Rastar was an American film production company founded in 1966 by Hollywood producer Ray Stark, who was involved in most of its productions. Its first film was 1968's Funny Girl.
The company also produced films in the 1970s and 1980s, such as The Owl and the Pussycat, The Way We Were, Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams, Murder by Death, The Goodbye Girl, Seems Like Old Times, Annie and Blue Thunder. The company's most notable films include Steel Magnolias and the Smokey and the Bandit trio of films. 1996's Harriet the Spy and 2000's Alley Cats Strike, a film made for Disney Channel, were two of its last endeavors.
History In 1966, Ray Stark grew frustrated, left Seven Arts Productions, due to the hatedom of the 10 of the 11 films he was producing, to form an independent production company, Rastar, to produce feature films, stage plays and television shows in the model Seven Arts Productions had. He set up his business at Columbia Pictures in 1966 to form a nearly 30-year partnership. The company produced films based on Neil Simon's plays, as well as star vehicles for Barbra Streisand. The company begin venturing into television in 1969.
In 1974, Rastar was acquired by Columbia Pictures, which included Rastar Productions, Rastar Pictures, Rastar Features, and Rastar Television. Ray Stark then founded Rastar Films, the reincarnation of Rastar Pictures and it was acquired by Columbia Pictures in 1980. In 1981, Rastar Television bought out the rights to Robert Ripley's collection Believe It or Not! for Columbia Pictures Television, whhich aired in 1982.
In 1984, Rastar started producing movies for Tri-Star Pictures, a joint venture of Columbia, HBO and CBS. The first films to come out were Peggy Sue Got Married and Nothing in Common. In 1985, it partnered with Ted Turner to produce television movies.
Stark grew sour of its relations with Columbia when David Puttnam was appointed head of Columbia in 1986, but his successor Dawn Steel, who joined the studio in 1987, was more lenient than Puttnam and resumed relations with Rastar. In 1986, Rastar agreed to a distribution deal with Universal Pictures in order to help finance more projects. In late 1986, the company was nearly sold to Hal Roach Studios, but the deal failed in early 1987.
In 1989, Stark teamed up with Daniel Melnick of The IndieProd Company, to form a joint venture production company, Rastar/IndieProd, which was part of Carolco Pictures. The venture was dissolved in 1991. In 1993, the company begin making movies with Savoy Pictures.
In 1996, executives Lawrence Turman and John Morrissey left Rastar to form their independent production company The Turman/Morrisey Company, at Columbia Pictures, with Stark's help. The company closed its operations in 2004 when Ray Stark died.
Productions
Film
1960s TitleRelease dateDistributorBudgetBox officeFunny GirlSeptember 18, 1968Columbia Pictures$14.1 million$58.7 million
1970s TitleRelease dateDistributorNotesBudgetBox officeThe Owl and the PussycatNovember 3, 1970Columbia PicturesN/A$23.6 millionTo Find a ManJanuary 20, 1972N/AN/AFat CityJuly 26, 1972The Way We WereOctober 19, 1973$5 million$50 millionSummer Wishes, Winter DreamsOctober 21, 1973N/AN/AFor Pete's SakeJune 26, 1974$4–5 million$11 millionFunny LadyMarch 12, 1975$8.5 million$40.1 millionThe Sunshine BoysNovember 6, 1975United Artistsco-production with Metro-Goldwyn-MayerN/AN/AThe Black BirdDecember 25, 1975Columbia PicturesRobin and MarianMarch 11, 1976Murder by DeathJune 23, 1976$32.5 millionSmokey and the BanditJuly 29, 1977Universal Pictures$4.3 million$127 millionThe Goodbye GirlNovember 30, 1977Warner Bros.co-production with Metro-Goldwyn-MayerN/A$102 millionCasey's ShadowMarch 17, 1978Columbia Pictures$8 millionThe Cheap DetectiveJune 23, 1978co-production with EMI Films$5–6 million$28.2 millionCalifornia SuiteDecember 22, 1978N/A$42.9 millionThe VillainJuly 27, 1979$4.5-6 million$9.8 millionHot StuffAugust 10, 1979N/AN/ASkatetown, U.S.A.October 1979$2.35 millionChapter TwoDecember 14, 1979$9–10 million$30 millionThe Electric HorsemanDecember 21, 1979Columbia Pictures (U.S. theatrical and television)Universal Pictures (International and home video)co-production with Wildwood Enterprises$12.5 million$61.8 million
