rudge whitworth cycles was a british bicycle , bicycle saddle , motorcycle and sports car wheel manufacturer that resulted from the merger of two bicycle manufacturers in 1894 , whitworth cycle co of birmingham , founded by charles henry pugh ( 1840 – 1901 ) and his two sons charles vernon and john , and rudge cycle co of coventry ( which descended from a bicycle company founded by daniel rudge of wolverhampton ) .

their sales motto was " rudge it , do not trudge it . "

the company also produced the first detachable wire wheel in 1907 , and was known for its knockoff wheels on sports cars well into the 1960s .

rudge - whitworth

graham walker wins the ulster grand prix on a rudge whitworth motorcycle . ireland .
©2012 rudge whitworth real enthusiasts . site developed by woodlands design and administered by colin chapple
my favourite feature of rudge - whitworth bicycles of this era is the triangular mudguards .
1912 rudge - whitworth no . 3 aero - special ‘de - luxe’ all - weather full roadster
1910 rudge - whitworth no . 341 aero - special ‘de - luxe’ all - weather full roadster
rudge - whitworth bicycles | ads for bikes . | pinterest | bicycling , cycling and vintage bicycles
1914 rudge whitworth ltd ( motorcycle garage ) are listed at scott street , cardiff . [ 9 ]
— 500er rudge , baujahr 1938 rudge bzw . rudge whitworth war ein englischer motorrad und automobil hersteller in coventry . rudge bestand von 1910 bis 1940 . das spektrum der produkte reichte von motorrädern mit 250 cm³ hubraum bis zu maschinen… …
rudge whitworth cycles was a british bicycle and motorcycle manufacturer that resulted from the merger of two bicycle manufacturers in 1894 , whitworth cycle co of birmingham and rudge cycle co of coventry ( which descended from a bicycle company founded by daniel rudge of wolverhampton ) .
1939 rudge - whitworth moved to hayes ( middlesex ) and ceased to make motor cycles [ 14 ] .
in may 1891 george woodcock died . this coincided with a reduction in trade . the company was rescued by the whitworth cycle co . in 1894 to form rudge whitworth ltd .
a group of over 650 + like minded enthusiasts from around the world dedicated to the rudge whitworth marque and its preservation .
sporting machines on test . the 499 c . c . rudge - whitworth . by the editor . faithful readers may remember that in february , 1927 , we reviewed a rudge - whitworth of that date , which , though possessed of . . .
with its famous raised hand motif , a rudge - whitworth is a distinctive machine , and everything about it smacks of exclusivity .
description : 1965 - 1972 ulster grand prix and rudge whitworth , collection of badges a circular gilt metal and enamel badge the blue band inscribed
rudge - whitworth - coventry
enclosing spokes converging on a red hand ; together with five white metal and enamel ulster grand prix badges , 1965 , 1968 , 1970 , 1971 & 1972 . rudge whitworth produced the ' ulster ' motercycle .
‘for evening spins , for business , for long tours , for weekend jaunts , the guaranteed - forever rudge - whitworth is supreme .
rudge - whitworth : the complete story ( crowood motoclassics ) and over 2 million other books are available for amazon kindle . learn more
the rudge - whitworth name was still associated with quality at this time ( the company was not taken over by raleigh until 1943 ) .
rudge whitworth ltd . – coventry c . 1920 - bicycles / archive - sold / archive - sold / archive - štěrba - bike . cz
< b > 1965 - 1972 ulster grand prix and rudge whitworth , collection of badges < / b > < br / > a circular gilt metal and enamel badge the blue band inscribed
rudge - whitworth - coventry
enclosing spokes converging on a red hand ; together with five white metal and enamel ulster grand prix badges , 1965 , 1968 , 1970 , 1971 & 1972 . rudge whitworth produced the ' ulster ' motercycle .
thanks to our rudge whitworth marque specialist ( mike ) for these two illustrations . he explains that whitworth had already merged with rudge by 1895 , so both marques were illustrated in that year’s catalogue . the machines on offer were actually whitworths , as the rudges were heavy and not such good quality .
find this rudge - whitworth four special for sale in woodworth , louisiana with a bin of $ 35 , 000 or best offer here on ebay .
a history of the rudge - whitworth cycle and motorcycle company , from the late 1800s to the 1940s , including full production histories of the motorcycle models .
1934 the business of rudge whitworth ltd of coventry and birmingham was acquired by a new group ; a company was being formed to carry on the business under the same name [ 11 ] . rudge - whitworth was the largest coventry cycle concern at the time ; it was taken over by the gramophone company [ 12 ] .
we are a friendly club dedicated to rudge - whitworth / rudge motorcycles , auto - cycles , bicycles and rudge python engined motorcycles . the rudge club has an active network of members all over the world , with area reps organising a range of events and meetings . the annual rec rally is in the uk , with the biggest gathering of rudges in the world !
pair 18 inch rudge whitworth wire wheels , 52 mm hubs , one with unused 600 / 650 x 18 dunlop tyre . 70 spokes , centre and outer laced .
4 speed semi close ratio gearbox with hand change on rhs . aluminium non - oil bath chain cover with aluminium chainguard . ‘rudge whitworth’ cast into gearbox quadrant cover .
a little - known fact ( that ties in with the history of cyclemaster ) is that after rudge whitworth fell on hard times in the great depression , the music company emi bought the rudge name . emi produced bicycles under the rudge name from 1935 until 1943 when they sold the name to raleigh .
by 1878 rudge was established as a manufacturer of high quality bicycles . never satisfied with other makers’ designs and construction rudge invented numerous innovations . in 1878 rudge took out british patent no 526 for his adjustable ball bearings .
1943 raleigh bought the whole of the issued share capital of rudge - whitworth ltd [ 15 ] , after which the name was used on a bicycle range for some time .
here and there . successful end to rudge test . g . r . butcher , who has been carrying out a test of a rudge - whitworth combination under a . c . u . observation , has now brought this to a successful . . .
rudge - whitworth , formed in 1894 from the merger of the rudge cycle co . and the whitworth cycle co . , was one of britain ' s leading manufacturers of bicycles and motorcycles . the company reached its peak in the early 1930s , but suffered in the depression . the bicycle business was ultimately sold to raleigh , which kept the name alive for many years .
brian reynolds ' first motorcycle was a 1939 rudge sports special , which he still owns today . he subsequently purchased a 1922 rudge multi , and ajw python and various other rudge machines . bryan is vice president of the rudge enthusiast ' s club and the marque specialist for the vintage motor cycle club ltd , of which he is a past director . he was also founder of the vintage rudge register and ' rudgespares ' , sourcing and manufacturing parts for all rudge machines .
formed by the acquisition in 1894 of the rudge cycle company ltd by the pugh family’s whitworth cycle company , rudge - whitworth built its first motorcycle in 1910 and is best remembered for its pioneering use of four - valve cylinder heads . rudge whitworth’s first four - valve production motorcycle appeared in 1924 , and the company persevered with the layout until manufacture ceased at the outbreak of ww2 . the motorcycling public’s response to this new four - valve , four - speed model was enthusiastic , and by the end of 1924 twice as many machines had been produced as in 1923 .
this specific rudge - whitworth four special ( vin : ) is a concourse restoration…and that’s all the seller says . that might be all they have to say , because it looks absolutely perfect .
produced by rudge - whitworth at coventry was the rudge four - which relates to it four valves and four speeds , this 350cc example was registered on 5th august 1925 in mold , flintshire and is pictured in a totally unrestored running condition at bromyard gala in july 1995 .
bonhams : 1913 rudge multi 499cc 3½hp frame no . 700924 engine no . 10785
charles h . pugh ltd was the company behind atco , the leading manufacturer of lawnmowers . the name atco came from the atlas chain co . pugh’s companies also manufactured ironmonger’s supplies , and developed from that into making bicycle components . by 1891 , the whitworth cycle co was formed to manufacture the company’s own bicycles . the famous rudge - whitworth insignia – an open hand with a cycle wheel behind – was actually whitworth’s logo .
