# List of RKO Pictures films

RKO Pictures (also known as RKO Productions, Radio Pictures, RKO Radio Pictures, and RKO Teleradio Pictures) is an American film production and distribution company. The original company produced films from 1929 through 1957, with releases extending until its dissolution in 1959. On October 23, 1928, RCA announced that it had acquired control of the Film Booking Offices of America studio and Keith-Albee-Orpheum theater chain and was merging them under a holding company, Radio-Keith-Orpheum Corp. Its new production arm was incorporated as RKO Productions Inc. on January 25, 1929. While RKO Distributing Corp. was originally organized as a distinct business entity, by July 1930 the studio was transitioning into the new, unified RKO Radio Pictures Inc. In December, RKO announced that it would be acquiring Pathé Exchange, including its studio and backlot in Culver City, film laboratories in New Jersey, distribution exchanges in the United States and Great Britain, and the Pathé News operation. In 1931–32, RKO Pathé operated as a semiautonomous division of RKO Pictures.
In the 1930s and 1940s, Hollywood's Golden Age, RKO was one of the Big Five studios. Its lineup of acting talent during this period included Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, and Robert Mitchum. Among the studio's most notable films are Cimarron (winner of the 1931 Academy Award for Best Picture), King Kong (1933), Bringing Up Baby (1938), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946—the studio's only other Academy Award for Best Picture), and what some people consider the greatest film of all time, 1941's Citizen Kane.
The studio declined after Howard Hughes acquired ownership in 1948, and it was sold to the General Tire and Rubber Company in 1955. After several years of attempting to save the company, in January 1957, General Tire reached an agreement with Universal Pictures, where Universal would distribute the remaining RKO product, but the agreement effectively ended all film production at RKO. In 1959 General Tire put all of its non-core operations in a holding company, RKO General, which in 1978 reconstituted RKO Pictures Inc. as a production subsidiary, although the new company did not release its first film until 1981. General Tire sold RKO Pictures in 1989, at which point it began operating under new management as a small independent film company, RKO Pictures LLC.
All release dates are from the AFI Database, except as follows: those designated with an (*) are from imdb.com, and those designated with a (**) are from Theiapolis.com; other sources are noted with footnotes. The date listed is the earliest date, whether that be the premiere or the general release date. The order is according to release dates in the United States.
Note: All films released by the original incarnation of RKO are now owned by Warner Bros. through Turner Entertainment Co. (in North America, the United Kingdom and France at the least) unless otherwise noted.

## 1929

RKO's first year of production resulted in the release of 13 films, highlighted by Syncopation, The Vagabond Lover, and Rio Rita. Two previous films titled Come and Get It (February 3, 1929) and The Drifter (February 8, 1929) were listed by AFI as RKO productions, but the copyright claimant is RKO's precursor, F.B.O. Productions, Inc.
| Release date | Film | Notes/References |
| March 24, 1929 | Syncopation | First film released by RKO, but second produced |
| July 30, 1929 | Street Girl | First film produced by RKO; premiered in New York City with wide release on August 21, 1929 |
| August 10, 1929 | Half Marriage | Premiered in New York City, wide release on October 13, 1929 |
| August 24, 1929 | The Very Idea | Premiered in New York City, wide release on September 15, 1929 |
| September 8, 1929 | Side Street | |
| September 15, 1929 | Rio Rita | With Technicolor sequences |
| September 22, 1929 | The Delightful Rogue | |
| October 27, 1929 | Night Parade | |
| October 30, 1929 | Jazz Heaven | Premiered in New York City, wide release on November 3, 1929 |
| November 10, 1929 | Tanned Legs | |
| November 26, 1929 | The Vagabond Lover | First talking film for Rudy Vallee; premiered in New York City, wide release on December 1, 1929 |
| December 14, 1929 | Dance Hall | Premiered in New York City, wide release December 27, 1929 |
| December 25, 1929 | Seven Keys to Baldpate | Premiered in New York City, wide release on January 12, 1930 |

## The 1930s

The first full decade for the fledgling film studio was a mixture of large successes and deep instability, as the studio went through numerous management changes. The studio produced many classic films, such as Gunga Din, Cimarron (the first Western film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, and only one of two RKO films to win that award), King Kong, Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, Top Hat, The Three Musketeers, Bringing Up Baby and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. During this decade, the studio owned the contracts of such notable talents as Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Mary Astor, Joel McCrea and Joan Fontaine, as well as off-screen talent such as Irving Berlin and John Ford. A major accomplishment for the studio came when they signed an exclusive distribution deal with Walt Disney Productions.

### 1930

The studio released 29 films that year, although there were no major critical or financial hits.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| January 5, 1930 | Love Comes Along | |
| January 14, 1930 | Hit the Deck | With Technicolor sequences; premiered in New York, wide release on February 23, 1930 |
| February 2, 1930 | Girl of the Port | |
| February 9, 1930 | Second Wife | |
| February 23, 1930 | The Case of Sergeant Grischa | Oscar nomination for Best Sound Recording |
| March 2, 1930 | Beau Bandit | |
| March 16, 1930 | Framed | |
| March 21, 1930 | Lovin' the Ladies | Premiered in New York City, wide release April 6, 1930 |
| April 11, 1930 | Alias French Gertie | Premiered in New York City, wide release April 20, 1930 |
| April 18, 1930 | He Knew Women | Premiered in New York City, wide release May 18, 1930 |
| April 25, 1930 | The Cuckoos | Premiered in New York City, wide release May 4, 1930 |
| May 4, 1930 | The Runaway Bride | |
| May 30, 1930 | Midnight Mystery | Premiered in New York City, wide release May 1, 1930 |
| June 15, 1930 | The Fall Guy | |
| June 20, 1930 | She's My Weakness | Premiered in New York City, wide release August 1, 1930 |
| July 5, 1930 | Inside the Lines | |
| July 11, 1930 | Lawful Larceny | Premiered in New York City, wide release August 17, 1930 |
| July 20, 1930 | Shooting Straight | |
| August 1, 1930 | Dixiana | With Technicolor sequences; currently in the public domain |
| August 10, 1930 | Conspiracy | |
| September 1, 1930* | Escape | |
| September 12, 1930 | Leathernecking | With Technicolor sequences; premiered in New York City, wide release September 22, 1930 |
| October 4, 1930 | Half Shot at Sunrise | |
| October 15, 1930 | The Pay-Off | |
| October 24, 1930 | The Silver Horde | Premiered in New York City, wide release on October 25, 1930 |
| October 25, 1930 | Check and Double Check | |
| November 10, 1930 | Sin Takes a Holiday | Produced by Pathé; might have been released on November 20, 1930 |
| November 15, 1930 | Danger Lights | Premiered Chicago, wide release December 12, 1930 |
| December 24, 1930 | Hook, Line and Sinker | Premiered in New York City, wide release on December 26, 1930 |

### 1931

RKO acquired Pathé in January, and released films under both the RKO and RKO Pathé labels. Combined, the studio would release 50 films during the year; its film Cimarron won the Best Picture Oscar. By the end of the year, David O. Selznick took over as the head of production for the studio.
| Release date | Film | Notes/References |
| January 15, 1931 | The Royal Bed | |
| January 16, 1931 | Beau Ideal | Premiered in New York City, wide release January 25, 1931 |
| January 18, 1931 | The Painted Desert | First talking film for Clark Gable |
| January 26, 1931 | Cimarron | Academy Award for Best Picture, the first for a Western film; premiered in New York City, wide release February 9, 1931 |
| February 6, 1931 | Millie | Premiered in New York City, wide release February 8, 1931 |
| February 22, 1931 | Lonely Wives | |
| February 22, 1931 | Kept Husbands | |
| March 8, 1931 | The Lady Refuses | |
| March 15, 1931 | Behind Office Doors | |
| March 15, 1931** | The W Plan | |
| March 27, 1931 | Laugh and Get Rich | Premiered in New York City, wide release April 20, 1931 |
| April 1, 1931 | The Perfect Alibi | Aka Birds of Prey |
| April 4, 1931 | Cracked Nuts | Premiered in New York City, wide release April 19, 1931 |
| April 12, 1931 | Beyond Victory | |
| April 15, 1931 | Bachelor Apartment | |
| April 17, 1931 | Born to Love | |
| April 18, 1931 | The Sin Ship | |
| May 22, 1931 | Everything's Rosie | Premiered in New York City, wide release June 13, 1931 |
| May 23, 1931 | Young Donovan's Kid | Premiered in New York City, wide release June 6, 1931 |
| June 6, 1931 | White Shoulders | |
| June 12, 1931 | Transgression | Premiered in New York City, wide release June 27, 1931 |
| June 25, 1931 | Sweepstakes | Premiered in New York City, wide release July 10, 1931 |
| July 3, 1931 | Three Who Loved | |
| July 8, 1931 | A Woman of Experience | Premiered in New York City, wide release August 7, 1931 |
| July 17, 1931 | The Common Law | Premiered in New York City, wide release July 24, 1931 |
| July 18, 1931 | Too Many Cooks | |
| July 31, 1931 | The Public Defender | Premiered in New York City, wide release August 1, 1931 |
| August 3, 1931* | The Woman Between | |
| August 7, 1931 | Traveling Husbands | Premiered in New York City, wide release August 15, 1931 |
| August 7, 1931 | The Runaround | First all-Technicolor RKO production; premiered in New York City, wide release August 22, 1931 |
| August 18, 1931 | High Stakes | |
| August 22, 1931 | The Gay Diplomat | |
| August 28, 1931 | Rebound | Premiered in New York City, wide release September 18, 1931 |
| September 4, 1931 | The Big Gamble | |
| September 5, 1931 | Caught Plastered | |
| September 11, 1931 | Sundown Trail | |
| September 12, 1931 | Smart Woman | |
| September 25, 1931 | Devotion | |
| October 2, 1931 | Bad Company | |
| October 3, 1931 | Friends and Lovers | |
| October 10, 1931 | Fanny Foley Herself | Second all-Technicolor RKO production |
| October 15, 1931 | Consolation Marriage | Premiered Hollywood, CA; wide release November 21, 1931 |
| October 16, 1931 | The Tip-Off | |
| October 30, 1931 | Freighters of Destiny | |
| November 13, 1931 | Are These Our Children | Premiered in New York City, wide release November 14, 1931 |
| November 13, 1931 | Way Back Home | |
| November 14, 1931 | Secret Service | |
| November 20, 1931 | Suicide Fleet | |
| December 18, 1931 | The Big Shot | |
| December 25, 1931 | Peach O'Reno | Aka Peach-O-Reno |

### 1932

46 films were produced and released by RKO during the year. Although Selznick was successful in signing major talent like Fred Astaire, Katharine Hepburn and George Cukor, financially, it was one of the worst years for the studio, as it was for many other studios as the Great Depression deepened. The RKO Pathé label was completely abandoned during this year.
| Release date | Film | Notes/References |
| January 1, 1932 | A Woman Commands | First talking film for Pola Negri |
| January 8, 1932 | Men of Chance | Released in January, after premiering in NYC on December 26, 1931 |
| January 8, 1932 | Partners | |
| January 15, 1932 | Girl of the Rio | |
| January 19, 1932 | Panama Flo | |
| January 22, 1932 | Prestige | |
| February 5, 1932 | Ladies of the Jury | |
| February 19, 1932 | Lady with a Past | |
| March 10, 1932 | The Lost Squadron | |
| March 19, 1932 | The Saddle Buster | |
| March 19, 1932 | Carnival Boat | |
| March 27, 1932 | Girl Crazy | |
| March 29, 1932 | The Theft of the Mona Lisa | Distribution only, produced by Super-Film GmbH |
| April 8, 1932 | Young Bride | |
| April 8, 1932 | The Office Girl | Aka Sunshine Susie; distribution only |
| April 14, 1932 | Symphony of Six Million | |
| April 28, 1932 | The Roadhouse Murder | |
| May 5, 1932 | State's Attorney | |
| May 13, 1932 | Ghost Valley | |
| May 27, 1932 | Westward Passage | |
| June 17, 1932 | Is My Face Red? | |
| June 24, 1932 | What Price Hollywood? | |
| July 8, 1932 | Beyond the Rockies | |
| July 8, 1932 | Roar of the Dragon | |
| August 12, 1932 | Bird of Paradise | Currently in the public domain |
| August 19, 1932 | The Age of Consent | |
| August 19, 1932 | Bring 'Em Back Alive | |
| September 9, 1932 | The Most Dangerous Game | |
| September 16, 1932 | Hold 'Em Jail | |
| September 16, 1932 | Thirteen Women | |
| September 23, 1932 | Hell's Highway | |
| September 23, 1932 | Come On Danger! | |
| September 30, 1932 | A Bill of Divorcement | |
| October 7, 1932 | Strange Justice | |
| October 14, 1932 | The Phantom of Crestwood | |
| November 4, 1932 | Little Orphan Annie | |
| November 11, 1932 | The Sport Parade | |
| November 18, 1932 | Men Are Such Fools | |
| November 18, 1932 | The Conquerors | |
| November 25, 1932 | Renegades of the West | |
| November 25, 1932 | Rockabye | |
| November 25, 1932 | Men of America | |
| December 2, 1932 | Secrets of the French Police | |
| December 9, 1932 | The Penguin Pool Murder | |
| December 16, 1932 | The Half-Naked Truth | |
| December 23, 1932 | The Animal Kingdom | Currently in the public domain |

### 1933

RKO produced and/or distributed 49 films during the year. Selznick left the studio early in 1933 due to in-fighting over production control. As a result of the record losses in 1932, the studio went into receivership. Through all the hardship, and while posting a net loss for the year of just over $4 million, the studio saw some large successes, such as King Kong, Little Women, Flying Down to Rio (the first pairing of Astaire and Rogers), and Morning Glory (which netted Katharine Hepburn her first Oscar for Best Actress).
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| January 6, 1933 | No Other Woman | |
| January 13, 1933 | The Monkey's Paw | |
| January 20, 1933 | The Cheyenne Kid | |
| January 20, 1933 | The Past of Mary Holmes | |
| January 27, 1933 | Goldie Gets Along | |
| January 28, 1933 | Lucky Devils | |
| February 17, 1933 | The Great Jasper | |
| February 23, 1933 | Our Betters | |
| February 24, 1933 | Topaze | |
| March 7, 1933 | Sailor Be Good | |
| March 9, 1933 | Christopher Strong | |
| March 10, 1933 | Scarlet River | |
| April 7, 1933 | King Kong | |
| April 14, 1933 | Sweepings | |
| April 28, 1933 | India Speaks | |
| April 29, 1933 | Diplomaniacs | |
| May 5, 1933 | Son of the Border | |
| May 5, 1933 | The Silver Cord | |
| May 24, 1933 | Man Hunt | |
| June 2, 1933 | Tomorrow at Seven | |
| June 9, 1933 | Professional Sweetheart | |
| June 16, 1933 | Melody Cruise | |
| June 24, 1933 | Emergency Call | |
| June 29, 1933 | Bed of Roses | |
| June 30, 1933 | Cross Fire | |
| July 13, 1933 | Double Harness | |
| July 14, 1933 | Flying Devils | |
| July 28, 1933 | Headline Shooter | |
| August 4, 1933 | Before Dawn | |
| August 5, 1933 | The Big Brain | |
| August 8, 1933 | No Marriage Ties | |
| August 18, 1933 | Morning Glory | |
| August 18, 1933 | Blind Adventure | |
| August 18, 1933 | Deluge | |
| September 1, 1933 | Rafter Romance | |
| September 8, 1933 | One Man's Journey | |
| September 22, 1933 | Midshipman Jack | |
| September 26, 1933 | Ann Vickers | |
| September 29, 1933 | Flaming Gold | |
| October 20, 1933 | Ace of Aces | |
| October 26, 1933 | After Tonight | |
| October 27, 1933 | Chance at Heaven | |
| November 3, 1933 | Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men | |
| November 10, 1933 | Goodbye Love | |
| November 16, 1933 | Little Women | Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture |
| November 17, 1933 | The Right to Romance | |
| December 1, 1933 | If I Were Free | |
| December 22, 1933 | Flying Down to Rio | First film teaming of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers |
| December 22, 1933 | Son of Kong | |

### 1934

RKO released 45 films in 1934. While the studio lost money, its losses were far less ($310,000) than they had been in the prior three years. The year saw George Stevens become a major director. Several highlights of the year were The Lost Patrol (the first RKO film directed by John Ford), Of Human Bondage, Anne of Green Gables, and The Little Minister.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| January 12, 1934 | The Meanest Gal in Town | |
| January 13, 1934 | Man of Two Worlds | |
| January 19, 1934 | Long Lost Father | |
| January 26, 1934 | Two Alone | |
| February 2, 1934 | Hips, Hips, Hooray! | |
| February 16, 1934 | The Lost Patrol | |
| March 2, 1934 | Keep 'Em Rolling | |
| March 8, 1934 | Spitfire | |
| March 14, 1934 | The Crime Doctor | |
| April 6, 1934 | Wild Cargo | |
| April 13, 1934 | This Man is Mine | |
| April 19, 1934 | Where Sinners Meet | |
| April 20, 1934 | Sing and Like It | |
| May 3, 1934** | Success at Any Price | Some sources, including AFI, have the film opening in March, but the New York Times review is on May 4, which would coincide with the May 3 release date. |
| May 4, 1934 | Finishing School | |
| May 11, 1934 | Strictly Dynamite | |
| May 12, 1934 | Stingaree | |
| June 14, 1934 | The Life of Vergie Winters | Premiered in New York City, general release date was June 22, 1934 |
| June 15, 1934 | Murder on the Blackboard | |
| June 22, 1934 | Let's Try Again | |
| June 28, 1934 | Of Human Bondage | |
| June 29, 1934 | Cockeyed Cavaliers | |
| July 13, 1934 | We're Rich Again | |
| July 17, 1934 | His Greatest Gamble | Premiered in New York City, general release date was August 10, 1934 |
| July 26, 1934 | Hat, Coat, and Glove | Premiered in New York City, general release date was July 27, 1934 |
| July 28, 1934 | Bachelor Bait | |
| August 17, 1934 | Their Big Moment | |
| August 17, 1934 | Adventure Girl | |
| August 23, 1934 | The Fountain | |
| August 31, 1934 | Down to Their Last Yacht | |
| September 14, 1934 | The Age of Innocence | Premiered on September 1, 1934 |
| September 21, 1934 | The Richest Girl in the World | |
| October 5, 1934 | Dangerous Corner | |
| October 12, 1934 | The Gay Divorcee | Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture |
| October 26, 1934 | Gridiron Flash | |
| October 26, 1934 | Wednesday's Child | |
| November 2, 1934 | Kentucky Kernels | |
| November 9, 1934 | By Your Leave | |
| November 9, 1934 | Woman in the Dark | |
| November 23, 1934 | Anne of Green Gables | |
| December 7, 1934 | Lightning Strikes Twice | |
| December 10, 1934 | The Silver Streak | |
| December 14, 1934 | Red Morning | |
| December 27, 1934 | West of the Pecos | Premiered in New York City, general release date was January 4, 1935 |
| December 28, 1934 | The Little Minister | |

### 1935

RKO released 42 films in 1935, of which it produced 39. There was yet another shake-up in the management structure of the studio, but the company saw its first profit since 1930, albeit a small one of $684,000. Highlights of the year included Alice Adams, and Becky Sharp (the first full-length feature film made entirely in Technicolor). The studio also saw several major disappointments, including The Last Days of Pompeii. In addition to the films produced, RKO acquired the distribution rights for The March of Time newsreel series in June 1935, a relationship with Time magazine that continued until July 1942.$^{:87}$ Released monthly, each edition was approximately 20 minutes long.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| January 11, 1935 | Romance in Manhattan | |
| January 18, 1935 | Grand Old Girl | |
| February 1, 1935 | Enchanted April | |
| February 14, 1935 | Murder on a Honeymoon | Wide release date was February 22 |
| February 15, 1935 | Gigolette | Distribution only, produced by Select Productions |
| March 1, 1935 | Captain Hurricane | |
| March 8, 1935 | Roberta | |
| March 15, 1935 | The People's Enemy | Distribution only, produced by Select Productions |
| March 22, 1935 | A Dog of Flanders | |
| April 1, 1935 | Strangers All | |
| April 5, 1935 | Laddie | |
| April 11, 1935 | Star of Midnight | Wide release date was April 19 |
| May 3, 1935 | Chasing Yesterday | |
| May 9, 1935 | The Informer | Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture; wide release date was May 24 |
| May 10, 1935 | Village Tale | |
| May 16, 1935 | Break of Hearts | Wide release date was May 31 |
| June 7, 1935 | The Nitwits | |
| June 13, 1935 | Becky Sharp | First full-length feature entirely in three-strip Technicolor; wide release date was June 28; distribution only, produced by Pioneer Films |
| June 14, 1935 | Hooray for Love | |
| June 28, 1935 | The Arizonian | |
| July 12, 1935 | She | |
| August 2, 1935 | Old Man Rhythm | |
| August 9, 1935 | Jalna | |
| August 15, 1935 | Alice Adams | Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture; wide release date was August 23 |
| September 6, 1935 | Hot Tip | |
| August 29, 1935 | Top Hat | Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture; went into wide release on September 6 |
| September 13, 1935 | The Return of Peter Grimm | |
| September 27, 1935 | Powdersmoke Range | |
| September 29, 1935 | His Family Tree | |
| October 4, 1935 | Freckles | |
| October 11, 1935 | Hi, Gaucho! | |
| October 18, 1935 | The Last Days of Pompeii | |
| October 25, 1935 | The Rainmakers | |
| November 1, 1935 | The Three Musketeers | |
| November 8, 1935 | To Beat the Band | |
| November 15, 1935 | Annie Oakley | |
| November 22, 1935 | In Person | |
| November 27, 1935 | I Dream Too Much | |
| December 13, 1935 | Seven Keys to Baldpate | |
| December 20, 1935 | Another Face | |
| December 20, 1935 | Fang and Claw | |
| December 27, 1935 | We're Only Human | |

### 1936

1936 was another profitable year for RKO, which released 39 films. The studio saw the arrival of producer Howard Hawks as well as George and Ira Gershwin. Although the studio did well overall, two of the few outstanding pictures to come out during the year were Follow the Fleet and Swing Time, which were both Astaire and Rogers vehicles. One of the biggest disappointments of the year was Sylvia Scarlett, starring Katharine Hepburn.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| January 3, 1936 | Sylvia Scarlett | |
| January 10, 1936 | Two in the Dark | |
| January 17, 1936 | Chatterbox | |
| February 1, 1936 | Muss 'Em Up | Premiered in New York City, wide release on February 14, 1936 |
| February 7, 1936 | The Lady Consents | |
| February 21, 1936 | Follow the Fleet | |
| February 22, 1936 | Yellow Dust | Premiered in New York City, wide release on March 13, 1936 |
| March 4, 1936 | Love on a Bet | Premiered in New York City, wide release on March 6, 1936 |
| March 6, 1936 | The Farmer in the Dell | Premiered in New York City, wide release on March 27, 1936 |
| March 20, 1936 | Silly Billies | |
| April 3, 1936 | Two in Revolt | |
| April 17, 1936 | Murder on a Bridle Path | |
| April 24, 1936 | The Witness Chair | |
| April 24, 1936 | Special Investigator | Premiered in New York City, wide release on May 8, 1936 |
| May 15, 1936 | The Ex-Mrs. Bradford | |
| May 22, 1936 | Dancing Pirate | |
| July 10, 1936 | The Bride Walks Out | |
| July 12, 1936 | Let's Sing Again | |
| June 12, 1936 | The Last Outlaw | Premiered in New York City, wide release on June 19, 1936 |
| June 26, 1936 | Bunker Bean | |
| July 27, 1936 | M'Liss | |
| July 31, 1936 | Grand Jury | Premiered in New York City, wide release on August 7, 1936 |
| August 21, 1936 | Second Wife | |
| August 28, 1936 | Mary of Scotland | |
| September 4, 1936 | Swing Time | |
| September 11, 1936 | Walking on Air | |
| September 18, 1936 | Don't Turn 'Em Loose | |
| October 2, 1936 | Mummy's Boys | |
| October 9, 1936 | The Big Game | |
| October 17, 1936 | Daniel Boone | |
| October 23, 1936 | Without Orders | |
| November 6, 1936 | A Woman Rebels | |
| November 13, 1936 | Make Way for a Lady | |
| November 20, 1936 | Winterset | |
| November 27, 1936 | Smartest Girl in Town | |
| December 4, 1936 | Wanted! Jane Turner | |
| December 11, 1936 | The Plot Thickens | |
| December 18, 1936 | Night Waitress | |
| December 25, 1936 | Rainbow on the River | |

### 1937

1937 was the most productive year in RKO's history, with the studio releasing 56 films, as well as entering into an agreement to distribute films produced by Walt Disney Productions, in place of Van Beuren Studios, which subsequently folded its operations. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first Disney film released by RKO, premiered in December 1937, although it underwent wide release in February 1938, and was a huge success. It was one of the few successes of the year for RKO, which again went through yet another management change. Another bright spot for the studio was Stage Door, which was only a small financial success, yet received very good critical notices, including four Oscar nominations.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| January 1, 1937 | That Girl from Paris | |
| January 8, 1937 | We Who Are About to Die | |
| January 12, 1937 | Racing Lady | Premiered in New York, wide release on January 29, 1937 |
| January 15, 1937 | The Plough and the Stars | |
| January 26, 1937 | Criminal Lawyer | Premiered in New York, wide release on January 29, 1937 |
| February 5, 1937 | They Wanted to Marry | |
| February 11, 1937 | We're on the Jury | Premiered in New York, wide release on February 12, 1937 |
| February 19, 1937 | When's Your Birthday? | |
| February 19, 1937 | Sea Devils | |
| February 26, 1937 | Park Avenue Logger | |
| March 5, 1937 | Don't Tell the Wife | |
| March 12, 1937 | China Passage | |
| March 26, 1937 | Quality Street | |
| April 2, 1937 | The Man Who Found Himself | |
| April 9, 1937 | The Soldier and the Lady | |
| April 9, 1937 | Too Many Wives | |
| April 16, 1937 | The Outcasts of Poker Flat | |
| April 23, 1937 | The Woman I Love | |
| April 30, 1937 | You Can't Buy Luck | |
| May 7, 1937 | Shall We Dance | |
| May 14, 1937 | Behind the Headlines | |
| May 21, 1937 | There Goes My Girl | |
| May 28, 1937 | Hollywood Cowboy | |
| June 4, 1937 | Border Cafe | |
| June 4, 1937 | Meet the Missus | |
| June 18, 1937 | Riding on Air | |
| June 25, 1937 | You Can't Beat Love | |
| July 2, 1937 | New Faces of 1937 | |
| July 9, 1937 | On Again-Off Again | |
| July 16, 1937 | Super-Sleuth | |
| July 23, 1937 | The Big Shot | |
| July 30, 1937 | The Toast of New York | |
| August 6, 1937 | Windjammer | |
| August 13, 1937 | Hideaway | |
| August 20, 1937 | Flight from Glory | |
| August 27, 1937 | Make a Wish | |
| September 3, 1937 | The Life of the Party | |
| September 10, 1937 | Annapolis Salute | |
| September 24, 1937 | Forty Naughty Girls | |
| October 8, 1937 | Saturday's Heroes | |
| October 8, 1937 | Stage Door | |
| October 8, 1937 | Music for Madame | |
| October 15, 1937 | Fit for a King | |
| October 22, 1937 | Breakfast for Two | |
| October 29, 1937 | There Goes the Groom | |
| November 5, 1937 | Fight for Your Lady | |
| November 11, 1937 | The Rat | Distribution only; premiered in London, wide release on January 21, 1938 |
| November 12, 1937 | Living on Love | |
| November 12, 1937 | Victoria the Great | Theatrical distribution only |
| November 19, 1937 | A Damsel in Distress | |
| November 26, 1937 | High Flyers | |
| December 3, 1937 | Danger Patrol | |
| December 10, 1937 | Quick Money | |
| December 21, 1937 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Theatrical distribution only; premiered in Los Angeles, wide release on February 4, 1938 ; produced by Walt Disney Productions |
| December 24, 1937 | Hitting a New High | |
| December 31, 1937 | Wise Girl | |
| December 31, 1937 | She's Got Everything | |

### 1938

Profits for the studio fell again in 1938, on the release of 42 films, and the studio lost the talents of Katharine Hepburn, Joan Fontaine and Howard Hawks. However, they did gain the services of Garson Kanin. One of the biggest disappointments of the year was Bringing Up Baby. While today it is considered to be one of the finest comedies ever produced, at the time it was a box office flop. One of the few bright spots for RKO was the establishment of The Saint film series, which would run successfully through 1941.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| January 7, 1938 | Crashing Hollywood | |
| January 14, 1938 | Everybody's Doing It | |
| January 18, 1938 | Inside Nazi Germany | Distributor, The March of Time short$^{:12}$ |
| January 28, 1938 | Double Danger | |
| February 11, 1938 | Radio City Revels | |
| February 18, 1938 | Bringing Up Baby | |
| February 25, 1938 | Night Spot | |
| March 4, 1938 | Maid's Night Out | |
| March 11, 1938 | Hawaii Calls | |
| March 18, 1938 | Condemned Women | |
| April 8, 1938 | This Marriage Business | |
| April 22, 1938 | Go Chase Yourself | |
| May 6, 1938 | Law of the Underworld | |
| May 6, 1938 | Joy of Living | |
| May 13, 1938 | Vivacious Lady | |
| May 13, 1938 | Gun Law | |
| May 20, 1938 | Blind Alibi | |
| June 3, 1938 | The Saint in New York | |
| June 17, 1938 | Blond Cheat | |
| June 24, 1938 | Border G-Man | |
| July 1, 1938 | Having Wonderful Time | |
| July 8, 1938 | Crime Ring | |
| July 22, 1938 | Sky Giant | |
| July 29, 1938 | Mother Carey's Chickens | |
| August 5, 1938 | I'm From the City | |
| August 12, 1938 | Painted Desert | |
| August 19, 1938 | Smashing the Rackets | |
| August 26, 1938 | Breaking the Ice | |
| September 2, 1938 | Carefree | |
| September 9, 1938 | The Affairs of Annabel | |
| September 16, 1938 | The Renegade Ranger | |
| September 23, 1938 | Fugitives for a Night | |
| September 30, 1938 | Room Service | |
| October 7, 1938 | Mr. Doodle Kicks Off | |
| October 14, 1938 | A Man to Remember | |
| October 21, 1938 | The Mad Miss Manton | |
| October 28, 1938 | Tarnished Angel | |
| November 4, 1938 | Lawless Valley | |
| November 11, 1938 | Annabel Takes a Tour | |
| November 18, 1938 | The Law West of Tombstone | |
| November 25, 1938 | Peck's Bad Boy with the Circus | |
| December 9, 1938 | Next Time I Marry | |

### 1939

One of the biggest events for the studio this year was the signing of an agreement for Orson Welles to produce films for RKO. Even though 1939 was one of RKO's most creative years, with the release of 49 films, it ended the year showing a slight net loss. Highlights were Gunga Din, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Love Affair, Allegheny Uprising, The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (RKO's last Astaire/Rogers film), Five Came Back, In Name Only, Bachelor Mother, Nurse Edith Cavell, and The Flying Deuces.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| January 6, 1939 | Pacific Liner | |
| January 13, 1939 | The Great Man Votes | |
| January 20, 1939 | Arizona Legion | |
| February 2, 1939 | Boy Slaves | |
| February 3, 1939 | Fisherman's Wharf | |
| February 17, 1939 | Gunga Din | |
| February 24, 1939 | Beauty for the Asking | |
| March 3, 1939 | Twelve Crowded Hours | |
| March 10, 1939 | The Saint Strikes Back | |
| March 24, 1939 | Trouble in Sundown | |
| March 29, 1939 | They Made Her a Spy | Premiered in New York, wide release on April 14, 1939 |
| March 31, 1939 | Almost a Gentleman | |
| April 7, 1939 | Love Affair | Theatrical distribution only; currently in the public domain |
| April 7, 1939 | The Flying Irishman | |
| April 21, 1939 | Fixer Dugan | |
| April 28, 1939 | The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle | |
| April 28, 1939 | The Rookie Cop | |
| May 5, 1939 | Sorority House | |
| May 12, 1939 | Panama Lady | |
| May 26, 1939 | Racketeers of the Range | |
| June 2, 1939 | The Girl from Mexico | |
| June 16, 1939 | The Girl and the Gambler | |
| June 23, 1939 | Five Came Back | |
| June 30, 1939 | Timber Stampede | |
| June 30, 1939 | The Saint in London | |
| July 7, 1939 | Career | |
| July 21, 1939 | Way Down South | |
| July 28, 1939 | The Spellbinder | |
| August 4, 1939 | Bachelor Mother | |
| August 8, 1939 | The Fighting Gringo | |
| August 18, 1939 | In Name Only | |
| August 23, 1939 | Conspiracy | Premiered in New York, wide release on September 1, 1939 |
| August 28, 1939 | Bad Lands | |
| September 8, 1939 | Full Confession | |
| September 15, 1939 | The Day the Bookies Wept | |
| September 22, 1939 | Fifth Avenue Girl | Aka Fifth Avenue Girl |
| September 22, 1939 | Nurse Edith Cavell | Premiered in New York, wide release on September 29, 1939 |
| October 6, 1939 | Everything's on Ice | |
| October 13, 1939 | Three Sons | |
| October 27, 1939 | Sued for Libel | |
| November 3, 1939 | The Marshal of Mesa City | |
| November 3, 1939 | The Flying Deuces | Theatrical distribution only; produced by Boris Morros Productions |
| November 10, 1939 | Allegheny Uprising | |
| November 17, 1939 | Meet Dr. Christian | |
| November 24, 1939 | That's Right – You're Wrong | |
| December 1, 1939 | Reno | |
| December 8, 1939 | Two Thoroughbreds | |
| December 22, 1939 | Escape to Paradise | |
| December 29, 1939 | The Hunchback of Notre Dame | |

## The 1940s

This decade saw a continuation of the revolving door policy regarding management and creative talent at the studio, although RKO made it out of receivership in 1940. The quality of the films also increased overall, the studio receiving its second Oscar for Best Film, for 1946's The Best Years of Our Lives, as well as producing what many consider the greatest film of all time, Citizen Kane in 1941. Howard Hughes' takeover of the studio in 1948 would begin a downward spiral for RKO.

### 1940

RKO released 55 pictures during this year, of which they produced 39. The studio also premiered two others, Little Men and Fantasia, which did not go into wide release until 1941 and 1942 respectively. The studio lost the services of director George Stevens this year, and despite emerging from receivership, RKO would post an almost $1 million loss in 1940. Highlights of the year included Abe Lincoln in Illinois, My Favorite Wife, Irene, and Kitty Foyle (which won an Academy Award for Best Actress for Ginger Rogers). In addition, the studio continued its successful Saint series, and released two major successes from Walt Disney: Pinocchio and Fantasia.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| January 5, 1940 | Legion of the Lawless | |
| January 12, 1940 | Mexican Spitfire | |
| January 19, 1940 | Married and in Love | |
| January 26, 1940 | The Saint's Double Trouble | |
| February 9, 1940 | Vigil in the Night | |
| February 16, 1940 | Swiss Family Robinson | Distribution only |
| February 23, 1940 | Pinocchio | Theatrical distribution only; produced by Walt Disney Productions |
| March 1, 1940 | Little Orvie | |
| March 7, 1940 | The Marines Fly High | |
| March 8, 1940 | Isle of Destiny | |
| March 15, 1940 | Millionaire Playboy | |
| March 22, 1940 | Primrose Path | |
| April 5, 1940 | The Courageous Dr. Christian | |
| April 12, 1940 | Bullet Code | |
| April 19, 1940 | Abe Lincoln in Illinois | |
| April 26, 1940 | Curtain Call | |
| May 3, 1940 | Irene | |
| May 10, 1940 | Beyond Tomorrow | |
| May 17, 1940 | My Favorite Wife | |
| May 21, 1940 | You Can't Fool Your Wife | |
| May 31, 1940 | A Bill of Divorcement | |
| June 7, 1940 | The Saint Takes Over | |
| June 14, 1940 | Prairie Law | |
| June 21, 1940 | Pop Always Pays | |
| June 28, 1940 | Anne of Windy Poplars | |
| July 5, 1940 | Dr. Christian Meets the Women | |
| July 12, 1940 | Cross-Country Romance | |
| July 12, 1940 | Millionaires in Prison | |
| July 19, 1940 | Tom Brown's School Days | |
| July 26, 1940 | Stage to Chino | |
| August 2, 1940 | Queen of Destiny | |
| August 2, 1940 | Lucky Partners | |
| August 9, 1940 | One Crowded Night | |
| August 16, 1940 | Stranger on the Third Floor | |
| August 16, 1940 | The Ramparts We Watch | |
| August 23, 1940 | Wildcat Bus | |
| August 30, 1940 | Dance, Girl, Dance | |
| September 6, 1940 | Men Against the Sky | |
| September 13, 1940 | Dreaming Out Loud | |
| September 20, 1940 | I'm Still Alive | |
| September 20, 1940 | Triple Justice | |
| October 4, 1940 | Wagon Train | |
| October 8, 1940 | Too Many Girls | |
| October 11, 1940* | The Villain Still Pursued Her | |
| October 18, 1940 | Laddie | |
| October 25, 1940 | They Knew What They Wanted | |
| November 1, 1940 | Li'l Abner | |
| November 13, 1940 | Fantasia | Distribution only; produced by Walt Disney Productions; premiered in New York City, followed by a premiere in Los Angeles on January 29, 1941, and went into wide release on April 10, 1942 |
| November 22, 1940 | You'll Find Out | |
| November 29, 1940 | Remedy for Riches | |
| November 29, 1940 | Mexican Spitfire Out West | |
| December 6, 1940 | The Fargo Kid | |
| December 7, 1940 | Little Men | Premiered in New York city, wide release on January 10, 1941 |
| December 13, 1940 | No, No, Nanette | |
| December 27, 1940 | Kitty Foyle | |

### 1941

RKO's year most likely will always be remembered for its release of Citizen Kane, which many consider to be the greatest film of all time. While the company saw a modest profit for the year, RKO lost the exclusive services of Ginger Rogers, the last great star of the studio, and Garson Kanin departed. Even the one bright spot, the signing of an agreement with the Samuel Goldwyn studios to distribute their films, was a double-edged sword, since the financial arrangements left little room for profits to be garnered by RKO. The studio released 45 films during the year, of which they produced 33. Highlights of the year, other than Citizen Kane, included Mr. and Mrs. Smith (a comedy directed by Alfred Hitchcock), the continuation of RKO's successful Saint franchise, The Devil and Miss Jones, The Little Foxes, Ball of Fire, Suspicion and Walt Disney's productions of The Reluctant Dragon and Dumbo; these last two were made, and one was released, in the midst of an animator strike at the Disney studio. A bit of trivia occurred this year when Bing Crosby's younger brother Bob made his film debut in Let's Make Music.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| January 3, 1941* | Convoy | Produced by Ealing Studios and released in 1940 in Great Britain |
| January 17, 1941 | Let's Make Music | |
| January 24, 1941 | The Saint in Palm Springs | |
| January 31, 1941 | Mr. & Mrs. Smith | |
| February 7, 1941 | Along the Rio Grande | |
| February 21, 1941 | Scattergood Baines | |
| February 22, 1941* | It Happened to One Man | Premiered in Great Britain in October 1940 |
| March 7, 1941* | Play Girl | |
| March 14, 1941 | A Girl, a Guy and a Gob | |
| March 21, 1941 | Footlight Fever | |
| March 28, 1941 | Melody for Three | |
| April 4, 1941 | Repent at Leisure | |
| April 11, 1941 | The Devil and Miss Jones | |
| April 18, 1941 | Robbers of the Range | |
| April 25, 1941 | They Met in Argentina | |
| May 1, 1941 | Citizen Kane | Co-produced with Mercury Theatre, premiered NYC, wide release on September 5, 1941 |
| May 9, 1941 | The Saint's Vacation | |
| May 23, 1941 | Scattergood Pulls the Strings | |
| May 30, 1941 | Sunny | |
| June 13, 1941 | Tom, Dick and Harry | |
| June 13, 1941 | Cyclone on Horseback | |
| June 13, 1941 | Hurry, Charlie, Hurry | |
| June 27, 1941 | The Reluctant Dragon | Distribution only; produced by Walt Disney Productions |
| June 27, 1941 | Jungle Cavalcade | |
| July 11, 1941 | They Meet Again | One of six films in the Dr. Christian series |
| July 18, 1941 | The Story of the Vatican | Distribution, The March of Time short |
| August 1, 1941 | My Life with Caroline | |
| August 8, 1941 | Six-Gun Gold | |
| August 22, 1941 | Scattergood Meets Broadway | |
| August 29, 1941 | The Little Foxes | Distribution only; produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions |
| September 12, 1941 | Parachute Battalion | |
| September 26, 1941 | Lady Scarface | |
| September 1941 | Norway in Revolt | Distribution, The March of Time feature |
| October 3, 1941 | Father Takes a Wife | |
| October 10, 1941 | The Bandit Trail | |
| October 17, 1941 | The Devil and Daniel Webster | Aka All That Money Can Buy |
| October 24, 1941 | The Gay Falcon | |
| October 31, 1941 | Dumbo | Theatrical distribution only; produced by Walt Disney Productions |
| November 7, 1941 | Unexpected Uncle | |
| November 14, 1941 | Suspicion | |
| November 21, 1941 | Look Who's Laughing | |
| November 28, 1941 | The Mexican Spitfire's Baby | |
| December 2, 1941 | Ball of Fire | Theatrical distribution only; produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions released in December, before its premiere in NYC on January 9, 1942 |
| December 12, 1941 | Week-End for Three | |
| December 12, 1941 | Dude Cowboy | |
| December 26, 1941 | Playmates | |

### 1942

In 1942, RKO was almost forced back into receivership, before Charles Koerner became head of production in March. The studio released 38 films in 1942, which included several films which they only distributed, such as another Walt Disney production, Bambi, which received mixed reviews at the time of its release, but has since been hailed as one of the hallmarks of Disney's animated canon. The year also saw the termination of the agreement between RKO and Orson Welles. There were few bright spots during the year, although one was the continuation of RKO's The Falcon series.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| January 16, 1942 | A Date with the Falcon | |
| January 23, 1942 | Four Jacks and a Jill | |
| January 30, 1942 | Obliging Young Lady | |
| February 6, 1942 | Valley of the Sun | |
| February 13, 1942 | Call Out the Marines | |
| February 20, 1942 | Joan of Paris | |
| February 27, 1942 | Riding the Wind | |
| March 6, 1942 | Sing Your Worries Away | |
| March 13, 1942 | Mexican Spitfire at Sea | |
| April 17, 1942 | Land of the Open Range | |
| April 20, 1942 | Suicide Squadron | Released June 27, 1941 in Great Britain as Dangerous Moonlight |
| April 24, 1942 | The Bashful Bachelor | |
| May 1, 1942 | The Tuttles of Tahiti | |
| May 8, 1942 | Scattergood Rides High | |
| May 15, 1942 | The Mayor of 44th Street | |
| May 22, 1942 | Syncopation | |
| May 29, 1942 | The Falcon Takes Over | |
| June 5, 1942 | Come on Danger | |
| June 12, 1942 | My Favorite Spy | |
| June 19, 1942 | Powder Town | |
| June 26, 1942 | Mexican Spitfire Sees a Ghost | |
| July 10, 1942 | The Magnificent Ambersons | Co-produced with Mercury Theatre |
| July 14, 1942 | The Pride of the Yankees | Distribution only; produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions Premiered in New York City and went into wide release on March 5, 1943 |
| July 24, 1942* | Thundering Hoofs | |
| August 21, 1942 | Bambi | Distribution only; produced by Walt Disney Productions |
| September 4, 1942 | The Big Street | |
| September 11, 1942 | Mexican Spitfire's Elephant | |
| September 18, 1942 | Wings and the Woman | |
| September 25, 1942 | Bandit Ranger | |
| October 2, 1942 | Highways by Night | |
| October 9, 1942 | Here We Go Again | |
| October 16, 1942 | Scattergood Survives a Murder | |
| October 30, 1942* | The Navy Comes Through | |
| November 6, 1942 | The Falcon's Brother | |
| November 6, 1942 | Red River Robin Hood | |
| November 13, 1942 | Seven Days' Leave | |
| November 18, 1942 | Seven Miles from Alcatraz | Premiered in New York City and went into wide release on January 8, 1943 |
| November 27, 1942 | Once Upon a Honeymoon | |
| November 20, 1942 | Pirates of the Prairie | |
| December 4, 1942 | Army Surgeon | |
| December 17, 1942 | The Great Gildersleeve | |
| December 25, 1942 | Cat People | |

### 1943

1943 was a very profitable year for the studio, with 43 of the 46 films that were released during the year showing profits. The year also saw a few critical successes, such as Mr. Lucky, They Got Me Covered, Hitler's Children, and Behind the Rising Sun.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| January 14, 1943 | Hitler's Children | Premiered in Cincinnati, OH; wide release March 19, 1943 |
| January 15, 1943 | Fighting Frontier | |
| January 22, 1943* | Cinderella Swings It | |
| January 27, 1943 | They Got Me Covered | Distribution only; produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions; premiered in San Francisco, wide release February 5, 1943 |
| February 6, 1943 | Saludos Amigos | World premiere in Rio de Janeiro, August 24, 1942; US premiere in Boston, with wide release on February 19, 1943; distribution only; produced by Walt Disney Productions |
| February 12, 1943 | Journey into Fear | |
| February 19, 1943 | Tarzan Triumphs | |
| February 26, 1943 | Two Weeks to Live | |
| March 26, 1943 | Forever and a Day | |
| March 26, 1943 | Ladies' Day | Premiered in New York City, wide release April 9, 1943 |
| April 1, 1943 | The Falcon Strikes Back | Premiered in New York City, wide release May 7, 1943 |
| April 2, 1943 | Flight for Freedom | |
| April 2, 1943 | Sagebrush Law | |
| April 21, 1943 | I Walked with a Zombie | Premiered in New York City, wide release April 30, 1943 |
| May 8, 1943 | The Leopard Man | |
| May 10, 1943 | Squadron Leader X | Premiered March 1, 1943 in the U.K. |
| May 14, 1943 | Bombardier | |
| May 20, 1943* | The Avenging Rider | |
| May 28, 1943 | Mr. Lucky | |
| June 10, 1943 | Gildersleeve's Bad Day | |
| June 12, 1943 | Spitfire | Premiered in the U.K. (as The First of the Few) on September 14, 1942 |
| July 17, 1943* | The Falcon in Danger | |
| July 17, 1943* | Mexican Spitfire's Blessed Event | |
| July 17, 1943* | Petticoat Larceny | |
| July 29, 1943 | The Saint Meets the Tiger | |
| August 1, 1943* | Behind the Rising Sun | |
| August 17, 1943 | So This is Washington | |
| August 19, 1943 | The Fallen Sparrow | |
| August 20, 1943 | The Adventures of a Rookie | |
| August 21, 1943 | The Seventh Victim | |
| September 2, 1943 | The Sky's the Limit | |
| September 15, 1943 | A Lady Takes a Chance | |
| October 25, 1943 | The Iron Major | |
| October 28, 1943* | Gildersleeve on Broadway | |
| November 4, 1943* | The North Star | Distribution only; produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions |
| November 10, 1943* | The Falcon and the Co-eds | |
| December 16, 1943 | Gangway for Tomorrow | |
| December 24, 1943 | The Ghost Ship | |
| December 26, 1943 | Tarzan's Desert Mystery | |
| December 29, 1943 | Tender Comrade | |
| November 24, 1943 | Around the World | |
| December 1943* | Rookies in Burma | |
| May 7, 1943 | This Land Is Mine | |

### 1944

1944 was another profitable year for the studio, which released 36 films. In addition, there were quite a few notable occurrences for RKO that year. First, they entered into an agreement to release the films by the independent production house, International Pictures; second, two major stars would make their film debuts — Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck; and third, several notable writers would make their initial foray into directing: Clifford Odets, Howard Estabrook, and Herbert Biberman. The studio's film highlights of 1944 included Higher and Higher (Frank Sinatra's first film lead), The Princess and the Pirate, Tall in the Saddle, Murder, My Sweet, The Woman in the Window, and None But the Lonely Heart.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| January 1, 1944 | Higher and Higher | |
| January 6, 1944 | Government Girl | |
| February 14, 1944 | Escape to Danger | World premiere in London on July 22, 1943 |
| February 18, 1944 | Action in Arabia | |
| February 17, 1944 | Up in Arms | Distribution only; produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions |
| February 25, 1944 | Passport to Destiny | |
| March 2, 1944 | The Curse of the Cat People | |
| March 17, 1944 | The Falcon Out West | |
| April 13, 1944 | Yellow Canary | World premiere in London on October 19, 1943 |
| April 18, 1944 | Coastal Command | |
| April 25, 1944 | Seven Days Ashore | |
| May 10, 1944 | Show Business | |
| June 8, 1944 | Days of Glory | |
| June 9, 1944 | A Night of Adventure | |
| June 30, 1944 | Marine Raiders | |
| July 26, 1944 | Step Lively | |
| July 28, 1944 | Mademoiselle Fifi | |
| August 23, 1944 | Casanova Brown | World premiere in Western France, just after its liberation in World War II, on August 5, 1944 |
| September 1, 1944 | Youth Runs Wild | |
| September 5, 1944 | Gildersleeve's Ghost | |
| September 15, 1944 | Bride by Mistake | |
| September 29, 1944 | Tall in the Saddle | |
| September 1944 | Goin' to Town | |
| October 6, 1944 | Music in Manhattan | |
| October 8, 1944 | My Pal Wolf | |
| October 17, 1944 | None but the Lonely Heart | |
| October 18, 1944 | The Master Race | |
| October 20, 1944 | Heavenly Days | |
| October 25, 1944 | Girl Rush | |
| November 3, 1944 | The Woman in the Window | Distribution only; produced by International Pictures |
| November 4, 1944 | The Falcon in Mexico | |
| November 17, 1944 | The Princess and the Pirate | Distribution only; produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions |
| December 8, 1944 | The Falcon in Hollywood | |
| December 9, 1944 | Murder, My Sweet | |
| December 20, 1944 | Nevada | |
| December 27, 1944 | Belle of the Yukon | |
| December 29, 1944 | Experiment Perilous | |

### 1945

Hampered by an industry-wide strike, RKO released only 34 films in 1945, but managed another profitable year. Two more independents agreed to distribution deals with the studio: Rainbow Productions and Liberty Films (Frank Capra's film company). The studio signed numerous stars during the year, such as John Wayne, Cary Grant, Bing Crosby, Ingrid Bergman, Rosalind Russell and Paul Henreid, and the year also marked the return of Ginger Rogers to the studio. Some of RKO's cinematic highlights of 1945 included Along Came Jones, The Enchanted Cottage, Johnny Angel, and The Spanish Main. Two notable films RKO released during 1945 were produced by outside companies: Walt Disney's The Three Caballeros and a film from Leo McCarey's Rainbow Productions named The Bells of St. Mary's; the latter film of the two would become the biggest grossing film in RKO's history.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| January 27, 1945 | What a Blonde | |
| February 22, 1945 | The Three Caballeros | World premiere in Mexico City on December 21, 1944; distribution only; produced by Walt Disney Productions |
| March 3, 1945 | It's a Pleasure | |
| March 22, 1945 | Pan-Americana | |
| April 12, 1945 | Having Wonderful Crime | |
| April 13, 1945 | Two O'Clock Courage | |
| April 24, 1945 | Betrayal from the East | |
| April 26, 1945 | Zombies on Broadway | |
| April 28, 1945 | The Enchanted Cottage | |
| April 29, 1945 | Tarzan and the Amazons | |
| May 10, 1945 | The Brighton Strangler | |
| May 24, 1945 | China Sky | |
| May 25, 1945 | The Body Snatcher | |
| June 8, 1945* | Wonder Man | Distribution only; produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions |
| June 19, 1945 | Those Endearing Young Charms | |
| June 20, 1945 | Along Came Jones | Distribution only; produced by International Pictures |
| June 25, 1945 | Back to Bataan | |
| July 25, 1945 | The Falcon in San Francisco | |
| August 1, 1945 | Radio Stars on Parade | |
| August 8, 1945* | Mama Loves Papa | |
| August 11, 1945 | West of the Pecos | |
| September 7, 1945 | Isle of the Dead | |
| September 11, 1945 | First Yank into Tokyo | |
| September 28, 1945 | Wanderer of the Wasteland | |
| October 4, 1945 | The Spanish Main | |
| October 10, 1945 | George White's Scandals | |
| October 25, 1945 | Johnny Angel | |
| November 14, 1945* | Sing Your Way Home | |
| November 16, 1945 | Man Alive | |
| November 23, 1945 | A Game of Death | |
| December 6, 1945 | The Bells of St. Mary's | Theatrical distribution only |
| December 20, 1945 | Dick Tracy | |
| December 22, 1945 | Hotel Reserve | World premiere in London on June 1, 1944 |
| December 25, 1945 | Cornered | |

