The Rank Organisation

Credits

Descriptions by
Nicholas Aczel, Sean Beard and Eric S.

Captures by
Eric S., VPJHuk, TVB, Derrick Anderson and LMgamer36

Editions by
TVB, Blue2000, LMgamer36 and Jesse Coffey

Video captures courtesy of
Peakpasha, LogicSmash, daktari tubabu, DudeThatLogo, Dan VHS and IdentsandLogos

The Rank Organisation
Founded:	April 23, 1937 (87 years ago)
Founder:	J. Arthur Rank
Formerly:	General Film Distributors (1937-1944) J. Arthur Rank Enterprise (1944-1973)
Defunct:	February 7, 1996 (28 years ago)
Fate:	Assets sold to Rank Group. Film assets are now owned by ITV plc.
Successors:	The Rank Group
Location:	United Kingdom

Background

The Rank Organisation was founded in 1937 by producer Joseph Arthur Rank as "General Film Distributors". Rank, as a company, still exists today as The Rank Group plc., a hotel, resort, and casino operator. The Rank Group acquired all of The Rank Organisation's shares and company in 1995. The Rank film archive is now owned by ITV Studios Global Entertainment, a subsidiary of ITV plc., while the North American rights are held by either The Criterion Collection or Shout! Factory (previously, North American rights had been held by Embassy Home Entertainment, Paramount Home Video, and Samuel Goldwyn Home Entertainment). The films Rank merely distributed have gone to different owners.

1st Logo (November 22, 1944-November 21, 1997)

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  Original variant

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  1954 variant

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  1970 variant

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  1970 alternate variant

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  1982 variant

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  1982 alternate variant

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  German variant

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  Distribution variant

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  Distribution variant, 1970s

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  1952 Soviet variant

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  1952 Alternate Soviet variant

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  1957 Soviet variant

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  1958 Soviet variant

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  1966 Soviet variant

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  "J. Arthur Rank Enterprise" variant

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  "J. Arthur Rank Presents" variant

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  "J. Arthur Rank Presents" variant (colour)

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  "J. Arthur Rank Presents" Dutch variant

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  1957 "J. Arthur Rank Presents" Dutch variant

Visuals: On a backdrop of draped red curtains, a shirtless man (Billy Wells from 1944 to 1957, and Ken Richmond afterwards) hits a large gong twice with his mallet. As this happens, the screen zooms up to the gong, and the words "J. ARTHUR RANK PRESENTS" in a long bold font fade in on the gong.

Trivia: According to gongman Ken Richmond, the gong was papier-mâché and did not make a sound when rung. Ken jokingly recalled that “if you hit that gong, you would have gone straight through.”

Variants: The Rank logo has had many renditions over the years. Here are some of them:

• 1944-1955: "J. ARTHUR RANK PRESENTS". This one has been nicknamed the "golden age version".
• 1955-1997: "THE J. ARTHUR RANK ORGANISATION presents" or simply "THE RANK ORGANISATION presents". The words are seen in a stylized font. In 1957, this logo was re-filmed with Ken Richmond now hitting the gong.
• On Hamlet the text reads "A J. ARTHUR RANK ENTERPRISE" instead.
• A German variant of the 1955 rendition exists, reading "Die Rank Organisation zeigt" (roughly translating to "The Rank Organization presents").
• A French variant where it reads "THE RANK ORGANIZATION presente" exists.
• A Portuguese version exists where it reads "A Organzação Rank apresenta".
• An Italian variant exists. More of this variant can be read here.
• 1960s: A (.*) version where there is no gong footage. Instead are the words "Distributed by THE RANK ORGANISATION" on a curtain background.
• 1970-1982: "THE RANK ORGANISATION" is seen in a Microgramma font.
• Some 1970s releases used a variant with "RANK FILM DISTRIBUTORS PRESENT" in a Times New Roman font. It appeared on a Rank Video pre-cert VHS/Beta/Laserdisc release of Tarka the Otter.
• 1982-1997: On films distributed by Rank, the words "RANK FILM DISTRIBUTORS present" are seen over the logo in the Microgramma font.
• For films shot in scope format, the logo is zoomed out to fit the aspect ratio.
• 1997: In Lawn Dogs (the last film produced by Rank), the text reads "THE RANK GROUP".
• A black-and-white variant of this logo exists, which can be found on B&W films.
• Sometimes, the text appears early either before or after the first gong.

