RKO Radio Pictures, Inc., commonly called RKO, was an American film studio and one of the Big Five studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. It was formed in October 1928 when the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theater chain and Joseph P. Kennedy's Film Booking Offices of America were brought together under the Radio Corporation of America, whose executive David Sarnoff wanted a market for the company's RCA Photophone sound-on-film system. The studio was known for its Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musicals, Val Lewton's low-budget horror films, film noir, and two landmark films, King Kong and Citizen Kane. It also distributed Walt Disney's animated films and the independent productions of Samuel Goldwyn. Howard Hughes took control in 1948, General Tire and Rubber bought it in 1955, and the original studio ceased production in 1957 and was effectively dissolved in 1959. The RKO name was later revived as a production company, which Concord Originals acquired in 2025.
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Founding Year Organization Kind Connections
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Source RKO Pictures (Wikipedia)
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Owned By
Also in Business Atlas: the company that owns this subject.
Source RKO Pictures (Wikipedia)Lead, formationQuote, Lead, formation
The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theater chain and Joseph P. Kennedy's Film Booking Offices of America studio were brought together under the control of the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) in October 1928.
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Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is located.
Source RKO Pictures (Wikipedia)LeadQuote, Lead
RKO Pictures, commonly known as simply RKO, is an American film, television and stage production company owned by Concord Originals, a division of BMG.
Sources
1. RKO Pictures (Wikipedia)
Lead
RKO Pictures, commonly known as simply RKO, is an American film, television and stage production company owned by Concord Originals, a division of BMG.
Lead, formation
The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theater chain and Joseph P. Kennedy's Film Booking Offices of America studio were brought together under the control of the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) in October 1928.
Lead, end of the original studio
The original RKO Pictures ceased production in 1957 and was effectively dissolved two years later.
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