describe the bike and equipment you were using ? bf : it was a rudge - whitworth fitted with a three - speed cycle derailleur gear . you don’t want more than three gears , do you ?
rudge whitworth was formed in 1895 with the amalgamation of rudge of coventry and whitworth of birmingham , both bicycle companes . they began motorcycle manufacture in 1911 and went into liquidation in 1933 . they continued trading under the auspices of the gramophone company ( which later became hmv and then emi ) after moving to middlesex , and ceased trading at the onset of wwii with the last machines being produced by norman .
a history of the rudge - whitworth cycle and motorcycle company , from the late 1800s to the 1940s , including full production histories of the motorcycle models . topics covered include : the origins of rudge - whitworth , from daniel rudge ' s early bicycles , to the pugh family merger ; the expansion into motorcycle production in 1909 , with the ' m ' prototypes and ' f ' - head engines ; the invention of the rudge multi gear engine in 1912 , and a subsequent isle of man win in 1914 ; the innovative ' rudge four ' engines , with four parallel valves per cylinder ; the ' python ' models - rudge equipment used by other manufacturers , including in enzo ferrari ' s scuderia ferrari , and finally the post - war slump and a move to emi , with later attempts to revive the rudge name .
because nothing on a rudge - whitworth bicycle of this era can be installed from another manufacturer , when you come across one of these bikes now , over a century later , it’s important to ensure that the bicycle is complete and retains all its original parts . luckily , this one is original . i particularly like the rudge - whitworth ‘hand’ logo that appears on the oilers for the front hub and bottom bracket .
join in the racing action and push your rudge to its limit with support and advice .
twin 1 3 / 4” low level pipes into rudge ‘can’ type silencers and 6” fishtails .
1930 rudge 499cc ulster registration no . ve 3376 frame no . 39769 engine no . 2267
6000 solid - tyred rudge - whitworth upslopers were sold off at half price by h . o . duncan when he was in charge of the paris depot . rural france was a typical marketplace for obsolete bicycle models .
i learned about rudge , their models and the racing they were involved in . rudge was more or less a blank spot in my motorcycle knowledge , and this filled much of it .
daniel rudge visited the famous french cyclist terront in his london hotel while on a visit to england . rudge proceeded to demonstrate to terront a set of his patent adjustable ball bearings . terront was impressed enough to purchase a racing machine built by rudge . daniel rudge also travelled to paris and lyons to observe the french cycling scene and to take part in some of the races .
a company that made their own components was at a considerable advantage , as quality control was easier to guarantee . in 1893 , with increasing demand for their bicycles , whitworth became a limited company and had to look for larger premises . the takeover of rudge the following year was a logical progression , with the pugh family providing the necessary management structure to see the combined company of rudge - whitworth develop into one of great britain’s leading manufacturers of bicycles and motorcycles .
4 valve 499cc with iron open valve parallel inlet & parallel exhaust cylinder head . rockers carried on cast pillars . 18mm central plug . forward mounted 6v ml maglita or round ml magneto . round based cylinder barrel and webbed ( 6 ) drive side crankcase . timing side crankcase with ‘rudge whitworth’ cast in . ( note that early crankcases did not have the ‘rudge whitworth’ cast in ) . cast alloy oblong rocker cover with ‘r - w’ cast in . oil feed to rear of cylinder .
image above : badminton , gloucestershire 1912 - a newport , monmouthshire registered single - speed rudge motorcycle .
1913 rudge multi 499cc 3½hp registration no . not uk registered frame no . 700924 engine no . 10785
rudge cycle sales remained excellent for several months after his death , but there was nobody to run the company . so walter phillips helped rudge’s widow mary to sell the company to george woodcock of coventry . woodcock thus acquired the famous adjustable ball bearing patent 526 and the services of some of rudge’s former employees .
this fine rudge - whitworth hails from an era when most chaps’ bikes were known as ‘gentleman’s roadsters . ’ that appears to suggest that , simply by mounting the machine in question , an ordinary working - class fellow would be transformed into a gentleman …
how did you go about making it happen ? bf : i wrote to several companies and rudge - whitworth responded . they provided me with a bicycle and the necessary sponsorship so that i could set out to ride my bike every day for a year .
in 1938 emi centralized production in hayes : rudge ' s coventry factory closed and re - opened next to emi . 1939 saw the prestigious rudge name associated for the first time with a motorized bicycle - the 98cc rudge autocycle . it was short - lived though : the rudge factory was taken over by emi for the manufacture of radar equipment during the war , and the remaining autocycles were passed on to the norman company .
the rudge club sells high quality spares manufactured with decades of experience and reference to original factory drawings . spares are available to members , so make sure your rudge uses the best quality spares and join the club today !
rudge motorcycles were produced from 1911 to 1946 . the firm was known for its innovations in engine and transmission design , and its racing successes . their sales motto was
rudge it , do not trudge it .
describe your average day in the saddle . bf : i’d ride during the day and in the evening i would often go to a cycle shop . i also had to call in on rudge - whitworth cycle dealers and have a discussion with them about the ride .
whatever the truth of these two incidents , the essentials are correct . rudge - whitworth , riley and the goodyear wheel company were all involved in prolonged legal wranglings as to who owned the intellectual rights to the detachable wheel , right up until the outbreak of hostilities in 1914 . in fact the great war intervened in more ways than one . once it was over , riley considered there were bigger fish to fry and withdrew from wheel manufacture , despite having supplied a remarkable 183 car makers worldwide by 1912 . rudge - whitworth continued .
daniel rudge was approached about manufacturing a velocipede designed by phillips . a deal was struck and rudge was soon producing cycles in a small workshop located at the rear of the tiger inn , with henry clarke supplying the wheels .
for sale . rudge tt 350 ohv radial head . motorcycle came to spain from france in 1989 . according to collector french previous owner , this rudge belonged felix ric french private rider . this rider use this rudge that by endurance racing . in the 30s 40 . this motorcycle carries a unique gas tank , . . . . .
for sale in south of france this superb and perfect 1931 rudge 500 special . more pics and infos on request
bonhams : 1925 rudge 500cc 4 - valve 4 - speed frame no . to be advised engine no . 31509
a set of four ' rudge whitworth ' style stickers , as seen on so many different wire wheeled cars over the years . outdoor use solvent inks are used throughout for long life and fade resistance . just web search ' i say ding dong ' to find us .
some modern bikes are equipped with 33… bf : you can’t tell the difference between them . three is plenty , 33 is ridiculous . the rudge - whitworth was a great bike . i found it really comfortable to ride , even on long 100 - mile - plus days .
1894 the company was registered on 9 october , to amalgamate the rudge cycle co and the whitworth cycle co . directors are charles wallis , alfred f . bird , george gordon brodie , j . s . taylor , charles vernon pugh and j . frederic wright [ 2 ]
rudge built python engines which they supplied to numerous other manufacturers including durandal , eysink , grindlay - peerless and imperia .
although rudge took over manufacture of the coventry rotary from starley & sutton from 1885 , the name coventry rotary was retained through to 1892 in rudge catalogues , when production ceased . the triplet tandem quadricycle direct steering roadster was produced from 1888 .
in 1929 graham walker won the ulster grand prix averaging over 80mph . this prompted the release of the rudge ulster , as well as a jap engined 250cc and parallel 4 valve 350cc . the rudge ulster was one of their most famous models .
