Person    | Male  Born 22/12/1888  Died 29/3/1972

J. Arthur Rank

Categories: Cinema, Industry

Flour miller and film-maker. Born Joseph Arthur Rank at Chestnut Villas, Holderness Road, Drypool, Kingston upon Hull. He worked for many years in his (very wealthy) father's flour milling business. During WW1he was responsible for a fleet of ambulances on the Western Front.

A devout Methodist, in 1928 he partially funded the adaptation of Lambeth Chapel for use as a mission hall and cinema. In 1933 he founded the Religious Film Society in order to produce religious films suitable for children. In 1937 he formed the Rank Organisation producing classic films including 'The Red Shoes', 'Hamlet' and 'Black Narcissus'.  He would probably have been horrified to know that his name was to become rhyming slang for a less than holy activity. Died at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Winchester.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
J. Arthur Rank

Commemorated ati

J. Arthur Rank

J. Arthur Rank, 1888 - 1972, industrialist and film producer worked here. Eng...

Read More

Other Subjects

Cambridge Circus Cinematograph Theatre

Cambridge Circus Cinematograph Theatre

Our 1960 picture comes from Warsaw1948 which has a wonderful collection of old pictures of this area, many with current photos for comparison. There we also found this useful text: "The cinema on ...

Group, Cinema

1 memorial
The Flicker Club

The Flicker Club

A 'boutique' cinema club based in Stoke Newington that specialises in showing films adapted from short stories or novels. It invites surprise special guests from the worlds of entertainment and lit...

Group, Cinema

2 memorials
Tony Moss

Tony Moss

Former President of the Cinema Theatre Association.

Person, Cinema

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Mary Wollstonecraft - SE1

Mary Wollstonecraft - SE1

SE1, Dolben Street, 45

The terrific A Vindication of the Rights of Mary has a whole page on this address, where, it is believed, Mary lived 1788 - 1791.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator