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

Kenneth Williams

Kenneth Williams

Comedy actor. Born Bingfield Street, N1. David Benson's 6 minute video of David Benson's Kenneth Williams walk showing the Argyle Square area of London where Kenneth grew up. And the BBC iPlayer ha...

Person, Cinema, Humour, Seriously Famous, TV & Radio

5 memorials
G.P.O. Film Unit

G.P.O. Film Unit

A subdivision of the former General Post Office, (The equivalent of the modern British Telecom/Post Office/Royal Mail). Headed by John Grierson, it was set up to produce documentary films mainly re...

Group, Cinema

1 memorial
Alastair Sim

Alastair Sim

Character actor. Born Edinburgh. Only became a professional actor aged about 30. Worked in Shakespeare at the Old Vic and then spent the 1950s making many British films, such as the 1954 The Belles...

Person, Cinema, Theatre, Scotland

1 memorial
Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie

Detective novelist and playwright.  Born in Torquay, into a well-off family, where a bust has been erected, as Agatha Miller.  Married Archie Christie in 1914.  In WW1 she trained and worked in a p...

Person, Cinema, Literature, Seriously Famous, TV & Radio

5 memorials
Hattie Jacques

Hattie Jacques

Actrees, born Josephine Edwina Jacques at 125 High Street, Sandgate, Kent. She featured in some of the most successful British radio and television programmes and films. On radio she was in ITMA, E...

Person, Cinema, TV & Radio

1 memorial

Previously viewed

F. Naylor, Captain

F. Naylor, Captain

Imperial Camel Corps, Australian Contingent, 1st Battalion

Person

War dead, WW1
1 memorial