1925 rudge 500cc 4 - valve 4 - speed registration no . sv 4537 frame no . to be advised engine no . 31509
in 1925 , a 500 cc version with linked front and rear brakes appeared , and the big end bearings were now fed oil through the crankshaft pin . the old 350 cc was dropped in 1926 . for 1928 rudge motorcycles were fitted with saddle tanks , and 8 inch internal expanding drum brakes . stanley glanfield designed a rudge for dirt racing , marketed from 1928 as the glanfield rudge . [
if it sounds a precarious arrangement , competition proved otherwise . at the 1908 tt race , 21 of the 35 entrants used rudge - whitworth wheels , and only one of the finishers didn ' t by 1913 , the use of detachable ( rudge and riley ) wire wheels was universal in grands prix , and they were widely employed immediately after wwi on such lsr contenders as henry segrave ' s sunbeam tiger and parry thomas ' s 1926 babs .
reluctant sale of my 1935 250cc rudge 4 valve . older restoration and unused the last 5 years . complete with v5 . £6995 ono
this rudge - whitworth crescent retains its original transfers ( decals ) and has excellent nickel wheels , cranks and handlebars . the paintwork has been touched up in places . the box lining looks like it was repainted many decades ago . the sturmey - archer ‘model a’ gears date from 1914 . in my opinion this rudge - whitworth remained unsold until ww1 , at which time it was sold with the earlier style of mudguard ( not extended ) due to a shortage of parts . there was a high demand for ladies’ bicycles during the war , because factory workers had to commute , often at night , to locations where there was no public transport .
pre war circa 1924 rudge whitworth gents bicycle in good condition , previously restored / refurbished before we owned it . can ' t say that everything is original as i am not 100 % sure . everything works as it should . super comfy to ride . any questions please ask check out my other items for more quality bikes and parts
however , the rudge - whitworth no 3 road racer you see here is a very interesting model . although it’s an upsloper of the old style , it already has a few features that herald the new designs of the following year : the pedals are conventional screw - fit rather than slotted cranks , and the seat post is of a wider diameter , the same as post - 1900 machines . it would appear that rudge - whitworth , with agencies in the major capitals , good sales results and innovative design personnel , was in a good position to capitalize on the new inventions and introduce them immediately to their bicycles , even before the end of the 1895 sales year .
twin 1 3 / 4” low level pipes into rudge ‘can’ type silencers and 6” fishtails . pipes fitted over cast in cylinder head exhaust stubs .
this 1895 rudge - whitworth is a remarkably well - preserved example . transfers ( decals ) are made of gilt and very delicate so it’s very rare for a bicycle of this era to retain them intact . although they are faded , the headstock transfer ( top of the page ) and the top tube transfer with its model name ‘the rudge’ are still readable . the shop transfer , below , is harder to transcribe , but it can be seen that it is from a french cycle agency .
a circa 1920 gentleman ' s rudge whitworth ltd . bicycle . model no . 6 aero special is very light - 14 , 8 kg . the machine features a black - painted with nice patina , original transfers and gold lineson the head stock , frame and rear mudguard . handlebar , cranks , front and back hubs are covered black
plastic
which is typical for rudge machines from this period . absolutely original machine in incredible condition for machine old around 100 years . really top quality .
. rudge motorcycles were produced from 1911 to 1946 . the firm was known for its innovations in engine and transmission design , and its racing successes . their sales motto was
rudge it , do not trudge it .
the company also produced the first detachable wire wheel in 1907 , [
this is an added lot : c . 1930 rudge 500cc racing motorcycle engine no . 4368 formed by the acquisition in 1894 of the rudge cycle company ltd by the pugh family ' s whitworth cycle company , rudge - whitworth built its first motorcycle in 1910 and is best remembered for its pioneering use of four - valve cylinder heads . rudge whitworth ' s first four - valve production motorcycle appeared in 1924 , and the company persevered with the layout until manufacture ceased at the outbreak of ww2 . the motorcycling public ' s response to this new four - valve , four - speed model was enthusiastic , and by the end of 1924 twice as many machines had been produced as in 1923 . the full potential of rudge ' s four - valves - per - cylinder design was slow to emerge but in 1928 graham walker ' s works ' 500 ' became the first motorcycle to win a road race - the ulster grand prix - at an average speed in excess of 80mph , a feat which led to the introduction of the legendary ' ulster ' sports model . a variety of valve arrangements was tried across a variety of 250cc , 350cc and 500cc four - valve models as the range developed throughout the 1930s . sadly , the marque did not re - emerge after ww2 . described as in concours condition , this rudge racer has been owned by the current vendor ' s family for a number of years and was restored by him in 2009 . there are no documents with this lot . £5 , 000  7 , 000
it was called a rudge four , because of the four speeds and four valves , not four cylinders . this single cylinder 350 cc machine showed markedly superior performance to the competition on release , having more power than its 500 cc predecessor . rudge engineer , george hack , is said to have taken his design idea from the four valve head ricardo - triumph special of 1921 , a one off machine . he designed a four valve head for rudge [
formed by the acquisition in 1894 of the rudge cycle company ltd by the pugh family ' s whitworth cycle company , rudge - whitworth built its first motorcycle in 1910 and is best remembered for its pioneering use of four - valve cylinder heads . rudge whitworth ' s first four - valve production motorcycle appeared in 1924 , and the company persevered with the layout until manufacture ceased at the outbreak of ww2 . the motorcycling public ' s response to this new four - valve , four - speed model was enthusiastic , and by the end of 1924 twice as many machines had been produced as in 1923 . the full potential of rudge ' s four - valves - per - cylinder design was slow to emerge but in 1928 graham walker ' s works ' 500 ' became the first motorcycle to win a road race - the ulster grand prix - at an average speed in excess of 80mph , a feat which led to the introduction of the legendary ' ulster ' sports model . a variety of valve arrangements was tried across a variety of 250cc , 350cc and 500cc four - valve models as the range developed throughout the 1930s . sadly , the marque did not re - emerge after ww2 . described as in concours condition , this rudge racer has been owned by the current vendor ' s family for a number of years and was restored by him in 2009 . there are no documents with this lot .
gents rudge cycle 1951 , 23
frame , 3 speed gears , good working order for its age . original insurance certificate with owners name on etc .
by 1911 rudge had started to build their own motorcycles and no longer relied on the french werner having built their own motorcycle a 500cc single - cylinder .
this bike seems complete apart from the saddle . . it ' s being sold for restoring . . . 3 speed back hub dated 61 . . has rudge whitworth on back mudguard and sports stamped on down tube . . 23 inch frame . 26 inch wheels . . . as mentioned earlier its being sold for restoring . collection only . . reduced from £84 now £74
motion picture advertising was barely five years old when this edwardian promo was made . our gentleman cyclist looks rather worse for wear . if only he had a new rudge - whitworth bicycle he ' d be a happier man ! with its short , 30 - second duration and simple , humorous message , this entertaining commercial shows that the wheel of screen advertising has turned full circle .
a new type of rudge - whitworth motor - cycle has just been placed upon the market . this is the roadster , which costs i49 los . and is capable of 70 m . p . h . until its introduction there were only three models , the standard , the silent special and the sports . the new machine comes mid - way between the standard and the special .
the rudge guarantee states that ‘the bicycle is guaranteed as long as it is ridden’ and ‘the guarantee goes with the bicycle – even if it changes hands . ’
rudge was a skilled engineer who became interested in bicycles through his friend walter phillips who rode bicycles and henry clarke who in 1868 began the cogent cycle company .
by 1878 , the company was based in bishop street with 100 employees . unfortunately , increased company responsibility plus various other cycle activities had a detrimental effect on rudge’s health . in the early summer of 1880 daniel rudge fell ill for the last time and died on 26th june 1880 of cancer at the age of 39 .
engine was added to the rudge frame to produce the rudge / jap dirt track machine in 1930 , production of this speedway machine was short term and the was stopped around 1933 , although they were used for a number of years after that for both speedway and grasstrack , there are some good examples around to this day .
graham walker wins the ulster grand prix racing on a rudge , he reaches 80 . 63 miles an hour , the fastest speed recorded in motorcycle racing . belfast .
competition , however , was sharp and there was a continual movement of small firms in and out of the industry . a few well - managed firms , however , like singer , the coventry machinists , rudge , and the premier grew steadily , organizing sales and installing capital equipment in the shape of new machinery . ( fn . 200 ) most striking was the development of the rudge company , an amalgamation in 1880 of the tangent and coventry tricycle company ( established in 1879 by george woodcock who bought the works of haynes and jefferies ) with the wolverhampton firm of dan rudge . the rudge works were transferred to coventry . expansion of the firm ' s trade followed from the increase of capital in 1885 when woodcock was joined by several birmingham men in a limited company , d . rudge and company . ( fn . 201 )
in the original rudge - whitworth design , the male taper was on the wheel and the female taper on the nut , so the car ' s left - hand wheels required a right - hand thread and vice versa . on wheels where the male taper is on the spinner ( such as those fitted decades later to special equipment versions of the original lotus elan ) the thread sense is reversed .
