History Creator / RKOPictures

* ''Film/TheWomanInTheWindow'' (1944)

One reason why RKO was the smallest of the Big Five film companies is the fact that it never cultivated the stable of contracted actors, writers and directors that the other major studios did. This however made RKO reorient itself by focusing on production design and studio facilities. Van Nest Polglase, RKO's highly regarded design department head, worked there for a decade and under him, RKO became perhaps the most sophisticated studio in terms of technicians and special effects artists. As historian James Naremore notes, "[RKO's] most distinctive pictures contained a strong element of fantasy—not so much the fantasy of horror, which during the thirties was the province of Universal, but the fantasy of the marvelous and adventurous." Indeed, historian Robert Carringer has noted that while ''Film/CitizenKane'' is definitely the prototypical "auteur's film", it was highly unlikely that it could be made at any other studio than at RKO. The decentralized nature of the company made it possible for them to give Creator/OrsonWelles his legendary contract, the sophisticated production facilities (especially its optical printer which was way more advanced than at any other studio) helped create the film's distinct visual look.

Hughes' management of the studios was described by period historian Betty Lasky as a "systematic seven-year rape." A big fan of staunch anti-communist Senator UsefulNotes/JosephMcCarthy, Hughes shut down RKO briefly to weed out employees in suspicion of Communist sympathies. Hughes, being no fan of the UsefulNotes/HaysCode but a big fan of free publicity, made a number of steamy films that barely made it past the censors (some of which starred his muse, Creator/JaneRussell), then [[AstroTurf had his staff pose as religious groups]] to push MoralGuardians to boycott his own movies. It didn't help matters that most of the films Hughes produced at RKO were just plain awful, which Hollywood doesn't care about, but were expensive flops, which Hollywood ''does'' care about. The final straw came in 1956, when RKO unleashed Hughes' production of ''Film/TheConqueror'', which managed to become one of the year's highest grossing pictures and still failed to bring back its bloated budget, and even today is seen as a joke for its QuestionableCasting of Creator/JohnWayne as UsefulNotes/GenghisKhan, poor script, and possibly causing the cancer related deaths of its cast, including Wayne.

When the successful 1927 release of ''Film/TheJazzSinger'' prompted an industry-wide migration to sound film, the Radio Corporation of America shopped around RCA Photophone (which, despite the name, was actually developed by General Electric, though at the time GE owned RCA) for use in sound films. Since the other studios were already aligned with Western Electric's ERPI process, GE bought a stake in the small studio Film Booking Offices of America, while FBO's owner Joseph P. Kennedy,[[note]][[UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy yes]], [[UsefulNotes/RobertFKennedy that]] [[UsefulNotes/TedKennedy Kennedy]][[/note]] purchased Keith-Albee-Orpheum, a vaudeville theater chain transitioning into film. Kennedy subsequently sold both properties to RCA, and on October 23, 1928, Radio-Keith-Orpheum (for which RKO stands) was launched as the first Hollywood studio to produce nothing but sound films. Its first three releases were, respectively, ''Film/{{Syncopation}}'', ''Film/StreetGirl'', and ''Film/{{Rio Rita|1929}}'', all successes.

During TheThirties, RKO produced the highly popular and iconic Creator/FredAstaire-Creator/GingerRogers musicals, as well as many Creator/CaryGrant films. It was in many respects the studio that built ScrewballComedy, films such as ''Film/BringingUpBaby.'' In 1936, it signed a landmark agreement with [[Creator/{{Disney}} Walt Disney]], which was in effect for almost two decades and largely replaced the output of Creator/VanBeurenStudios; his first feature film, ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'', was the most successful Hollywood release between ''Film/{{The Birth of a Nation|1915}}'' and ''Film/GoneWithTheWind''. Samuel Goldwyn was another independent producer to be employed by RKO, joining the company in 1941. Selznick also made movies for RKO as an independent producer. In the later period of its life, it was the American distributor of Creator/AkiraKurosawa's ''Film/{{Rashomon}}'', and thus was responsible for exposing American movie audiences to Japanese cinema.

One reason why RKO was the smallest of the Big Five film companies is the fact that they never cultivated the stable of contracted actors, writers and directors that the other major studios did. This however made RKO reorient itself by focusing on production design and studio facilities. Van Nest Polglase, RKO's highly regarded design department head, worked there for a decade and under him, RKO became perhaps the most sophisticated studio in terms of technicians and special effects artists. As historian James Naremore notes, "[RKO's] most distinctive pictures contained a strong element of fantasy—not so much the fantasy of horror, which during the thirties was the province of Universal, but the fantasy of the marvelous and adventurous." Indeed, historian Robert Carringer has noted that while ''Film/CitizenKane'' is definitely the prototypical "auteur's film", it was highly unlikely that it could be made at any other studio than at RKO. The decentralized nature of the company made it possible for them to give Orson Welles his legendary contract, the sophisticated production facilities (especially its optical printer which was way more advanced than at any other studio) helped create the film's distinct visual look.