### 1946

Perhaps the best overall year for the studio, it would rake in over $12M in profits, and release 38 films, some of which received high critical acclaim. Unfortunately for RKO, studio head Charles Koerner, the man responsible for this success, died of leukemia early in the year. Highlights of the year included The Spiral Staircase, The Kid from Brooklyn, Till the End of Time, Notorious, The Best Years of Our Lives, It's a Wonderful Life and Nocturne. During the year, RKO also released a film that would haunt its producer's studio in years to come: Walt Disney's Song of the South.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| February 7, 1946 | The Spiral Staircase | |
| February 13, 1946 | Riverboat Rhythm | |
| February 18, 1946 | Tarzan and the Leopard Woman | |
| February 20, 1946 | Tomorrow Is Forever | World premiere in London on January 18, 1946; distribution only; produced by International Pictures |
| March 21, 1946 | The Kid from Brooklyn | Theatrical distribution only; produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions [N2] owned by The Samuel Goldwyn Family Trustee |
| April 3, 1946 | Deadline at Dawn | |
| April 15, 1946 | Ding Dong Williams | |
| April 19, 1946 | From This Day Forward | |
| April 20, 1946 | Make Mine Music | Premiered in New York City, wide release on August 15, 1946; distribution only; produced by Walt Disney Productions |
| April 22, 1946 | The Falcon's Alibi | |
| April 25, 1946 | Partners in Time | |
| April 22, 1946 | Badman's Territory | |
| May 10, 1946 | Bedlam | |
| May 10, 1946 | Heartbeat | |
| May 13, 1946 | Without Reservations | |
| July 2, 1946 | The Stranger | |
| July 15, 1946 | The Bamboo Blonde | |
| July 23, 1946 | Till the End of Time | |
| July 26, 1946 | The Truth About Murder | |
| August 15, 1946 | Notorious | Premiered in New York City, wide release on September 6, 1946 |
| August 30, 1946 | Step by Step | |
| September 6, 1946 | Crack-Up | |
| September 29, 1946 | Sister Kenny | Premiered in New York City, wide release on October 10, 1946 |
| October 1, 1946 | Sunset Pass | |
| October 15, 1946 | Child of Divorce | |
| October 18, 1946 | Lady Luck | |
| October 20, 1946 | Genius at Work | |
| October 29, 1946 | Nocturne | |
| October 30, 1946 | Great Day | World premiere in London on April 13, 1945 |
| November 12, 1946 | Song of the South | Premiered in Atlanta, GA, wide release on November 20, 1946; Distribution only; produced by Walt Disney Productions |
| November 15, 1946 | Criminal Court | Premiered in New York City, wide release on November 20, 1946 |
| November 21, 1946 | The Best Years of Our Lives | Distribution only; produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions |
| November 22, 1946 | Dick Tracy vs. Cueball | Premiered in New York City, wide release on December 18, 1946 |
| December 5, 1946 | San Quentin | Premiered in Boston, wide release on December 17, 1946 |
| December 10, 1946 | Vacation in Reno | |
| December 13, 1946 | The Falcon's Adventure | |
| December 20, 1946 | It's a Wonderful Life | Theatrical distribution only; produced by Liberty Films |
| December 20, 1946 | The Locket | |

### 1947

This year saw the beginning of activity by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in the film industry. Two of the infamous "Hollywood Ten" were the only director and producer among that group (Edward Dmytryk and Adrian Scott, respectively), and were also two of RKO's top talent. In addition, production costs were rising at the same time that revenues, both domestically and overseas, were declining. Despite those challenges, the studio saw another profitable year, releasing 35 films. Some of more notable films released during 1947 included Trail Street, The Farmer's Daughter, The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer, Crossfire (the last picture of Scott and Dmytryk before their blacklist), Out of the Past, and the Samuel Goldwyn efforts The Bishop's Wife, and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Two of the largest disappointments (artistically and financially) were Mourning Becomes Electra and Tycoon.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| January 13, 1947 | Sinbad the Sailor | |
| February 19, 1947 | Beat the Band | |
| February 19, 1947 | Trail Street | |
| February 20, 1947 | The Devil Thumbs a Ride | |
| February 20, 1947 | Code of the West | |
| April 5, 1947 | Tarzan and the Huntress | |
| April 16, 1947 | A Likely Story | |
| May 3, 1947 | Born to Kill | |
| May 14, 1947 | Thunder Mountain | |
| May 15, 1947 | Banjo | |
| May 17, 1947 | Desperate | |
| May 17, 1947 | Honeymoon | |
| May 25, 1947 | The Farmer's Daughter | Premiered in New York City, wide release on May 26, 1947 |
| June 7, 1947 | The Woman on the Beach | |
| June 28, 1947 | Riff-Raff | Premiered in New York City, wide release on September 15, 1947 |
| July 12, 1947 | Dick Tracy's Dilemma | |
| July 16, 1947* | They Won't Believe Me | |
| July 22, 1947 | Crossfire | Premiered in New York City, wide release on August 15, 1947 |
| July 24, 1947 | The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer | Premiered in New York City, wide release on September 1, 1947 |
| July 30, 1947 | Seven Keys to Baldpate | Premiered in Los Angeles, wide release on October 1, 1947 |
| August 1, 1947 | Under the Tonto Rim | |
| August 4, 1947 | The Secret Life of Walter Mitty | Distribution only; produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions;premiered in Chicago, wide release on September 1, 1947 |
| August 6, 1947 | The Long Night | |
| September 26, 1947 | Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome | |
| September 27, 1947 | Fun and Fancy Free | Distribution only; produced by Walt Disney Productions |
| October 7, 1947 | Magic Town | Premiered in New York City, wide release on October 12, 1947 |
| October 21, 1947 | Man About Town | World premiere in Paris, May 21, 1947 |
| November 4, 1947 | So Well Remembered | Premiered in London on July 8, 1947 |
| November 3, 1947 | The Fugitive | |
| November 13, 1947 | Wild Horse Mesa | |
| November 13, 1947 | Out of the Past | |
| November 19, 1947 | Mourning Becomes Electra | |
| December 9, 1947 | The Bishop's Wife | Premiered in New York City, wide release on February 16, 1948; distribution only; produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions |
| December 27, 1947 | Tycoon | |

### 1948

1948 marked the beginning of the slow end of the studio when Howard Hughes purchased enough stock to gain control of RKO. This precipitated another shake-up in the creative control at the production company, which in turn led to seventy-five percent of the studio's workforce being terminated in July, and production coming to a virtual standstill. RKO managed to release 32 films during the year, but most were either through distribution deals, or had been finished prior to Hughes' takeover. Despite the light release schedule, the studio did have a few highlights, which included Fort Apache, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, Rachel and the Stranger, A Song Is Born, and Every Girl Should Be Married. In addition, I Remember Mama and The Pearl were critical, if not financial, successes. The biggest disappointment was Joan of Arc.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| January 20, 1948 | Night Song | |
| January 24, 1948 | Western Heritage | |
| February 7, 1948 | If You Knew Susie | |
| February 17, 1948 | The Pearl | Spanish version premiered in Mexico City on September 12, 1947, English version premiered in New York City |
| March 11, 1948 | I Remember Mama | Premiered in New York City, wide release on March 17, 1948 |
| March 16, 1948 | The Miracle of the Bells | Premiered in New York City, wide release on March 27, 1948 |
| March 23, 1948 | The Arizona Ranger | |
| March 27, 1948 | Fort Apache | |
| April 14, 1948 | Design for Death | Academy Award Winner for Best Documentary of 1947 |
| April 27, 1948 | Tarzan and the Mermaids | Premiered in Los Angeles, wide release on May 15, 1948 |
| May 7, 1948 | Berlin Express | |
| May 27, 1948 | Melody Time | Distribution only; produced by Walt Disney Productions |
| June 4, 1948 | Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House | |
| June 19, 1948 | Fighting Father Dunne | |
| June 18, 1948 | Guns of Hate | |
| June 22, 1948 | Race Street | |
| July 1, 1948 | Mystery in Mexico | |
| July 17, 1948 | Return of the Bad Men | |
| August 21, 1948 | Variety Time | |
| August 25, 1948 | The Velvet Touch | |
| September 1, 1948 | Good Sam | |
| September 4, 1948 | Bodyguard | |
| September 18, 1948 | Rachel and the Stranger | Premiered in New York City, wide release on October 2, 1948 |
| October 19, 1948 | Station West | |
| October 19, 1948 | A Song is Born | Distribution only; produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions; premiered in New York City, wide release on November 6, 1948 |
| November 9, 1948 | Blood on the Moon | |
| November 9, 1948 | Every Girl Should Be Married | |
| November 11, 1948 | Joan of Arc | |
| December 2, 1948 | The Green Promise | Premiered in Chicago, wide release on March 22, 1949 |
| December 11, 1948 | Indian Agent | |
| December 11, 1948 | Enchantment | Distribution only; produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions |
| December 27, 1948 | The Boy With Green Hair | |
| December 28, 1948 | Gun Smugglers | |

### 1949

This was not a banner year for the studio, as Hughes continued to interfere with the creative people underneath him. RKO only began production on 12 films during the year, although they would release 34. The few highlights of 1949 included The Set-Up, The Big Steal, Mighty Joe Young, and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. They Live by Night was a critical success, but it did poorly at box office.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| January 19, 1949 | So Dear to My Heart | Premiered in Indianapolis, wide release on January 30, 1949; distribution only; produced by Walt Disney Productions |
| February 5, 1949 | Tarzan's Magic Fountain | |
| February 7, 1949 | A Woman's Secret | |
| February 8, 1949 | Brothers in the Saddle | |
| February 11, 1949 | Riders of the Range | |
| February 14, 1949 | The Clay Pigeon | |
| March 29, 1949 | The Set-Up | Premiered in New York City, wide release on April 2, 1949 |
| April 19, 1949 | Adventure in Baltimore | |
| May 4, 1949 | Arctic Fury | Premiered in New York City, wide release on April 2, 1949 |
| May 14, 1949 | Rustlers | |
| May 17, 1949 | The Window | Premiered in Los Angeles, wide release on October 1, 1949 |
| June 11, 1949 | The Judge Steps Out | |
| June 16, 1949 | Roughshod | |
| June 27, 1949 | Stagecoach Kid | |
| July 1, 1949 | The Big Steal | |
| July 7, 1949 | Follow Me Quietly | |
| July 26, 1949 | She Wore a Yellow Ribbon | Premiered in Kansas City, KS, wide release on October 22, 1949 |
| July 27, 1949 | Mighty Joe Young | Premiered in New York City, wide release on July 30, 1949 |
| August 11, 1949 | Make Mine Laughs | |
| August 18, 1949 | Roseanna McCoy | Premiered in Wheeling, WV, wide release on August 20, 1949; distribution only; produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions |
| September 10, 1949 | The Mysterious Desperado | |
| September 17, 1949 | Savage Splendor | |
| September 29, 1949 | Strange Bargain | Premiered in New York, wide release on November 5, 1949 |
| October 5, 1949 | The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad | Distribution only; produced by Walt Disney Productions |
| October 7, 1949 | The Woman on Pier 13 | Previewed in Los Angeles, wide release on June 3, 1950 |
| October 8, 1949 | Easy Living | |
| October 15, 1949 | Masked Raiders | |
| November 3, 1949 | They Live by Night | Premiered in London in August 1948 |
| November 12, 1949 | Bride for Sale | Distribution only; produced by Crest Productions |
| November 23, 1949 | Holiday Affair | Premiered in New York, wide release on December 24, 1949 |
| November 26, 1949 | The Threat | |
| November 26, 1949 | A Dangerous Profession | |
| December 25, 1949 | My Foolish Heart | Distribution only; produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions; premiered in Los Angeles, wide release on January 21, 1950 |

## 1950s

The decade would be the last for the original RKO Studio. The downward spiral which had begun upon Hughes' gaining control in 1948 continued. In addition, the studio suffered from a sequence of other difficulties, from which it was unable to overcome. These included a failed sale of the studio to several racketeers, the loss of RKO's chain of movie theaters (due to government regulation), and a multitude of lawsuits. The setbacks ultimately led, in 1955, to the studio's sale to General Teleradio, Inc., the entertainment subsidiary of General Tire and Rubber Company. Ironically, General Teleradio was basically a radio and television company, and it was competition with television which put the final nails in RKO's coffin. RKO ended production in 1958.

