Hartley, of course, knows the history. After World War I, everything changed. Vaudeville was out and, by 1920, all the theaters were converted to movie houses - which became the Keith Orpheum Theater Circuit. Hartley's commitment to the future of RKO is based on his reverence for the legendary past of the Company. It took almost four years to sort out the ownership rights of our vast library.
Producers are the unsung heroes of our business.
Without them, there is nothing. They are the entrepreneurs and they, along with the writers, make it happen. Hartley has restructured RKO into four divisions. RKO's Producers Circle is for the larger budget films that RKO will do in association with other Hollywood majors. Mighty Joe Young is the first project.