Hemdale
| Industry | Film |
|---|---|
| Fate | Defunct |
| Founded | 1967 (as The Hemdale Company) |
| Founders |
David Hemmings John Daly |
| Defunct | 1995 |
| Headquarters |
London, United Kingdom Los Angeles, California, USA |
|
Key people
|
John Daly Derek Gibson |
Hemdale Film Corporation, known as Hemdale Communications after 1993, was an independent British-American film production company and distributor founded in London in 1967 as the Hemdale Company by actor David Hemmings and John Daly. Hemmings left the company in 1971, and Daly purchased his stock. They were known for having produced numerous acclaimed and well-known genre films, often in conjunction with companies such as TriStar and Orion Pictures.
Hemdale is a combination of Hemmings and Daly's surnames. Hemdale began as an investment company to cut the high personal taxes on British actors. Eventually, the company went public as Hemdale Ltd. and began diversifying. Hemdale launched a talent agency that helped launch the careers of such bands as Black Sabbath and Yes, invested in feature films, financed stage productions such as Grease, and became involved in boxing promotions such as The Rumble in the Jungle match between George Foreman and Muhammed Ali. Hemdale also distributed cable TV to hotels, which, in 1974, was its major source of revenue. After producing and distributing British films throughout the 1970s, Hemdale relocated to Hollywood in 1980 and focused extensively on movie-making. A distribution agreement was made with Orion Pictures. John Daly was Hemdale's chairman and president. In 1981 Derek Gibson joined the company as executive vice president and head of production. Daly and Gibson were then credited together as executive producers on all Hemdale films.
Among Hemdale's best known films are The Terminator, The Return of the Living Dead, Hoosiers, Salvador, River's Edge, Platoon, and The Last Emperor; the latter two were back-to-back recipients of the Academy Award for Best Picture. Hemdale produced and or financed over 80 films during this period. The company suffered a credit line withdrawal from its French bank Crédit Lyonnais due to a number of Government bank inquiries. The bank's difficulties forced it to withdraw Hemdale's line of credit, causing the company to file for bankruptcy protection.
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