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Castle Hill Productions

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Castle Hill Productions
IndustryFilm, television
Founded1978; 46 years ago (1978)
FounderJulian Schlossberg
Defunct2009; 15 years ago (2009)
FateSold to Westchester Films (later purchased by Shout! Factory)
SuccessorWestchester Films
HeadquartersNew York City, New York

Castle Hill Productions was an independent television and film distribution company handling classic and independent films whose library spans eight decades.

History

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Founded in 1978 by Julian Schlossberg, Castle Hill Productions revived and restored over 200 classic motion pictures, many of which were originally United Artists releases and inherited from the family and/or estates of the films' original producers under the Caidin Film Company.

As the company grew, Castle Hill acquired the rights to many films by John Cassavetes, such as Faces and A Woman Under the Influence. Both Schlossberg and Gena Rowlands (Cassavetes' widow), through their company, Faces Distribution, have worked hard to revive the films for today's audiences in order for them to better appreciate the late director's work.

Castle Hill also bought the rights to many of the films of Elia Kazan and Orson Welles. In addition to their classic films, the company also distributed contemporary films (usually up to ten a year), and has been involved in in-house production, creating documentaries on filmmakers and news events.

The highest grossing contemporary film distributed by Castle Hill Productions was Left Luggage, bringing in $1,113,208.[1]

Closure and holdings

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In 2009, Castle Hill closed. Most of their holdings sold to another independent company, Westchester Films, managed by Schlossberg.

Most distribution rights to the Castle Hill library are handled by either Warner Bros., Criterion (via Janus Films), or Image Entertainment.

In 2014, the Westchester/Castle Hill holdings were purchased by entertainment distribution company Shout! Factory.[2]

Key distributed films of Castle Hill

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References

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  1. ^ "All Time Worldwide Box Office for Castle Hill Productions Movies". The Numbers. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  2. ^ "Shout! Factory Acquires Westchester Films (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 2019-02-09.
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