Tyr Pictures

**Tyr Pictures Corporation** (pronounced *Tire*; formerly **Tyr Film Corporation**; styled as **TYR**) was an American film distribution company and a joint venture of Tiffany Pictures (later folded into Element One Pictures) and Monogram Pictures (later Allied Artists) and the processor of the distribution arm of eOne (and later Lionsgate). It was part of the original Big 8 (along with Paramount, Fox, ABC, WB, MGM, RKO and Republic). The studio is named after A god in Norse mythology, Týr.

Founded in 1921 by Robert Z. Leonard as a distribution arm of Tiffany Pictures, It became a venture a year later when Element Pictures was founded.

October 12, 1960, Tyr Pictures was renamed to **Element-Oswald Distribution** when Nordisk Film acquired Allied Artists, marking and end to the joint venture and retiring all of the Tyr names afterwards, thus selling Allied Artists' films to Time Inc. via Nordisk Film. However, the name's legacy continued.

## Distribution access

* Now owned by Lionsgate
	+ Tiffany Pictures (1921-1932; although the pre-1928 are in the public domain, Lionsgate still controls them)
	+ Element Pictures/Element-Oswald Pictures (1922-1960; later became Tyr's library owner)
	+ Leonard Oswald Productions (1925-1940)
* Now owned by Warner Bros.
	+ Monogram Pictures/Allied Artists (1931-1960; sold to Nordisk Film)
	+ Samuel Goldwyn Productions (1941-1952; sold to MGM)

## History

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On January 12, 1940, Tyr Pictures signed a 12-year contract with Samuel Goldwyn Productions

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In July 1955, Robert Z. Leonard sold Tyr Pictures (along with production arm Academy Pictures) to the General Tire and Rubber Company for $25 million. General Teleradio Inc. was then renamed to Tyr Teleradio.

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On September 1, 1959, Nordisk Film (Time Inc.'s film and television unit) acquired Allied Artists, leading 50% of Tyr to be sold back to Element One Pictures.

On May 14, 1960, Tyr Teleradio was renamed to Element One Teleradio and, Tyr Television was renamed to WGN Films. Tyr Pictures, one of the last remaining studios that kept the name, was renamed to Element One Distribution in 1960, as Element-Oswald Pictures was renamed to Element One Pictures.

### Aftermath

Despite that the joint venture has come to an end, the Tyr name and logo is still used for other things than on Element-Oswand and Monogram/Allied Artists films. The logo was still implanted in the 16MM Home Movie unit known as **Tyr Reels**, kipping the old name for Academy's home movies division as the remains of Tyr's only 8MM/16MM Home Movies unit. In 1977, Tyr Reels was renamed to **Element One Home Video** (which was renamed to **Element One Home Entertainment** in 1989).

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On April 15, 1985, Element One Home Video released the entire of Element One cartoon shorts on VHS and Betamax as part of the **Tyr Cartoon Collection**.

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On March 12, 1990, Element One launched a new unit, Tyr Entertainment, for all characters from all Tyr-distributed Element One films.

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On October 7, 2001, Element One Home Entertainment (under the FHE Cartoon Collection line) remastered and released all the 200 cartoon library on two 2-disc DVD discs as part of the **Tyr Classic Collection**, with all bonus features, including the documentary *How Tyr was renamed*.

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On May 11, 2006, Lionsgate Home Entertainment released 12 older Tyr films on Blu-ray.

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## Studio lot

Due to being a film distributor, it was the only studio part of the original Big 8 without a studio lot, as it was headquartered at 510 SW Hall St, Portland, OR 97201. However, It had access to the former Warner Bros. lot on Sunset Boulevard that became the Element One studio in 1960.