621 . ' hist . of armstrong whitworth aircraft ' ( ts . , 1960 ) ; mun . handbk . ( 1930 ) , 40 ; evening and the morning , 42 , 59 ; hawker siddeley rev . sept . 1949 , 20 .
by the end of 1874 daniel rudge had manufactured a small number of high bicycles . his first machines were nothing out of the ordinary as they ran on regular plain bearings .
badging the french built werner . daniel rudge’s company continued successfully for many years after his death in 1880 no doubt due in the most part to daniel’s invention of the adjustable ball -
rudge rapid 1938 250cc restored . this superb little rudge is a rare & very desirable example , this is an older restoration . for those who don ' t know , these low , lightweight 250 ' s are very pretty and quick for their size , with quick acceleration & a good cruising speed . as very low seat height & . . . . .
rudge with jap engine ( 250 ) from 1930 this pre - war rudge carries a rare j . a . p . 250cc engine fitted by the factory when they ran out of their own engines . you can see more information and pictures in our website : urltoken also , we are specially interested to buy : - mv agusta 750 . . . . .
let ' s now move onto a look at the rudge - whitworth system of wire wheels . this design was invented over 50 years ago and the car makers in great britain used this same principle until 1988 ; with this seemingly simple design , cars around the world have traveled countless miles in a sporting fashion . with the finishing of manufacture by dunlop of this type of wheel , preservation is now left to classic and antique car buffs .
legend has it that the centrelock wheel — originally known as the qd ( quickly detachable ) wheel — came into being as a result of two coventry men sharing a car one day during the early 1900s . one of them was john pugh , whose father charles had established the whitworth cycle co in 1891 and three years later rescued the ailing rudge cycle co to form rudgewhitworth ltd . the other was victor riley of the rival riley cycle co .
well written and easy to follow it is a must for rudge fans and anybody who just wants to understand why these machines are still sought after and command such high premiums .
amazingly , the rudge - whitworth wheel was originally sold as what today we ' d call an aftermarket fitment . automobile tyres were in their infancy in the early years of last century and tediously puncture - prone , so being able to repair a flat tyre quickly was important . pugh ' s centre - lock wheel was fast to remove and replace but , like the riley equivalent , it required changes to the hub as well as to the wheel itself .
the statement above reveals the difficulties faced by the major cycle manufacturers because of the cheap and poorly - made bicycles that threatened to ruin the cycle market . the immediate solution for companies such as rudge - whitworth , humber , raleigh , etc was to reduce prices and provide a guarantee . but some manufacturers went further : instead of using components that were freely available and interchangeable , they made every part of their bicycles themselves so that the parts were unique .
but the 1930s weren ' t kind to rudge . profits had been largely spent on its motorcycle racing exploits , so when the great slump struck , there was nothing in the kitty to tide the company over . the receiver had to be called in and rudge was sold off piecemeal . when john pugh died , broken - hearted , in 1936 , only the motorcycle business remained .
bearing which was patented in 1878 ( british patent no 526 ) this invention , when fitted to the rudge cycles , considerably the improved their efficiency and provided the long term success of his company .
although pneumatic tyres were introduced by 1890 , in the first few years they were an expensive option , so they were available more in principle than practise . most bikes had solid tyres . the freewheel was not introduced until 1898 , so 1896 bicycles were still fixed wheel . but 1896 rudge - whitworths had detachable chainwheels ( patented by raleigh in 1889 ) allowing for inter - changeability . the 1896 rudge - whitworth catalogue also introduced ‘a new principle in bottom bracket design , being adjustable , dust - proof and oil - containing’ and a ‘ball head adjustment of novel design . ’ seat tubes were wider ( the same as modern bicycles ) and pedals no longer had slotted cranks .
emi , of all people , eventually bought that with the intention of moving operations to its hayes factory in middlesex , but war with germany once again intervened . jaguar acquired the rights to rudge ' s wheel business and together with dunlop continued to exploit the design — first with wire wheels , then disc wheels — long after wwii finished , on the xics , c - type , d - type and e - type . similar designs were used by others like mg . simple , effective , failsafe , the rudge - whitworth wheel was an object lesson in how a little original thought can save a lot of engineering complication . so why isn ' t it still used ?
i am looking for rudge wire wheels that were used on many cars of the teens and 20 ' s era . they use a fine spline drive and were available in many hub and rim sizes . please contact me if you have rudge hubs or wheels of any size or condition . particularly want 120mm hub with 27
rims but will consider any . gloftness @ urltoken 763 - 786 - 6885
the team prize was also resurrected in 2015 as another little nod to history , and lies in the origin of the noel hammond memorial trophy . in its very first incarnation in the 1930s it was known as the rudge whitworth 50 , and was awarded in the 30s and 40s for the winners of a team 50 mile time trial ( not the same as a 50 mile team time trial ! ) , where teams of 6 were invited to compete and the best 4 times counted .
499 cc rudge multi was released , using variable groove - depth pulleys to gain 21 forward ratios , and a top gear as high as 2 . 75 : 1 . ( the zenith gradua and 1907
averaging over 80 mph . this prompted the release of the rudge ulster , as well as a jap engined 250 cc and parallel 4 valve 350 cc . the ulster was one of their most famous models .
whilst the roadster is in many respects similar to the standard , it is ro m . p . h . faster and has the saddle position and silencing arrangements of the special . . the engine is , as usual , a 499 c . c .
single
with four over - head valves , and the well - known rudge - whitworth system of proportional coupled brakes is used . it is probable that the new machine is the cheapest 70 m . p . h . motor - cycle made .
this is a good - looking book that also delivers real information , giving some feeling of the kinds of forward thinking that went on at rudge even before they became a ' name ' in racing at the tt .
he merged the company with the tangent & coventry tricycle company and in 1885 formed d . rudge & co ltd based in coventry . it became the rudge cycle co ltd , coventry , on 21 october , 1887 , a public company with capital of £200 , 000 . walter philips was the renowned works manager and lawson , h . j . , the sales manager . stoddard & lovering of boston , mass . were the us agents .
in 1913 a 750 cc multigear was released . in 1914 cyril pullin won the isle of man tt on a rudge multigear . together with the zenith - gradua this was one of the first continuously variable transmissions ( cvt ) .
produced the penny farthing ( high wheeled bicycles ) the most popular being the rudge high , they continued to produce the safety bicycles until 1909 . the company then took an interest in the increasingly popular market for motorcycles by re -
did rudge inspire daf sir , with reference to the letter from mr . c . maddox in connection with the daf car and his wife ' s comment on the transmission principle being too new for some people to absorb . . .
that extraordinarily hard worked machine of g . r . butcher ' s once more appeared before the public eye in the i . o . m . during t . t . week . the owner spent the week camping with a very completely equipped trailer caravan , which the rudge made no bones about towing , when the inhabitants desired a change of air . another rudge was observed towing a travesty of the douglas horse trams , fully laden with sightseers , along the promenade .
by 1930 there were only eleven coventry firms retaining their own independent identity . in addition there were daimler , and the humberhillman combination which came under control of rootes ltd . in 1932 . ( fn . 491 ) siddeley deasy had combined with armstrong whitworth and company in 1919 and armstrong whitworth ' s aircraft and motor section was subsequently transferred to coventry . the new company , armstrong - siddeley motors , managed to offset the effect of the difficult times of the early twenties by the development of aero - engines . ( fn . 492 ) some forty other firms which at some time or other had made cars in coventry , however , had dropped out before 1930 .