### 1950

Of the 30 films released by the studio during the year, approximately half were actually produced by the studio. In addition, not a single picture would generate profits greater than $100,000, the first time this happened in the history of RKO, and this resulted in the first net loss for the studio ($5.8M) in over a decade. Hope was raised when Hughes hired what many considered the top producer-writer team in Hollywood, Jerry Wald and Norman Krasna, who were contracted to produce 60 films over the next five years. The few highlights were all films which were not produced by RKO: The Outlaw (Jane Russell's debut — and a re-release of the film which had seen limited release as an independent Hughes' production in 1943 and 1946, so is not included in the below list), along with Walt Disney's productions of Cinderella and Treasure Island, the first project he made which was entirely live-action.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| January 28, 1950 | The Man on the Eiffel Tower | World premiere in Montreal, Quebec on January 19, 1950, premiered in New York City in the US, with wide release on February 4, 1950 |
| February 9, 1950 | The Tattooed Stranger | |
| February 15, 1950 | Stromboli | Premiered in New York City, wide release on February 18, 1950 |
| February 21, 1950 | The Secret Fury | |
| March 4, 1950 | Cinderella | Distribution only; produced by Walt Disney Productions |
| April 8, 1950 | The Capture | |
| April 8, 1950 | The Golden Twenties | |
| April 22, 1950 | Wagon Master | |
| April 22, 1950 | Storm Over Wyoming | |
| June 6, 1950 | Destination Murder | |
| June 7, 1950 | Rider from Tucson | |
| June 8, 1950 | Armored Car Robbery | |
| June 15, 1950 | Dynamite Pass | |
| June 23, 1950 | Tarzan and the Slave Girl | |
| June 24, 1950 | The White Tower | |
| July 19, 1950 | Treasure Island | World premiere in London on June 22, 1950; distribution only; produced by Walt Disney Productions |
| July 27, 1950 | Our Very Own | Distribution only; produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions |
| August 3, 1950 | Edge of Doom | Distribution only; produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions |
| August 5, 1950* | Border Treasure | |
| August 31, 1950 | Born to Be Bad | |
| September 1, 1950 | Bunco Squad | |
| September 27, 1950 | Outrage | |
| October 14, 1950 | Walk Softly, Stranger | Premiered in New York City, wide release on November 4, 1950 |
| October 21, 1950* | Rio Grande Patrol | |
| November 16, 1950 | Where Danger Lives | |
| November 21, 1950 | Experiment Alcatraz | |
| November 21, 1950 | Never a Dull Moment | Premiered in New York City, wide release on November 22, 1950 |
| December 1, 1950 | Double Deal | |
| December 25, 1950 | Vendetta | |
| December 27, 1950 | Law of the Badlands | |

### 1951

The studio's slow slide to oblivion continued in 1951, exacerbated by the government requirement that they split off their theater operations from their film operations. The RKO Story, by Richard Jewell with Vernon Harbin, states that RKO had "... become the combination laughing stock and pariah of the entire industry." Barely showing a profit, the studio released 39 films, the highlights being: Payment on Demand, The Racket, The Thing from Another World (aka The Thing), Flying Leathernecks, and The Blue Veil. The biggest financial and critical disappointment RKO had during the year was a film from Walt Disney that would ironically be hailed as an animated classic: Alice in Wonderland.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| January 6, 1951 | The Company She Keeps | |
| January 20, 1951 | Gambling House | |
| February 3, 1951 | Payment on Demand | |
| February 22, 1951 | Cry Danger | |
| February 22, 1951 | Nor Orchids for Miss Blandish | |
| February 16, 1951 | Hunt the Man Down | |
| March 10, 1951 | Tarzan's Peril | |
| March 21, 1951 | Footlight Varieties | |
| April 3, 1951 | Kon-Tiki | Received Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature |
| April 20, 1951 | Saddle Legion | |
| April 21, 1951 | My Forbidden Past | |
| April 24, 1951 | Gunplay | |
| April 29, 1951 | The Thing from Another World | Co-produced with Winchester Pictures Corporation |
| May 4, 1951 | Jungle Headhunters | |
| May 5, 1951 | Tokyo File 212 | |
| May 19, 1951 | Sealed Cargo | |
| May 23, 1951 | Hard, Fast and Beautiful | Premiered in San Francisco, wide release on June 9, 1951 |
| July 23, 1951* | Lilli Marlene | |
| July 8, 1951 | Happy Go Lovely | World premiere in London on June 7, 1951; U.S. distribution only; produced by Excelsior Films |
| July 27, 1951 | Pistol Harvest | |
| July 28, 1951 | Alice in Wonderland | World premiere in London on July 26, 1951; distribution only; produced by Walt Disney Productions |
| July 30, 1951 | Roadblock | |
| June 9, 1951 | Best of the Badmen | |
| August 15, 1951 | His Kind of Woman | Premiered in Philadelphia, wide release on August 25, 1951 |
| August 28, 1951 | Flying Leathernecks | |
| September 5, 1951 | The Blue Veil | |
| September 19, 1951 | Behave Yourself! | |
| September 28, 1951 | On the Loose | |
| October 4, 1951 | Tembo | Documentary; premiered in Dallas, wide release on January 4, 1952 |
| October 11, 1951 | Slaughter Trail | |
| October 16, 1951 | Drums in the Deep South | |
| October 24, 1951 | The Whip Hand | |
| October 25, 1951 | The Racket | |
| October 30, 1951 | Hot Lead | |
| November 20, 1951 | Two Tickets to Broadway | |
| December 15, 1951* | Overland Telegraph | |
| December 17, 1951 | On Dangerous Ground | |
| December 22, 1951 | I Want You | Distribution only; produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions |
| December 25, 1951 | Double Dynamite | |
| December 25, 1951* | Rashomon | Distribution only, produced by Daiei Film; received an Academy Honorary Award for Foreign Film |

### 1952

According to The RKO Story, "... 1952 was the most tempestuous year in the history of an altogether tempestuous enterprise." The studio was plagued by lawsuits, and Howard Hughes would eventually sell his stock in the company. However, the group he sold it to was involved in scandal, and was forced to back out of the deal prior to year's end, leaving the studio virtually without an owner. RKO lost over $10 million on the release of 31 films, half of which were not produced by the studio. In fact, the studio only produced one film in the last five months of the year. 1952 saw few cinematic highlights, and the company's only successes that year came in Rashomon (a Japanese film which had opened in December of the prior year) and Samuel Goldwyn's production of Hans Christian Andersen. The last Goldwyn production to be distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, in fact.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| January 8, 1952 | A Girl in Every Port | |
| January 30, 1952 | The Las Vegas Story | |
| February 4, 1952 | At Sword's Point | |
| February 13, 1952* | Trail Guide | |
| February 14, 1952* | Road Agent | |
| March 6, 1952 | Rancho Notorious | |
| March 14, 1952* | Tarzan's Savage Fury | |
| March 20, 1952* | Whispering Smith vs. Scotland Yard | Premiered in London on January 31, 1952; aka Whispering Smith Hits London |
| March 21, 1952 | The Pace That Thrills | |
| April 7, 1952* | The Faithful City | |
| April 11, 1952* | Target | |
| April 30, 1952 | Macao | |
| May 2, 1952 | The Narrow Margin | |
| May 4, 1952* | The Half-Breed | |
| May 13, 1952* | Desert Passage | |
| May 28, 1952 | The Wild Heart | |
| June 6, 1952 | Clash by Night | |
| June 26, 1952 | The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men | World premiere in London on March 22, 1952; distribution only; produced by Walt Disney Productions |
| July 29, 1952 | The Big Sky | Premiered in Chicago, wide release August 19, 1952 |
| July 21, 1952* | One Minute to Zero | |
| August 7, 1952* | Sudden Fear | Distribution only |
| September 12, 1952 | Beware, My Lovely | |
| October 2, 1952* | Under the Red Sea | |
| October 10, 1952* | Captive Women | |
| October 24, 1952 | The Lusty Men | |
| October 30, 1952 | Androcles and the Lion | Premiered in Los Angeles, wide release January 9, 1953 |
| November 7, 1952 | Montana Belle | Premiered in New York City, wide release November 11, 1952 |
| November 14, 1952 | Face to Face | |
| November 25, 1952 | Hans Christian Andersen | Premiered in New York City, wide release December 19, 1952; distribution only; produced by Samuel Goldwyn Productions |
| December 24, 1952 | Blackbeard the Pirate | |
| December 25, 1952 | No Time for Flowers | Premiered in New York City, wide release January 31, 1953 |

### 1953

The year was another disaster for the studio, which was mired in lawsuits. The company returned to the control of Howard Hughes, but the studio released only 24 films during the year, the fewest total since their inaugural year of 1929, which had not been a full year. Of those 24 films, only 8 were actual RKO productions. Disney's Peter Pan, the Academy Award-winning documentary The Sea Around Us, and the 3-D Second Chance comprised the trio of highlights for the studio during 1953. On June 23, 1953, Walt Disney severed ties with RKO after a heated dispute with Hughes over the distribution of his True-Life Adventures series of nature documentaries, opting to form his own distribution company.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| January 13, 1953 | Decameron Nights | Premiered London, wide release on November 16, 1953 |
| January 21, 1953 | Sword of Venus | Premiered Los Angeles, wide release on February 20, 1953 |
| January 28, 1953 | Never Wave at a WAC | |
| February 4, 1953 | Angel Face | Premiered Los Angeles, wide release on February 11, 1953 |
| February 5, 1953 | Peter Pan | Distribution only; produced by Walt Disney Productions |
| March 20, 1953 | The Hitch-Hiker | |
| April 1, 1953 | Count the Hours | |
| April 3, 1953 | Port Sinister | Premiered Los Angeles, wide release on April 10, 1953 |
| April 25, 1953* | The Big Frame | |
| May 2, 1953 | Split Second | |
| May 23, 1953 | Sea Devils | |
| June 8, 1953 | Tarzan and the She-Devil | |
| June 20, 1953 | Affair with a Stranger | |
| July 5, 1953* | Night Without Stars | |
| July 7, 1953* | The Sea Around Us | |
| July 18, 1953 | Second Chance | |
| July 23, 1953 | The Sword and the Rose | Distribution only; produced by Walt Disney Productions |
| July 29, 1953 | Below the Sahara | Premiered Los Angeles, wide release on September 1, 1953 |
| August 15, 1953 | Devil's Canyon | |
| September 23, 1953 | Marry Me Again | Premiered in Seattle, wide release on October 22, 1953 |
| October 14, 1953 | Louisiana Territory | Premiered in New Orleans, wide release on October 16, 1953 |
| October 16, 1953 | Appointment in Honduras | |
| December 29, 1953 | The French Line | Premiered London, wide release on February 8, 1954 |

