J. Arthur Rank, 1st Baron Rank

Joseph Arthur Rank ( born December 22, 1888 in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, † March 29, 1972 in Winchester, Hampshire ) was a British film producer.

Life

The son of a grain mill operator entered the age of seventeen in his father's business. After a religious conversion, he founded for the production of films for the Sunday school lessons the company British National Film Company, in the 1935 movie The Turn of the Tide was formed.

He expanded his activities soon on the film distribution and production of film technology. With the architect Charles boat he built on the property Heath earth Hall Pinewood Studios, of which he took, he also was in the late 1930s by Alexander Korda's Denham also Head Film Studios. In the 1940s he was the most important film producer Britain, worked for directors such as Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, David Lean and Carol Reed.

After he narrowly escaped a bankruptcy in the 1940s, had to rank the Pinewood and Denham leave Studios. His Rank Organisation, but moved to the broadcast production, in addition to the operation of hotels and ballrooms, the real estate trade and production of copy machines.

From 1952 to 1969 Rank Hovis McDougall directed the family ranks, Ltd.. , Next he devoted himself to charitable activities. In 1953 he founded with his wife, the J. Arthur Rank Group Charity (now The Rank Foundation).