1” handlebars with folded type inverted levers and rudge steering damper . spanner adjusted fork shock absorber . single leather fronted toolbox fitted to nearside of machine above rear wheel . riveted angle & strip steel centre stand . open ended ‘d’ section forks .
— ( 1840–june 26 , 1880 ) was a british engineer who built high end bicycles and velocipedes . rudge invented the adjustable ball bearing bicycle hub ( british patent no 526 ) in 1878 . the french racing cyclist charles terront , renowned for winning the… …
by 1927 , rudge had replaced the new 350 with a newer 500 , and that’s what you’ll get in this bike . 1927 also brought the upmarket “special” model , which came with a terry saddle , front fork hocks , tecalemit auto lubrication , and more .
a 1948 rudge sports bicycle . fully restored . it unusually has two sprockets on the rear hub , which gives six gears rather than the usual three . lovely original chain ring ' hand ' design , fork lock with the original key , brooks saddle and an upgraded
the 500 c . c . hour record . g . e . nott and the rudge set up new figures . the hour record in the 500 c . c . class is undoubtedly the most coveted of all motorcycle records , and is being continually . . .
greg , i sold rudge w last year with an hcs i had . i also sold an extra front end with hubs , the wheels were 23 inch , if interested i can forward the buyer . hope all is well < p > keith < p > kmstrade @ urltoken
this is a vintage rudge bicycle , made in nottingham , in i would guess the mid - 1950s . it is in great working order and good all - round condition . there are a few minor imperfections to the paintwork and a few scratches , but these do not affect the
founded in 1894 through the merger of two bicycle makers , rudge - whitworth moved into motorcycle production in 1911 . they made a name for themselves with some technological innovations ( such as the multi gear system which allowed for 21 speeds ) and some racing success . after starting with a 499cc single , their new model in 1924 was called the four . but the name did not come from the number of cylinders , like you’d expect . in fact , the new engine was a smaller single of just 350cc . “four” instead came from the fact that the bike had four speeds and four valves . don’t fret – the newer 350cc put out much more power than the old 500cc .
in 1912 the belt drive 499 cc rudge multigear was released , using variable groove - depth pulleys to gain 21 forward gear ratios , and a top gear as high as 2 . 75 : 1 . ( the zenith gradua and 1907 fn 244 cc single used a similar system . )
the early strutted rudges did not enjoy much success . however , as the dirt track surfaces became slicker the rudge came into its own and by the end of 1930 it ruled the roost . its success was short lived it would be ousted , in turn , by the speedway jap . [
the production at coventry of aero - engines and aircraft by motor - car firms has been described above particularly with reference to the two world wars . ( fn . 617 ) both these industries have been dominated in the city during peacetime by the activities of those firms which since 1948 have formed the hawker siddeley group . despite the production of aircraft by humber as early as 1910 and the activities of various car firms in the first world war the aircraft industry did not become really important in coventry until the early 1920s when armstrong whitworth ' s aircraft and motor sections were transferred to coventry . ( fn . 618 ) armstrong - siddeley motors then developed the production of aeroengines , ( fn . 619 ) while the sir w . g . armstrong whitworth aircraft company , formed in 1920 and also controlled by the armstrong siddeley development company , began to produce aircraft . in 1923 the aircraft company moved from london road to whitley where production of fighter aircraft commenced . in 1926 the firm entered the civil aircraft field and as early as 1930 was employing some 1 , 200 men . ( fn . 620 ) in 1935 the armstrong siddeley development company amalgamated with hawker aircraft to form the hawker siddeley aircraft company which became the hawker siddeley group in 1948 . ( fn . 621 ) in 1961 armstrong whitworth was merged with gloster aircraft becoming whitworth gloster aircraft . ( fn . 622 ) alvis entered the aero - engine trade in 1935 when the firm built a newfactory for this purpose next to its motorcar works . ( fn . 623 ) in 1963 this side of alvis ' s activities accounted for a substantial part of its turnover . ( fn . 624 )
italian carlo borrani licensed the rudgewhitworth design for his famous wire wheels , which ferrari used on its grand prix cars into the early 1960s . rudge ' s wheels were also used by german giants auto union and mercedes during the 1930s , proving themselves well able to transmit engine power in excess of 500bhp and sustain speeds of over 250mph in the rekondwoche runs . all with just a couple of firm , not heavy , blows of a copper - faced hammer to tighten the eared spinners — a refinement of the original rudge design introduced by peugeot in 1913 , in place of a large spanner .
rudge bikes finished first , second and third at the 1930 junior tt using prototype radial 350cc 4 valve engines . they also took first and second in the senior tt . the road bike engines were changed to dry sump lubrication . the jap 250 and the parallel four valve 350cc ended production in this year .
the first world war stimulated the cycle industry . rudge - whitworth , for example , delivered thousands of cycles and motor cycles to the army . ( fn . 256 ) in the early 1920s , however , there was another slump , ( fn . 257 ) the competition of motor cycles and cars helping to cause a decline in the popularity of bicycles . ( fn . 258 ) from 1926 mass - production methods reduced the number of cycle manufacturers . like rover , singer , which had acquired the coventry premier cycle company ( formerly new premier ) , ( fn . 259 ) swift , triumph , and riley all gave up the cycle side of their businesses in the face of competition from the mass - production firms . ( fn . 260 )
daniel rudge was born in january 1841 . after serving with the 38th regiment of foot he returned to wolverhampton and opened a public house called the tiger inn in church street near to st john’s church . at the same time an army colleague henry clarke started a wheel building business called the temple street wheel works .
in 1931 rudge released its first 250 cc and 350 cc road machines with the radial valve layout . tt replicas were available in 350 cc and 500 cc . the parallel valve 500 cc was also available in special and ulster models , the ulster now having a 100 mph guarantee . first and second were taken in the
for sale : rudge special 500 4 valves , 4 gears 1929 all correct numbers huge 8 inch brakes belgian papers in very nice condition lots of boooks / invoices from restoration / spareparts etc etc . runs good ! priced at  13500 , - thats about 11950 pounds located in the netherlands shipping . . . . .
woodcock had also purchased the assets of the collapsed haynes & jefferis firm in 1879 and relocated the combined business to ariel works , trafalgar street , coventry in 1880 having taken over the business of the tangent and coventry tricycle company . in 1885 the business was transferred into a private limited company called d . rudge & co . ltd . it became the rudge cycle co ltd , coventry , on 21 october , 1887 , a public company with capital of £200 , 000 . walter philips was the renowned works manager and lawson , h . j . , the sales manager . stoddard & lovering of boston , mass . were the us agents .
maker of the ariel , emperor , mechanic ' s , rudge ' s swiftsure and tangent high wheelers . the no . 2 ordinary was one of the best known competitive machines of its era which pioneered adjustable ball races on wheels and pedals . other competitive features pioneered by the company were hollow backbones and lighter tangentially spoked wheels .
rudge 500cc twin port 4 valve project . late 20 ' s . special , ulster , gp ? comes with everything as seen in photos . can not see a frame number . there are no documents . a rare opportunity to aquire an interesting project . 07932577377 viewings by appointment . delivery available . flexible finance . . . . .
by the mid 1930s the cycle industry was manifesting distinctly oligopolistic tendencies . the three largest british manufacturers - b . s . a . , raleigh , and hercules , all outside coventry - accounted for 70 per cent . of total employment and 55 per cent . of output . ( fn . 261 ) rudge - whitworth , the largest coventry concern , was taken over by the gramophone company in 1934 and in 1939 moved its production to hayes ( middlesex ) being absorbed by raleigh in 1943 . ( fn . 262 ) in 1936 coventry bicycles ltd . took over the manufacture of triumph bicycles moving in 1938 to the old triumph factory in priory street . ( fn . 263 ) during the later 1930s the number of cycle manufacturers and assemblers in coventry was between 20 and 25 . ( fn . 264 )


red envelope entertainment ( originally netflix first ) was a film production and distribution arm of netflix , designed to generate content for netflix 's dvd-by-mail service .