### 1954

Although Howard Hughes purchased all the outstanding shares of stock of the company, becoming the first individual to own a major studio since the era of silent films, the downward trajectory of RKO continued. Only 14 films were released, and there was not a single notable one among them.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| January 23, 1954 | Killers from Space | |
| February 15, 1954 | She Couldn't Say No | |
| February 27, 1954 | Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue | Premiered London, wide release on October 26, 1953; distribution only; produced by Walt Disney Productions |
| March 6, 1954 | Dangerous Mission | |
| April 15, 1954 | The Saint's Girl Friday | |
| April 16, 1954 | Carnival Story | |
| June 1954* | Sins of Rome | |
| June 24, 1954 | Silver Lode | |
| July 14, 1954 | Susan Slept Here | |
| September 28, 1954 | Africa Adventure | |
| October 6, 1954 | Passion | |
| November 3, 1954 | This Is My Love | Premiered Los Angeles, wide release on November 11, 1954 |
| November 18, 1954 | Cattle Queen of Montana | |
| October 10, 1954 | Hansel and Gretel | Premiered in New York City, wide release on December 25, 1954; distribution only |
| December 14, 1954 | Naked Sea | Premiered Long Beach, CA, wide release on December 13, 1955 |

### 1955

Howard Hughes sold RKO to General Teleradio in the middle of the year. Teleradio was the entertainment arm of the General Tire and Rubber Company, and had purchased the studio to gain access to its film library, which it intended to air on its small network of television stations. RKO became a division in the new company, RKO Teleradio Pictures. While the studio came up with its own version of the wide screen format, called Superscope, they would only release 14 films during the year, the only one of which was notable was the musical, Oklahoma!, which RKO distributed.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| January 29, 1955 | The Americano | |
| February 9, 1955 | Underwater! | |
| February 16, 1955 | Tarzan's Hidden Jungle | |
| March 26, 1955 | Rage at Dawn | |
| April 9, 1955 | Escape to Burma | |
| May 4, 1955 | Quest for the Lost City | |
| June 1, 1955 | Son of Sinbad | |
| June 29, 1955 | Wakamba! | |
| July 4, 1955 | Pearl of the South Pacific | |
| September 14, 1955 | Bengazi | |
| September 21, 1955 | Tennessee's Partner | |
| October 11, 1955 | Oklahoma! | Distribution only, and only for its first run; distributed for its second run by 20th Century Fox |
| October 19, 1955 | The Treasure of Pancho Villa | |
| November 30, 1955 | Texas Lady | |

### 1956

While the studio increased its number of releases to 20 in 1956, by year's end the fact that RKO was looking to sell part of its distribution arm was a signal that the death knell was tolling for the studio. There were, however, a few notable films released, such as Fritz Lang's final two American films, While the City Sleeps, and Beyond a Reasonable Doubt. The studio's highest-grossing film of the year, The Conqueror, was also its biggest financial flop, since its $4.5 million in North American rentals did not come close to covering its $6 million cost.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| January 11, 1956 | Glory | |
| January 18, 1956 | Postmark for Danger | Released in Great Britain as Portrait of Alison |
| January 25, 1956 | Cash on Delivery | Released in Great Britain as To Dorothy a Son |
| February 8, 1956 | Slightly Scarlet | |
| February 22, 1956 | The Conqueror | Premiered Los Angeles, wide release on March 28, 1956 |
| February 1956* | The Brain Machine | |
| April 11, 1956 | The Way Out | |
| April 18, 1956 | The Bold and the Brave | |
| May 16, 1956 | While the City Sleeps | Premiered in New York City, wide release on May 30, 1956; distribution only |
| May 16, 1956 | Great Day in the Morning | |
| May 30, 1956* | Murder on Approval | |
| August 15, 1956* | The First Traveling Saleslady | |
| September 8, 1956 | Back from Eternity | |
| September 13, 1956 | Beyond a Reasonable Doubt | |
| October 3, 1956* | Tension at Table Rock | |
| October 17, 1956* | Finger of Guilt | Released in Great Britain as The Intimate Stranger |
| October 26, 1956 | The Brave One | |
| November 5, 1956 | Death of a Scoundrel | |
| December 19, 1956 | Bundle of Joy | |
| December 21, 1956 | Man in the Vault | Distribution only; produced by Batjac Productions |

### 1957

This was the end of production for the original RKO Radio Pictures. All production was halted in January, and distribution was handled by Universal-International. Only 11 films were released, and none were noteworthy.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| April 7, 1957 | The Young Stranger | |
| May 17, 1957 | Public Pigeon No. 1 | Premiered in Los Angeles, wide release June 5, 1957 |
| September 2, 1957* | Cartouche | |
| July 25, 1957 | Run of the Arrow | |
| September 25, 1957 | Jet Pilot | Premiered in Los Angeles, wide release October 4, 1957 |
| August 22, 1957 | That Night! | |
| October 1957 | The Unholy Wife | |
| November 13, 1957 | All Mine to Give | Premiered in Oshkosh, Wisconsin; wide release January 1958 |
| November 27, 1957 | The Violators | |
| October 17, 1957 | Escapade in Japan | Premiered in San Francisco, wide release November 1957 |
| 1957 | Guilty? | |

### 1958–60

While the studio was no longer producing films, it would release the 12 it had already made over the three-year period from 1958 to 1960.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| February 5, 1958 | The Girl Most Likely | Production only; distributed by Universal Pictures |
| March 6, 1958* | Stage Struck | Production only; distributed by Buena Vista Distribution |
| May 14, 1958 | I Married a Woman | Production only; distributed by Universal Pictures |
| August 6, 1958 | The Naked and the Dead | Production only; distributed by Warner Bros.; final RKO release |
| November 6, 1958* | From the Earth to the Moon | Production only; distributed by Warner Bros. |
| November 8, 1958 | Enchanted Island | Production only; distributed by Warner Bros. |
| March 13, 1959 | Verboten! | Production only; distributed by Columbia Pictures |
| May 15, 1959* | The Mysterians | Production only; made in Japan in 1957 by Toho; distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| June 1959 | Home Is the Hero | Production only |
| July 16, 1959* | Desert Desperadoes | Distribution only; produced by Venturini Express and Nasht Productions |
| August 1959* | City After Midnight | Production only |
| February 15, 1960* | The Poacher's Daughter | Production only |

## 1960s–1970s

RKO Pictures dissolved in 1959, and was reconstituted in 1978 by its parent corporation RKO General.

## 1980s: RKO Pictures Inc.

In 1978, RKO General created a subsidiary, RKO Pictures Inc. Three years later they began to produce a number of feature films and television projects. In collaboration with Universal Studios, RKO put out half a dozen films during the first half of the decade, although none met with much success. from 1985 to 1987 the studio produced several more films on their own, some with more acclaim such as Plenty (1985), Half Moon Street (1986) and Hamburger Hill (1987), but production ended when RKO General underwent a massive reorganization following an attempted hostile takeover, and the production company was eventually sold to Wesray Capital Corporation in late 1987.
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| September 25, 1981 | Carbon Copy | Co-production with Hemdale Film Corporation; distributed by AVCO Embassy Pictures |
| January 31, 1982 | The Border | co-production with Universal Pictures |
| July 23, 1982 | The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas | co-production with Universal Pictures |
| July 23, 1982 | Cat People | co-production with Universal Pictures; remake of the 1942 film Cat People |
| December 16, 1983 | D.C. Cab | co-production with Universal Pictures |
| 1983 | The Brass Ring | Television film |
| June 1, 1984 | Streets of Fire | co-production with Universal Pictures |
| September 20, 1985 | Plenty | Co-production with Pressmen Productions; distributed by 20th Century Fox |
| August 13, 1986 | Half Moon Street | Co-production with Pressmen Productions; distributed by 20th Century Fox |
| 1986 | My Letter to George | Also released under the titles Mesmerized and Shocked |
| April 10, 1987 | Campus Man | distributed by Paramount Pictures |
| May 8, 1987 | Hot Pursuit | distributed by Paramount Pictures |
| August 28, 1987 | Hamburger Hill | distributed by Paramount Pictures |
| September 10, 1987 | The Lighthorsemen | Released in the United States: April 8, 1988 |
| 1987 | Dark Age | Australian release |

## 1990s–current: RKO Pictures LLC

In 1989, Wesray sold the company to Pavilion Communications, which renamed the entity RKO Pictures LLC. In its latest incarnation, the studio has been involved with several notable films, including Mighty Joe Young (1998), Shade (2003), Are We Done Yet? (2007), A Late Quartet (2012), and Barely Lethal (2015).
| Release date | Film | Notes |
| June 8, 1990 | False Identity | |
| October 17, 1991 | It's All True | Documentary; co-producer |
| March 21, 1992 | Laws of Gravity | |
| June 24, 1992 | The Elegant Criminal | Distribution only |
| October 23, 1992 | Frozen Assets | Distribution only |
| October 19, 1996 | Milk & Money | co-producer |
| December 15, 1996 | Holiday Affair | Television film |
| December 25, 1998 | Mighty Joe Young | co-production with Walt Disney Pictures and The Jacobson Company |
| January 13, 2002 | The Magnificent Ambersons | television film |
| May 4, 2003 | The Gin Game | television film |
| June 21, 2003 | Shade | co-production with Dimension Films |
| September 22, 2006 | Laura Smiles | television film |
| April 4, 2007 | Are We Done Yet? | co-production with Revolution Studios, Cube Vision and Columbia Pictures; remake of Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House |
| August 15, 2009 | The Ritual | in the U.S., directly to cable |
| September 11, 2009 | Beyond a Reasonable Doubt | Distributed by Anchor Bay Films and After Dark Films; a remake of the 1956 film of the same name |
| November 2, 2012 | A Late Quartet | co-production with Entertainment One |
| April 30, 2015 | Barely Lethal | Distributed by A24, co-production with RatPac Entertainment |