Technique: Mainly live action, but on the golden age version, the words appear via a "wipe" effect.

Audio: The two "hits" of the gong.

Audio Variants:

• On other early logos, the gong sounds different.
• Sometimes, it's silent.
• Sometimes, the movie's opening theme plays over the logo without the gong sounds.

Availability: Seen on releases from the company from the time-period right up until 1997.

• When The Rank Organisation's film library was sold to Carlton Television in 1997, Carlton originally deleted the logo from many of its prints and replacing it with the 1999 Carlton International logo as they had a nasty habit of removing/plastering logos. However, after Carlton merged with the Granada Media Group to form ITV plc, this has since become less common with ITV's restoration and remastering of the Rank film archive keeping the logos intact.
  • Films that have not yet been restored by ITV, such as The Naked Truth (1957) and The Plank (1967), still have the 1999 Carlton International logo.
  • The B&W variant of the original version of this logo is also intact at the beginning of a Screenpix print of All Night Long (1962), following the 2012 MGM and 1999 Carlton International logos.
• Among the films containing this logo are Henry V, Hamlet, The Red Shoes, Ladykillers, and The Ipcress File.
• This logo was not seen on Bad Timing, as Rank's management was appalled by the film's gruesome content, with one executive even going as far as to describe it as "a sick film made by sick people for sick people".
• The 1980s distribution variant can be seen on international prints of The Transformers: The Movie and is also retained on the 1999 VHS and 2000 DVD releases, the 1987 UK VHS release by Video Gems, releases from Rhino Home Video, alongside the 2000 UK VHS and DVD releases of the movie from Maverick Entertainment and the 4:3 print featured on the 2007 Metrodome Distribution DVD release (Most later prints of the film, like the widescreen, remaster, do not have this, as they use North American prints of the film, which contains the 1986 De Laurentiis Entertainment Group logo instead but still retains the gong sounds).
• It is also seen on current UK DVD releases and TV airings of Weekend At Bernie's (1989), and Strictly Ballroom (1992) all after the 2004 Granada logo (the latter is also intact on the U.S Lionsgate Blu-ray release).
• This logo may have also been seen on international prints of the Gladden Entertainment catalog, as the former company had a international distribution deal with Rank.
• The 1970s variant can be seen on UK TV prints and the Network DVD release of Short Circuit (again, after the 2004 Granada logo).
• This logo also currently turned up on an Australian airing of the 1949 film Eureka Stockade.
• This logo is also preserved on a U.S. streaming print of Gleaming the Cube on Amazon Prime Video.
• Though Rank distributed Reservoir Dogs in the UK, this does not appear at all on the film.
• This logo is also seen on UK VHS prints of Wes Craven's New Nightmare, preceding the New Line Cinema logo.
• The German variant was spotted on a 22 May 1982 ARD airing of Fähre nach Hongkong (Ferry to Hong Kong).
• The original version of this logo was also seen at the start of a November 10, 2022 UK airing of Countess Dracula (1971) on LEGEND, following the 2009 ITV Studios Global Entertainment, the 2001 version of the 1986 MGM, and 2001 United Artists logos.
• The black and white version of "Distributed by THE RANK ORGANISATION" was also seen on a reissue print of Carry On Cabby (1963) before the 1962 Anglo-Amalgamated Films logo. This combo would also be kept intact on later 2000s prints where it's preceded by the black and white variant of the 2003 StudioCanal logo, while newer prints instead only have the current StudioCanal logo precede the 1962 Anglo-Amalgamated Films logo.
• This logo may also have been seen on international prints of Ambition, Pyrates, Tomorrow Never Comes, All Dogs Go to Heaven, A Rage in Harlem, Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills, Circle of Friends, Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde, Rude Awakening (1989), Physical Evidence, There Goes the Neighborhood (released internationally as Paydirt), Love Crimes, and Wilt (AKA: The Misadventures of Mr. Wilt), as Rank had foreign distribution rights to those films.

Legacy: This is one of the most famous British logos of all time.

2nd Logo (1996)

Visuals: On a black background, a small print graphic of the Gongman is seen with "Rank Film Distributors" below. "presents" is underneath.

Technique: A still graphic.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen on a 1996 NZ trailer for the 1995 film Circle of Friends.

References

◄ General Film Distributors

The Rank Organisation