the company produced and/or distributed over 100 films , before ultimately being closed .

in 2012 , netflix returned to producing original content , starting with the series lilyhammer .

red envelope entertainment

new york , ny – august 22 , 2007 – ifc entertainment and red envelope entertainment jointly announced today that they have partnered for us rights to christophe honore’s musical drama love songs ( les chansons d’amour ) . the announcement was made today by ifc entertainment president jonathan sehring and bahman naraghi head of red envelope entertainment , a net flix company .
for netflix to re - enter the content business . it is time to revive red envelope entertainment and start making great episodic programs .
the la times reports that netflix is closing the red envelope entertainment division because
. . . the red envelope entertainment unit competed with its main suppliers , hollywood studios .
a netflix spokesperson told hackingnetflix that only 4 employees will be moving on ( the l . a . netflix office has 77 employees ) .
netflix ' s red envelope entertainment invested in more than 100 films , including sherry baby , helvetica , confessions of a superhero , john waters : this filthy world , and cowboy del amor . you can view the entire list of red envelope entertainment movies on the netflix website ( many are available through through netflix ' s watch instantly ) .
red envelope entertainment , who also jointly acquired shane meadows’s 2007 film this is england with ifc entertainment , continues to be a significant force of innovation in film distribution , giving its consumers entre to little known films while providing filmmakers a platform to expose less commercial projects to a broad audience . with its acquisition and distribution of original content , red envelope entertainment offers consumers a wide variety of films they might not otherwise see .
netflix has closed down its all - rights acquisitions venture red envelope entertainment ( ree ) and feature production activities , citing a desire to focus on its core business of online distribution .
about red envelope entertainment red envelope entertainment ( ree ) , a netflix company , seeks to acquire and fund original content projects to increase consumer options and provide an innovative method for film distribution . ree works to democratize film distribution by providing films and filmmakers with a platform to expose less commercial projects to a broader audience . red envelope entertainment looks to leverage its proprietary technology to offer this unique and original content to netflix’s more than six million subscribers . the initiative creates a national distribution channel for films and entertainment programming otherwise not available to broad audiences . the company’s name and logo were inspired by the company’s iconic red mailers . for more information , visit www . netflix . com .
new york - - in a move that could have a big impact on indie film sales and distribution , online film rental service netflix is shuttering its film financing and acquisition arm red envelope entertainment .
red envelope provided negligible competition , but the fact that they were putting any money at all into marginal indies gave the fish a larger barrel .
this is such a lie . red envelope did not compete with any hollywood studio . i never heard a single major studio complain about losing a film to red envelope . this was a last chance distribution deal to films that had completely fallen through the cracks that nobody saw any potential in purchasing . if red envelope passed on your film , that pretty much was the signal to just burn dvd - rs and sell them out of the back of your car .
this is not a great loss . the vast majority of red envelope titles i recieved were substandard at best , and
coaster worthy
was the norm .
arianna bocco , vice president of acquisitions and production at ifc and rob williams from red envelope entertainment negotiated the deal with olivier aknin from financing agency backup films on behalf of alma films as backup films also provided production finance through its coficup fund .
netflix inc . is shutting down a division that invested in low - budget films and documentaries , saying the red envelope entertainment unit competed with its main suppliers , hollywood studios . red envelope , with about 50 employees , invested in more than 100 films , including
the bituminous coal queens of pennsylvania ,
a documentary about a small - town beauty pageant , and
favela rising ,
a documentary about rio de janeiro street musicians .
orange sky golden harvest entertainment co . ltd . / wins’ movie production & i / e co . ( 1991 )
netflix inc . has become a hollywood player , turning to star - studded promotions and teaming with a - list actors on movie projects to raise itself above a cluttered market for online movie delivery . los gatos , calif . - based netflix , best known for pioneering dvd rentals by mail , also owns a content acquisition firm called red envelope entertainment .
i only yesterday got the chance to watch a red envelope film called
super high me
( recommended ! ) . i didn ' t even know until yesterday that netflix was in the biz of buying indie films . sad that it ' s come to an end .
thats a link to the red envelope movies . . . there were some good ones i was impressed with . . . . but overall , nothing to cry about . . . i guess you can say the losing of another indie movie producer is a sad day indeed . . .
i had a film that red envelope was interested in . i enjoyed my talks with their people . i understand why they had to back away from the table ( idiot director hadn ' t secured rights to a variety of high profile clips ) . i feel bad that they shut re down . but right now the market is dead .
i was born and raised in southern california . i have been practicing law since 1988 . before that , i was in music , media and advertising . my law practice is focused on representing entertainment investors in evaluating and closing transactions . i am also an active film producer , and i continue to represent other creative and business personnel in the entertainment industry .
since then , the division , called red envelope entertainment after the packaging the discs are delivered in , has boosted the careers of many filmmakers . it struck a deal to distribute born into brothels on dvd six months before the movie won an oscar for best documentary . sarandos also points to the success of open hearts , a picture by susanne bier , whom he calls
the most popular romantic - comedy director in denmark .
it bombed theatrically in the us but did so well on netflix that sony is considering picking it up for wider dvd distribution .
about ifc entertainment ifc entertainment consists of ifc films , a leading theatrical film distribution company bringing the best of independent and specialized films to theaters ; ifc first take and ifc in theaters , the operations that together make up ifc entertainment’s theatrical and on - demand day and date initiative ; ifc productions , a feature film production company that provides financing for select independent film projects ; the ifc center , an art house in nyc and ifc films on demand , video - on - demand offerings . recent films included ken loach’s the wind that shakes the barley , and shane meadows’s
hastings says red envelope is something of a mission for sarandos .
for him , it & apos ; s as much about giving back to the film community as it is about growing the netflix content base ,
he says . but , sarandos insists ,
this isn & apos ; t philanthropy . we & apos ; re not & apos ; supporting the arts . & apos ; this is a market - based solution using technology .
about rainbow media holdings llc rainbow media holdings llc is a subsidiary of cablevision systems corporation ( nyse : cvc ) . rainbow media is a leading producer of targeted , multi - platform content for global distribution , creating and managing some of the world’s most compelling and dynamic entertainment brands , including amc , ifc , we tv , lifeskool , sportskool , and voom hd networks . through its ifc entertainment division , rainbow media also owns and manages the following : ifc films , a theatrical feature film distribution company ; ifc first take / ifc in theaters , a day and date theatrical feature film / vod initiative ; the ifc center in new york city ; ifc productions , a feature film production company ; and ifc entertainment , which owns and operates a film library . rainbow media also operates rainbow advertising sales corporation , its advertising sales division , and rainbow network communications , its full service network programming origination and distribution company .
“lyrical and beautiful , love songs joins a select , high quality , original and daring collection of international films that ree has been rapidly building” , said naraghi . “we are extremely proud to introduce this latest gem from christophe honore to the us audience in partnership with our friends at ifc entertainment , and very excited to offer it to its widest possible audience through the netflix service . ”
access denied economists , politicians , anti - poverty activists and impoverished citizens discuss whether the true nature of contemporary poverty is rooted in colonialism and its consequences . featuring amartya sen , joseph stiglitz , susan george , eric toussaint , john perkins . directed by philippe diaz . cinema libre studio , october . blindsight six blind tibetan teenagers are inspired to climb a 23 , 000 - foot peak near mt . everest . directed by lucy walker . robson entertainment , march 14 .
filmed in paris , love songs was directed by french filmmaker christophe honore , whose most recent film , dans paris , is currently in release through ifc entertainment . the modern day musical , which was a huge box office success in france , features some of the most exciting new talent of this generation including louis garrel , ludivine sagnier , clotilde hesme , gregoire leprince - ringuet and chiara mastroianni . the film will be screening at the upcoming toronto international film festival . love songs was produced by paulo branco at alma films .
in 1999 , sarandos bought his first dvd player . inside the box was a red flyer advertising a new rent - by - mail service . netflix was a dream come true for the cinephile . he wrangled a meeting with netflix ceo reed hastings and coo bill henderson to discuss opening a line of retail stores . hastings and henderson didn & apos ; t bite , but they found sarandos & apos ; enthusiasm infectious . soon after , he was working for the company .
he had a gleam in his eye ,
hastings recalls .
he & apos ; d spent his whole life in the business as a film fanatic .
