Cinema Center Filmsen.wikipedia.org

  The film became one of the completed projects arising from Cinema Center's four-picture arrangement with Jalem Productions.

• 1967

  CBS establishes Cinema Center Films

  [1]Cinema Center Filmsen.wikipedia.org

  CBS founded its first theatrical film production division, with Gordon T. Stulberg as its inaugural chief.

• 1967

  CBS Studio Center becomes the production base

  [1]Cinema Center Filmsen.wikipedia.org

  CBS used the former Republic Pictures studio complex in Studio City as the home of Cinema Center Films after acquiring and renaming the facility.

• 1967

  National General Pictures distribution agreement

  [1]Cinema Center Filmsen.wikipedia.org

  National General agreed to distribute Cinema Center's planned slate and provide reported financing for 22 films.

A network-backed theatrical production label combining CBS corporate financing with established Hollywood talent and independent production partners. Its initial output leaned toward accessible commercial entertainment, while later projects attempted to establish greater artistic and subject-matter credibility.

• Theatrical comedy · 1968

  With Six You Get Eggroll

  A Doris Day comedy and the first notable film to emerge from Cinema Center's early talent strategy. Its accessible subject matter helped establish the company as a producer of mainstream entertainment designed for both theatrical release and later television circulation.

• Romantic comedy · 1969

  The April Fools

  A Cinema Center production made through the company's four-picture arrangement with Jack Lemmon's Jalem Productions. The film represented the division's effort to combine recognizable talent with commercially oriented feature-film projects.

• Historical comedy-drama · 1970

  Little Big Man

  One of Cinema Center's more ambitious productions and its biggest reported box-office success. Although the film incurred a cost overrun, its performance helped demonstrate that the CBS-backed unit could support projects with greater scale and critical or cultural ambition than its early lightweight reputation suggested.

• Drama · 1970

  The Boys in the Band

  A film associated with Gordon T. Stulberg's attempt to broaden Cinema Center's creative profile. Its subject matter and dramatic approach contrasted with the more overtly commercial comedies that had shaped the company's early public image.

• Comedy-drama · 1972

  The War Between Men and Women

  The second completed film identified with Cinema Center's arrangement with Jalem Productions. It was released near the end of the company's operating life and formed part of the final group of projects produced before CBS closed the division.

• Animated musical feature · 1972

  Snoopy Come Home

  An animated Peanuts musical and the final release associated with Cinema Center Films. Its release marked the end of the company's theatrical production program before CBS formally shut down the unit.

• 1969Ogilvy & Mather advertising program

  United States

  Cinema Center hired Ogilvy & Mather to handle advertising for its film division. The appointment supported a broader positioning effort intended to counter the perception that the company produced only lightweight films.

  Outcome. The campaign formed part of the company's attempt to present a more varied and ambitious theatrical identity, but the unit was closed three years later.

  Source

• 1972

  CBS shuts down Cinema Center FilmsStrategy

  Background

  The division had not reported a profit during its operating period and was reported to have lost money on most of its films.

  Action taken

  CBS closed the theatrical film unit after the release of Snoopy Come Home.

  Aftermath

  The film library continued generating revenue through distribution, network television, pay television, and other ancillary markets.

  Reported cumulative operating loss. approximately $30 million loss (1967-1972)

  Source

• 1969

  Shift toward more ambitious materialStrategy

  Background

  Industry observers often viewed Cinema Center as a producer of light entertainment intended to perform well on television.

  Action taken

  Stulberg urged CBS to support projects such as The Boys in the Band and Little Big Man, while the company also expanded its promotional effort through Ogilvy & Mather.

  Aftermath

  The strategy diversified the slate, although it did not prevent continuing financial losses.

  Source

• 1967

  CBS enters theatrical film productionStrategy

  Background

  CBS wanted a direct presence in feature films during a period of increasing interaction between television networks and Hollywood production.

  Action taken

  The network created Cinema Center Films, installed it at CBS Studio Center, and announced an ambitious annual production target.

  Aftermath

  The unit produced a substantial slate but did not achieve sustained profitability.

  Source

• 1967

  Cinema Center selects National General Pictures as distributorStrategy

  Background

  CBS needed an established theatrical partner rather than building its own national distribution infrastructure.

  Action taken

  National General Pictures agreed to distribute the Cinema Center slate and provide reported financing support.

  Aftermath

  Warner Bros. later assumed distribution of the library in 1973.

  Source

1. 1Cinema Center Filmsen.wikipedia.org