Not to be confused with the initials of the full name of wrestler Wrestling/RandyOrton, whose finishing move is also called the "RKO."

When the successful 1927 release of ''Film/TheJazzSinger'' prompted an industry-wide migration to sound film, the Radio Corporation of America shopped around RCA Photophone (which, despite the name, was actually developed by General Electric, though at the time GE owned RCA) for use in sound films. Since the other studios were already aligned with Western Electric's ERPI process, GE bought a stake in the small studio Film Booking Offices of America, while FBO's owner Joseph P. Kennedy,[[note]][[UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy yes]],[[UsefulNotes/RobertFKennedy that]] [[UsefulNotes/TedKennedy Kennedy]][[/note]] purchased Keith-Albee-Orpheum, a vaudeville theater chain transitioning into film. Kennedy subsequently sold both properties to RCA, and on October 23, 1928, Radio-Keith-Orpheum (for which RKO stands) was launched as the first Hollywood studio to produce nothing but sound films. Its first three releases were, respectively, ''Film/{{Syncopation}}'', ''Film/StreetGirl'', and ''Film/{{Rio Rita|1929}}'', all successes.

When the successful 1927 release of ''Film/TheJazzSinger'' prompted an industry-wide migration to sound film, the Radio Corporation of America shopped around RCA Photophone (which, despite the name, was actually developed by General Electric, though at the time GE owned RCA) for use in sound films. Since the other studios were already aligned with Western Electric's ERPI process, GE bought a stake in the small studio Film Booking Offices of America, while FBO's owner Joseph P. Kennedy purchased Keith-Albee-Orpheum, a vaudeville theater chain transitioning into film. Kennedy subsequently sold both properties to RCA, and on October 23, 1928, Radio-Keith-Orpheum (for which RKO stands) was launched as the first Hollywood studio to produce nothing but sound films. Its first three releases were, respectively, ''Film/{{Syncopation}}'', ''Film/StreetGirl'', and ''Film/{{Rio Rita|1929}}'', all successes.

Hughes' management of the studios was described by period historian Betty Lasky as a "systematic seven-year rape." A big fan of staunch anti-communist Senator UsefulNotes/JosephMcCarthy, Hughes shut down RKO briefly to weed out employees in suspicion of Communist sympathies. Hughes, being no fan of the UsefulNotes/HaysCode but a big fan of free publicity, made a number of steamy films that barely made it past the censors (some of which starred his muse, Creator/JaneRussell), then [[AstroTurf had his staff pose as religious groups]] to push MoralGuardians to boycott his own movies. It didn't help matters that most of the films Hughes produced at RKO were just plain awful, which Hollywood doesn't care about, but were expensive flops, which Hollywood ''does'' care about. The final straw came in 1956, when RKO unleashed Hughes' production of ''Film/TheConqueror'', which managed to become one of the year's highest grossing pictures and still failed to bring back its bloated budget, and even today is seen as a joke for its [[WTHCastingAgency asinine casting of]] Creator/JohnWayne as UsefulNotes/GenghisKhan, poor script, and possibly causing the cancer related deaths of its cast, including Wayne.

* ''Film/TheyLiveByTheNight'' (1948)

When the successful 1927 release of ''Film/TheJazzSinger'' prompted an industry-wide migration to sound film, the Radio Corporation of America shopped around RCA Photophone (which, despite the name, was actually developed by General Electric) for use in sound films. Since the other studios were already aligned with Western Electric's ERPI process, GE bought a stake in the small studio Film Booking Offices of America, while FBO's owner Joseph P. Kennedy purchased Keith-Albee-Orpheum, a vaudeville theater chain transitioning into film. Kennedy subsequently sold both properties to RCA, and on October 23, 1928, Radio-Keith-Orpheum (for which RKO stands) was launched as the first Hollywood studio to produce nothing but sound films. Its first three releases were, respectively, ''Film/{{Syncopation}}'', ''Film/StreetGirl'', and ''Film/{{Rio Rita|1929}}'', all successes.

Despite some successes, RKO didn't really wow anyone in its first few years, but the hiring of David O. Selznick as Head of Production in 1931 heralded a number of well-received hits, most notably ''Film/{{King Kong|1933}}''. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough for the studio to overcome its tepid early years, which combined with TheGreatDepression led to the company being placed in receivership from 1933 until 1940, with Selznick departing amid rising tensions with newly-installed studio head Merlin Aylesworth. ''King Kong'' co-director Merian C. Cooper took his place, and before long RKO had settled into a niche as the smallest of the "Big Five" companies of the Hollywood studio system.

As of today, RKO mainly exists to handle the copyrights of its library, as well as helping to produce the occasional film. As of 2022, RKO's most recent film is ''Film/BarelyLethal''.