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ree ' s key staff of four including acquisitions and distribution chief liesl copland will be moving on .
in recent months ree had focused on acquiring rights for netflix ' s streaming facility and executives had begun to question the purpose of acquiring single films for theatrical distribution while netflix enjoyed comprehensive relationships with independent distributors .
' we experimented with it for two and a half years and we acquired some really outstanding titles and released some movies that we ' re really proud of , ' a spokesperson for netflix said .
' however netflix is a distribution company and we can bring these films to members without having to acquire them . we were running into our studio partners in the same acquisitions meetings and we want to focus on our core business . '
new boss warns staff of challenges ahead as cable channel looks to boost viewers’ ’hours of engagement’ .
screen international is the essential resource for the international film industry . subscribe now for monthly editions , awards season weeklies , access to the screen international archive and supplements including stars of tomorrow and world of locations .
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tell us we & apos ; re brilliant ,
mark duplass says . he and his brother jay are standing in front of an audience that & apos ; s just seen the puffy chair , a movie the brothers wrote , directed , produced , and starred in . their euphoria is understandable : the indie film they made has finally been released in theaters , and this is their publicity tour .
this article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links . contact wiredlabs @ urltoken to report an issue .
the post - screening q & a session at mezzanine , a san francisco club , gets under way , but the first question isn & apos ; t about the movie & apos ; s quirky plot ( a guy buys an overstuffed recliner on ebay and hauls it cross - country to give to his dad as a surprise birthday gift ) . it isn & apos ; t about the shoestring production , either – the $ 15 , 000 budget , the crew of one , the free catering by the lead actress & apos ; s mom . what the audience really wants to know is how these scruffy twentysomething neophytes ever got a distribution deal .
it was really painful ,
mark tells the crowd .
every studio came to us after the screenings and said , & apos ; we love this movie . & apos ; we thought we were gonna be millionaires .
the puffy chair toured festivals or more than a year , drawing raves and racking up awards . but no studio believed the audience would be big enough , so no theatrical deal . finally , in january , the brothers were approached by a film distributor that loved the picture and knew exactly how to find an audience for it . but it wasn & apos ; t fox or universal . it was netflix .
netflix & apos ; s move into distribution and production calls to mind early miramax . back in the 1980s and & apos ; 90s , bob and harvey weinstein , the founders of the company , toured independent film festivals like sundance , signed innovative movies ( early distribution deals included sex , lies , and videotape and reservoir dogs ) , created savvy marketing campaigns , and – eventually – produced their own box office gold . netflix is pursuing a similar model , and in just a few years it has distributed as many exclusives as miramax did in its first 15 years of existence .
last year we acquired four new titles from sundance , and this year we & apos ; re working on about 12 deals ,
says ted sarandos , chief content officer of netflix .
eventually we & apos ; ll be coming to sundance and saying , & apos ; we can buy everything . & apos ; there & apos ; s a deal for every film .
sarandos , 42 , oversees all of the company & apos ; s dvd purchases . he has an annual budget north of $ 100 million and a mission to keep expanding the company & apos ; s library of more than 60 , 000 titles . it & apos ; s a job he was born to do .
as a youth , sarandos fell in love with video stores because they exposed him to indie cinema even though he lived in the
very secondary movie market
of phoenix . by 30 , he was a regional sales director for etd , a company that buys videos for blockbuster , and he was observing firsthand the effects that big chain stores were having on the video rental business .
it mirrored what was happening in theaters ,
he says .
eighty percent of the business was coming from the 10 top - grossing movies each year .
at first , sarandos spent all his time securing rights to rent out films that were playing in theaters . but he was hoping to do more . he floated what he now calls
a harebrained idea
to produce original content to supplement the company & apos ; s dvd library . but higher - ups gave him only $ 100 , 000 for the project –
this way you won & apos ; t feel so bad if it doesn & apos ; t work out ,
hastings told him – so sarandos started small . he used the funds to sign obscure , overlooked films that had no theatrical or video distribution .
the first deal – a simple revenue - sharing agreement – was for a low - budget romantic comedy called nice guys sleep alone . he & apos ; d seen it at the 2000 us comedy arts festival , in aspen , colorado , and knew that it had languished unsigned for two years .
it was very funny ,
he says .
nothing groundbreaking , but it deserved to be seen .
sarandos told the film & apos ; s director , stu pollard ,
send me 500 dvds . every time it rents , we & apos ; ll pay you something .
pollard was eager to comply – he had thousands of copies of the film in his louisville , kentucky , garage . nice guys sleep alone fared so well with subscribers that netflix doubled and then quadrupled the order .
an awful lot of people started renting this no - name title with zero marketing budget ,
pollard says .
as a result , it was picked up by hbo .
knowing so much about your customers makes acquiring unknown film properties a little less risky . it & apos ; s also how netflix determined that a critical mass of subscribers across the country – particularly the ones who loved garden state and sideways – would probably like the puffy chair , and that a critical mass of subscribers in boston , san francisco , and five other cities would actually trek to theaters to see it .
funding the production of new films is the next step . the company has partnered with the independent film channel to coproduce several shows , and netflix is executive producer of six original features , including john waters & apos ; this filthy world and the documentary this film is not yet rated . ifc general manager evan shapiro says money from netflix has allowed him to triple the number of his original productions , and he gushes about the reach of his business partner .
they buy and move more independent film than anybody else on the planet ,
he says .
they & apos ; re the google of dvd . they are fedex .
so how long until netflix becomes the new miramax ? both companies started out acquiring movies and ended up making them . bahman naraghi saw this transition six years ago , when he was named executive vp of finance and operations at miramax .
it was a fascinating period . miramax shifted from being an independent distributor to producing shakespeare in love .
now naraghi may see it happen again : he & apos ; s gone from being
the guy harvey and bob would throw ashtrays at ,
he says , to the new vp of original content at netflix , where he & apos ; ll work under sarandos .
there & apos ; s a link two clicks away from the urltoken homepage where anyone can submit a movie for possible distribution . netflix will not only rent it out , but may get it into theaters and then help you shoot your next flick . soon the only barrier to success for filmmakers will be lack of talent .
erin biba ( erbiba @ urltoken ) wrote about a superhero reality show in issue 14 . 07 .
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since it was founded two years ago , ree invested in more than 100 films and partnered on key acquisitions for small distributors . until this january , the division typically put up half of a film ' s total acquisition and theatrical release costs in return for netflix disc and digital streaming rights and half the total profits . these partnerships allowed indie studios to take risks on smaller projects and fueled many buys during and after film festivals .
in january , ree changed its general approach to pay a flat fee for dvd rights and nonexclusive netflix online rental streaming , done day - and - date with the retail dvd release , typically taking less risk for less money . ree ' s closure means smaller distributors have lost a key partner which allowed them to purchase and give a theatrical release to riskier low - budget films .
some of the acquisitions ree partnered on include the war docu
no end in sight
with magnolia pictures and the romantic comedy
two days in paris
with samuel goldwyn pictures .
according to a los angeles times report , the company said the reason for its shuttering was that the buys put it in competition with its hollywood studio partners . ree employed approximately 50 people .