1980s TitleRelease dateDistributorNotesBudgetBox officeTouched by LoveApril 17, 1980Columbia Pictures$2.5 millionN/AThe HunterAugust 1, 1980Paramount Picturesco-production with Mort Engelberg ProductionsN/A$16.3 millionSmokey and the Bandit IIAugust 15, 1980Universal Pictures$17 million$66.1 millionSomewhere in TimeOctober 3, 1980co-production with Stephen Deutsch Productions$4 million$9.7 millionIt's My TurnOctober 11, 1980Columbia PicturesN/A$11 millionThe CompetitionDecember 3, 1980$10.1 million$14.3 millionSeems Like Old TimesDecember 19, 1980N/A$44 millionNobody's PerfektAugust 14, 1981co-production with Mort Engelberg ProductionsN/AN/AOnly When I LaughSeptember 23, 1981N/A$25.5 millionRichard Pryor: Live on the Sunset StripMarch 12, 1982$4.5 million$36.2 millionWrong Is RightApril 14, 1982$10 million$3.5 millionAnnieMay 21, 1982$35 million$57.1 millionThe ToyDecember 10, 1982$17 million$47.1 millionBlue ThunderMay 13, 1983$22 million$42.3 millionThe SurvivorsJune 22, 1983$15 million$14 millionSylvesterMarch 15, 1985N/A$385,687The Slugger's WifeMarch 29, 1985$19 million$1.3 millionViolets Are BlueApril 25, 1986$10 million$4.7 millionNothing in CommonJuly 30, 1986Tri-Star Picturesco-production with Delphi Films$12 million$32.3 millionPeggy Sue Got MarriedOctober 10, 1986co-production with American Zoetrope and Delphi V Productions$18 million$41.5 millionWhere are The Children?November 15, 1986Columbia Picturesco-production with Braun Entertainment Group and Delphi V ProductionsN/AN/ABrighton Beach MemoirsDecember 25, 1986Universal Pictures$18 million$11.9 millionThe Secret of My SuccessApril 10, 1987$12 million$111 millionAmazing Grace and ChuckMay 22, 1987Tri-Star PicturesN/A$5.4 millionBiloxi BluesMarch 25, 1988Universal Pictures$17 million$57.1 millionSteel MagnoliasNovember 15, 1989Tri-Star Pictures$15 million$96.8 million
1990s TitleRelease dateDistributorNotesBudgetBox officeRevengeFebruary 16, 1990Columbia Pictures (Select territories and home video)New World Pictures (International and streaming)$22 million$26.6 millionWhite Hunter Black HeartSeptember 14, 1990Warner Bros. Pictures$24 million$2 millionLost in YonkersMay 14, 1993Columbia Pictures$15 million$9 millionMr. JonesOctober 8, 1993TriStar Pictures$25 million$8.3 millionDr. Jekyll and Ms. HydeAugust 25, 1995Savoy Pictures (United States)Rank Film Distributors (International)co-production with Leider-Shapiro Productions and PVM Entertainment$8 million$3 millionHarriet the SpyJuly 10, 1996Paramount Picturesco-production with Nickelodeon Movies$12 million$26.6 millionTo Gillian on Her 37th BirthdayOctober 18, 1996Triumph FilmsN/A$4.1 millionRandom HeartsOctober 8, 1999Columbia Picturesco-production with Mirage Enterprises$64 million$74.6 million
Television
Television shows TitleYearsNetworkNotesRipley's Believe It or Not!1982–1986ABCco-production with Haley-Lyon Productions and Columbia Pictures TelevisionBlue Thunder1984co-production with Public Arts, Inc. and Columbia Pictures TelevisionNothing in Common1987NBCco-production with Tri-Star TelevisionThe Hollywood Game1992CBSco-production with Pasetta Productions and CBS Entertainment Productions
Television pilots/movies TitleRelease dateNetworkNotesThe Cheap DetectiveJune 3, 1980NBCco-production with Columbia Pictures TelevisionSixty Years of SeductionMay 4, 1981ABCLights, Camera, Annie!March 7, 1982PBSco-production with Kaleidoscope Films and Columbia PicturesGoodbye Doesn't Mean ForeverMay 28, 1982NBCco-production with MGM Television and Warner Bros. TelevisionA Reason to LiveJanuary 7, 1985co-production with Rick Dawn Enterprises and Robert Papazian ProductionsAnna KareninaMarch 26, 1985CBSco-production with Colgems Productions LimitedOnce Upon a Texas TrainJanuary 3, 1988co-production with Robert Papazian Productions and Brigade ProductionsBaja OklahomaFebruary 20, 1988HBOco-production with HBO PicturesSteel MagnoliasAugust 17, 1990CBSco-production with Nikndaph Productions and Columbia Pictures TelevisionOpposites AttractOctober 17, 1990NBCco-production with Von Zerneck-Sertner Films and Bar-Gene ProductionsBarbarians at the GateMarch 20, 1993HBOco-production with HBO Pictures and Columbia Pictures TelevisionAnnie: A Royal Adventure!November 18, 1995ABCco-production with TriStar TelevisionEarthly PossessionsMarch 20, 1999HBOco-production with HBO PicturesAlley Cats StrikeMarch 18, 2000Disney Channelco-production with Walt Disney Television
References