Gaumont

Gaumont is a French company of production, distribution and founded cinematographic exploitation in 1895. It is the oldest company of cinema in the world.

History

Gaumont was founded under the name of L. Gaumont and company by Leon Gaumont in July 1895 by taking again the General Comptoir of Photography . The company manufactures at its beginnings of and the catch projectors of sights. As from April 1896, the Chronophotographe of Georges Demenÿ is marketed near open, accompanied by bands of demonstration.

In 1900, Leon Gaumont presents to the World Fair an apparatus coupling a projector and a gramophone. Alice Guy, then secretary, is charged the same year to carry out first films of fiction.

In 1903, it takes the daisy, first name of his mother, like logo. Today, in spite of regular modifications of the drawing, the daisy is always present even if its significance is somewhat forgotten (see current logo above).

The company becomes a public limit company in 1906 under the name of Société of the establishments Gaumont . The production concentrates in the Elgé studios (according to the initial ones of the founder) with the Buttes Chaumont.

The film sale transforming itself into hiring, Gaumont opens its first cinemas, and in particular the Gaumont Palace in July 1911.

From 1914 to 1917, Leonce Perret replaces artistic director of Gaumont after the departure of Louis Feuillade with the face.

The expansion of Gaumont stopped with the First World War and in the years which followed, it lost market shares vis-a-vis the American competitors. With died of the principal realizer, Louis Feuillade, in 1925, the production of film stopped and the company concentrated on the technical side. Gaumont signs an agreement of distribution with Subway-Goldwyn-Mayer and the rooms pass under the control of the Gaumont Metro Goldwyn which results from it.

On arrival of speaking in Europe at the beginning about the Years 1930, various fusions bring to the creation of the company Gaumont Free-Film Aubert (GFFA) and to the sale or the closing of the factories, of the foreign subsidiary companies and agencies. The new business produces primarily comic films. It will be repurchased in 1938 by a group led by Havas to become the new Société of the establishments Gaumont , until in 1975 where it takes simply the name of Gaumont.

Gaumont is directed since 1975 by Nicolas Seydoux, developing the poles exploitation and production. The company remains the one of most important producers and distributers of cinema in France.

Marc of Pontavice proposes with Gaumont into 1995 to create a new department centered on the trades of the cartoon, of the video games and Internet. It founds thus Gaumont Multimédia in the old studios of Luc Besson in Paris. In 1999, Xilam repurchases with Gaumont the credits of Gaumont Multimédia under the catalog.

As regards exploitation of rooms, the mark Gaumont is managed jointly with the mark Pathé by a company subsidiary of the two groups: Europalaces created in 2001.

Finances

Gaumont realized in 2005 a turnover of almost 100 million euros, for a bottom line of 7,2 million euros.

The company is with dimensions on Euronext Paris, the principal shareholders are (at the 12/31/2005):

  • Movies By (controlled by Nicolas Seydoux), 55% of the capital and 68% of the rights to vote

  • Arnhold and S. Bleichroeder Advisers (the USA), 10% of the capital and 6% of the rights to vote
  • Financial of the Log (controlled by Vincent Bolloré), 10% of the capital and 6% of the rights to vote
  • Industry group Marcel Dassault, 7% of the capital and 8% of the rights to vote
  • Socipar (controlled by Nicolas Seydoux), 2% of the Public capital and 1% of the rights to vote
  • , 16% of the capital and 10% of the rights to vote

Gaumont created in 2004 a GIE, Gaumont Columbia TriStar Films, with Columbia TriStar (subsidiary company of Sony Pictures Entertainment), intended to ensure the distribution of films of the two producers in France. This GIE ended the June 30th 2007. A new structure of distribution called Gaumont Distribution was created on July 1st 2007 to ensure the distribution of the Gaumont films in France.

See too

Related article

External bond

  • Official site of Gaumont

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