National General Corporation (NGC) was a theater chain holding company, film distribution and production company and was considered one of the "instant majors". It was in operation from 1951 to 1974.

Divisions Its division National General Pictures (NGP) was a production company which was active between 1967 and 1973. NGP produced nine motion pictures in-house. The company was a division of the National General Corporation (NGC) which started as the spun out Fox Theatre chain of movie houses, which were later sold to the Mann Theatres Corporation.

National General had its own record label, National General Records, that operated for at least three years and was distributed by Buddah Records.Eyries, Patrice, David Edwards and Mike Callahan. (October 21, 2005). National General Album Discography. Discography Listings. Both Sides Now Publications. Accessed on January 3, 2014.

The company also owned its television production in the late 1960s with National General Television Productions, which was sold to Filmways in 1971. The company produced a daily sitcom for syndication, The Trouble With Tracy.

History year Theaters 1951 550 1957 275 1973 240 National General Corporation was a film distribution network and the successor of 20th Century Fox's theater division with 550 theaters when spun off in 1951 and reduced in half by court order six years later.Cook, p. 400. It was originally led by Charles Skouras. Gene Klein later took control of the company.

National General entered distribution in 1966 under a three-year waiver from the consent decreesCook, pp. 331-332. with six distribution offices.Cook, p. 333. In 1967, the CBS television network decided to produce their own films for theatrical release through their production unit Cinema Center Films (CCF), which were released through National General.

National General also acquired Sy Weintraub's Banner Productions in 1967 which was producing Tarzan films and the TV series. NGC had also entered theatrical film production under Charles Boasberg in 1967 as National General Pictures (NGP). The ABC television network had done the same thing with Cinerama in the formation of another instant major partnership. In 1969, after a request for an indefinite waiver, the consent decree waiver was extended for another three years. NGC gained another production partner in 1969 with the formation of First Artists Productions (FAP).

In 1968, Grosset & Dunlap (which also owned Bantam Books and Transworld Publishers) was acquired by National General Corporation. The company also acquired insurer Great American. The company tried to acquire Warner Bros.-Seven Arts in 1969, but the deal was rejected on antitrust grounds by the Justice Department, Warner Bros. was subsequently sold to Kinney National Service, Inc. in summer 1969, and NGP was closed in 1970. By 1970, all the instant majors had each captured 10% of the market.

By April 1969 National General had produced five films over two years. The month it received a three-year extension from a judge to pursue its role as a producer, distributor and exhibitor, NG's head, Irving Levin, announced National General would make 13 films, costing $35 million in all. Six of them would be made in Hollywood. These were:"National General Schedules 13 Films", Los Angeles Times 26 Apr 1969: b8. The Cheyenne Social Club El Condor The Schmid Case - based on the Charles Schmid case directed by Barry Sjear The Sophomore - a college student gets his girlfriend pregnant, produced by Frank Coe Enemy Enemy - based on Bud Freeman play directed by Jerry Paris Another Kind of Love - comedy written and directed by Arnold Schulman The French Connection - based on the novel by Robin Moore with director William Friedkin - this was made at Fox The Valdez Horses based on novel by Lee Hoffman I Want It Now based on novel by Kingsley Amis Forty Lashes Less One based on novel by Elmore Leonard Your Own Thing based on play by Hal Hester The Grasshoppper A Bird in the Hand directed in England by Peter Collinson about the wife of a young English teacher - this was never made.

Following Cinema Center's closure, NGC was taken over by American Financial Corporation in 1972, but continued distributing films until 1973. In November 1973, American Financial sold NGC/NGP's releasing contracts and film library to Warner Bros. National General, then just containing 240 theaters, were sold in 1973 to Mann Theatres. In 1974, film and television company Filmways bought Grosset & Dunlap from American Financial Group. American Financial also sold Bantam to the Italian firm IFI in 1974.

Later heads of production inclide Dan A. Polier.

Partial list of film titles

1960s Release date Title Production company September 6, 1967 Tarzan's Jungle Rebellion A two-part episode of the 1966 Tarzan TV series August 7, 1968 With Six You Get Eggroll CCF August 21, 1968 How Sweet It Is! December 25, 1968 The Stalking Moon March 13, 1969 Charro! May 10, 1969 A Fine Pair CCF; European production May 28, 1969 The April Fools CCF July 2, 1969 Daddy's Gone A-Hunting July 13, 1969 Me, Natalie CCF October 4, 1969 Hail, Hero! CCF October 6, 1969 The Royal Hunt of the Sun CCF; British production October 22, 1969 The Grasshopper November 1969 Day of Anger European production filmed in 1967 December 4, 1969 A Boy Named Charlie Brown CCF December 15, 1969 A Dream of Kings December 25, 1969 The Reivers CCF

1970s Release date Title Production company March 17, 1970 The Boys in the Band Cinema Center Films (CCF) April 29, 1970 A Man Called Horse CCF June 12, 1970 The Cheyenne Social Club June 19, 1970 El Condor European production July 22, 1970 Something for Everyone CCF July 1970 Tarzan's Deadly Silence A two-part episode of the 1966 Tarzan TV series August 14, 1970 Darker than Amber CCF September 22, 1970 Adam at Six A.M. CCF October 1, 1970 The Baby Maker National General October 7, 1970 Monte Walsh CCF November 5, 1970 Scrooge CCF; British production November 23, 1970 Homer CCF December 4, 1970 Latitude Zero Japanese production December 18, 1970 Rio Lobo CCF December 23, 1970 Little Big Man CCF May 21, 1971 The Cat o' Nine Tails European production May 26, 1971 Big Jake CCF June 1, 1971 Blue Water, White Death CCF; documentary June 15, 1971 Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? CCF June 23, 1971 Le Mans CCF July 16, 1971 The Light at the Edge of the World European production July 18, 1971 Figures in a Landscape British production October 20, 1971 The Todd Killings National General October 1971 The African Elephant CCF; documentary November 1971 The Christian Licorice Store CCF November 1971 Something Big CCF January 9, 1972 Eagle in a Cage European production February 1, 1972 Pocket Money First Artists March 1972 The Little Ark June 1, 1972 The War Between Men and Women CCF June 21, 1972 The Revengers CCF June 22, 1972 The Dead Are Alive European production June 28, 1972 Prime Cut CCF August 9, 1972 Snoopy Come Home CCF October 1972 Lapin 360 October 1972 Treasure Island European production December 8, 1972 The Master Touch European production December 13, 1972 The Getaway First Artists December 18, 1972 The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean First Artists December 21, 1972 Up the Sandbox First Artists 1973 One Armed Boxer Hong Kong production March 4, 1973 Baxter! British production March 1973 Fists of Fury Hong Kong production May 1, 1973 The Chinese Connection Hong Kong production May 16, 1973 Extreme Close-Up National General May 23, 1973 A Warm December First Artists July 13, 1973 Lady Ice National General August 1, 1973 Maurie National General September 5, 1973 Hapkido Hong Kong production September 24, 1973 The Man Called Noon British production September 24, 1973 The New One-Armed Swordsman Hong Kong production October 7, 1973 The Second Gun Documentary on the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy October 24, 1973 Massacre in Rome European production November 7, 1973 Executive Action National General January 2, 1974 Chinese Hercules Hong Kong production

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