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eric kohn and anne thompson discuss their favorite films of the year so far . they also debate several new releases and share some streaming recommendations .
in an episode dedicated to the show within the show , “glow” illustrates its grand capacity for storytelling , and the very good tv podcast breaks down how .
rules weren’t meant to be broken when it comes to tv episode lengths , but these 10 examples — introduced on the very good tv podcast — are clear exceptions .
after studying under cinematographer ed lachman , shevaun mizrahi forged her own unique filmmaking path with its own set of rules .
the actress and director both love the genre , but as they told indiewire , they also knew it needed to be retrofitted to tell the true story of catherine weldon and sitting bull .
lane and schoenbrun discuss how her interest in morgellons disease patients ( “the pain of others” ) and his exploration of the slenderman myth ( “a self - induced hallucination” ) led them to make archival films from youtubes .
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friday across the universe the songs of the beatles score this love story set against the political and social upheaval of the 1960s . julie taymor ( broadway ' s
the lion king
) directs . with evan rachel wood , jim sturgess ( below ) , joe anderson . written by dick clement & ian la frenais from a story by taymor & clement & la frenais .
friday choking man a shy ecuadorean dishwasher strives for a tentative bond with a chinese waitress in this mix of psychological drama and magical realism at a queens diner . with octavio gomez berrios , eugenia yuan , aaron paul and mandy patinkin . written and directed by steve barron . international film circuit - - fred claus up at the north pole , st . nick ( paul giamatti ) gets an unwelcome visit from his no - account brother ( vince vaughn ) in this holiday - themed comedy .
friday american pastime a japanese american family , interned at utah ' s topaz camp during world war ii , finds hope , strength and transcendence through the game of baseball . written and directed by desmond nakano . with gary cole , leonardo nam , aaron yoo , masatoshi nakamura , judy ongg , sarah drew and jon gries . t & c ; pictures * so ? line drive chalk morgan spurlock presents this faux documentary about the comic ups and downs of an awkward year in the lives of three schoolteachers .
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i ' m really disappointed that netflix has decided to stop buying independent films . there are so many great small films that languish because they can ' t find an audience or get funding , and netflix was able to provide both . in a 2006 wired story , ted sarandos , netflix ' s chief content officer , said that he eventually wanted to buy every film at sundance .
netflix ' s stake in streaming films unfortunately makes them much more subject to hollywood whim .
right of first sale
is now meaningless , they need licenses !
and if netflix isn ' t supplying that infusion of cash during production , it means they ' ll probably be able to pick up the same indies in even cheaper packages somewhere up the road .
i wonder which studio strong armed them . this has to be some kind of concession for a deal . hopefully , something along the lines of more movies added to
watch instantly
.
i ' ve seen things like this play out plenty of times .
you can be my supplier , distributer , whatever , but you will not be my competition .
i only say that this can ' t be the real story because the hollywood studios have no problem in hbo & showtime owning films and shows . while you might say that ' s apples and oranges , in contracts , watch now is on par with cable ' s ondemand .
this has gotta be a cost saving effort . retool the direction to get out of theatrical aspect . they ' ll just make a deal with the producers of these festival projects that can ' t get a proper distribution deal to supply them with dvds for rental .
why should netflix even pay $ 20 , 000 for the rights and the costs of manufacturing ? this way netflix can tell the indie producer that they ' ll get 40 cents a rental . right now the profit margin in indie film ( especially indie docs ) is a lost hope . when risk outweighs reward - make someone else pay for it .
seems like netflix will become the itunes for indie producers who can ' t secure a deal with magnolia or an even smaller distributor .
i go to full frame in durham . for the last several years , the panel about the marketplace has been a celebration of riches . every distributor on the panel had a success story . this year ' s panel was like a wake . all the hot films from the year before had completely stiffed theatrically .
actually , studios own hbo ( timewarner ) and showtime ( part of cbs ) . big difference .
i ' m going to either guess weinstein , maybe thinkfilm . . . it has to be a strong indy studio or a major with a strong indy division . i guess if we see a rush of films from a particular studio , we ' ll know .
it ' s too bad this happened , but i ' m not surprised .
the weinsteins have an exclusive deal with blockbuster . and they are dead fish at this point . they can ' t even afford to make a tarantino film . thinkfilm is barely in the game as they owe way too much money to filmmakers . these two are cripples at this point .
while hbo is owned by time - warner , they also run films from other studios . same with showtime . and they put those films on their ondemand channel . netflix through watchnow and the little box have become a cable channel .
this was a hobby that never struck box office gold . seems like netflix will just go for streaming rites and your company provides the dvds ,
interesting . . . what about the 26 half hour programs of the little known classic tv series
the court of last resort
? try and find more than the single dvd out there . as gatekeeper to the complete series we ask . . . anyone interested in streaming the entire series ? hook us up and win a prize ! bman
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third state / harbor men pictures / vanessa prods . / anonymous content / paramount television / epix ( 2016 )
“we have such a great admiration for christophe honore and are excited to be working with him again after dans paris . this film is such a unique and different musically narrated drama , ” said sehring . “ love songs is about a love triangle gone awry following an unexpected tragedy . each character copes differently with the loss and brings to life their innermost thoughts and desires through song . in competition at the 2007 cannes film festival , love songs truly re - defines the romantic drama with its musical edge and unexpected intrigue . ”
love songs is a musical tale of a love triangle cut into three acts ; the departure , the absence and the return . at the start of the film the audience is introduced to the weakening love affair of ismael and julie . to spice up the relationship , julie decides to enhance their relationship into a threesome by inviting alice , ismael’s co - worker at a small newspaper , into sleepovers at their flat in paris . soon after , tragedy strikes suddenly with julie’s death and her family , friends and lovers struggle to deal with the loss . alice moves on but remains concerned for ismael . while searching his soul for healing , ismael is desperately pursued by erwann in a cat and mouse game which ultimately forces ismael to unleash a passion he had kept protected .
the film , which was a huge box office success in france , will be released theatrically and on local cable’s on demand platform .
about backup films backup films acts as a producer’s agent enabling selected films to access tailored international financing solutions including co - productions , distribution , equity and bank finance worldwide . backup films also operates the coficup tax film fund dedicated to the financing of french - qualifying films including minority co - productions . coficup global funds exceeds the us $ 5m figure and will grow regularly on a yearly basis .
over the last five years backup films has contributed , among others , to the films of acclaimed directors such as apichatpong weerasethakul , radu mihaileanu , rodolphe marconi , andrei konchalovsky and talented first timers such as zoe cassavetes , fabrice du welz and jorge sanchez cabezudo . backup films’ references include more than fifty production companies with films regularly selected to the main international festivals .
discussing how netflix gained its power , who is threatened by it and why . on the one hand , the article feels a bit trite in that it looks at the recent offering of a streaming - only package as netflix '
move onto the web .
however , in the body of the article , it becomes clear that digital distribution has been a part of the netflix business for over a decade .
for me , the intriguing discussion is about how netflix threatens the cable television business . again , this is a somewhat obvious point , but still worth making . as online content migrates to the living room tv , it is clearly an alternative to cable . that ' s not just netflix , but hulu and vudu and amazon and cinemanow and apple and googletv and . . . . . the point is that online media delivery to the television is making cable systems potentially obsolete , or at least less relevant . ( i covered this point in more detail a few weeks back in
two points : first , cable needs to change . it needs to be as flexible as netflix and find a fresh strategy that capitalizes on its unique qualities . i ' ll give that some thought and perhaps comment on some possibilities in a future post .
the other interesting question is what netflix can do to continue its cutting edge success . believe it or not , i think netflix should be developing original short - form programming . netflix really is
, and hbo made its best move when it went beyond simply showing movies and developed its own cutting edge programming . netflix has an installed user base of 15 million households many of who actively use the online aspect of the service . neflix has a very good user interface and first - rate streaming technology . it can best capitalize on all of these assets by offering some exclusive programs .
reed hastings has always viewed netflix as a content distributor . well , every big distributor uses its distribution system to move some of its own content . netflix is a $ 10 billion company . it is big enough to tackle that strategy and it should be doing that right now . i renew
from david poland of movie city news . this guy really does his homework and makes some excellent observations .
very insightful , roger . i agree that netflix needs to get into the programming development and production areas .