RKO Radio Pictures: rise and decline (1928–1957)

1. RCA announces Radio-Keith-Orpheum (RKO) merger

   Oct 23, 1928Labels: RCA, Radio-Keith-Orpheum

   • FBO Wiki
   • RKO Wiki

2. RKO Productions is incorporated as production arm

   Jan 25, 1929Labels: RKO Productions

   • RKO Wiki
   • RKO films Wiki

3. RKO consolidates into RKO Radio Pictures

   Jul 1, 1930Labels: RKO Radio

   • RKO films Wiki
   • RKO Wiki

4. RKO acquires Pathé Exchange assets

   Jan 31, 1931Labels: Path Exchange, Culver City

   • Path Exchange Wiki
   • RKO Wiki

5. RKO merges RKO-Radio and RKO-Pathé production

   Nov 16, 1931Labels: RKO-Path, RKO-Radio

   • TIME 1931
   • Path Exchange Wiki

6. King Kong premieres, boosting RKO’s profile

   Mar 2, 1933Labels: King Kong

   • Kong Wiki
   • Encyclopedia com

7. Flying Down to Rio launches Astaire–Rogers pairing

   Dec 21, 1933Labels: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers

   • TCM
   • Rio Wiki

8. Citizen Kane premieres amid controversy

   May 1, 1941Labels: Orson Welles, Citizen Kane

   • HISTORY
   • TIME

9. Atlas Corp.’s Floyd Odlum holds controlling stake

   Jan 26, 1948Labels: Floyd Odlum, Atlas Corporation

   • TIME 1948
   • TIME Sale

10. Howard Hughes buys control of RKO

    May 24, 1948Labels: Howard Hughes

    • TIME Sale
    • Hughes Wiki

11. RKO’s theater chain is divested to comply with decree

    Nov 1, 1953Labels: RKO Theaters

    • RKO Wiki
    • LostnFound

12. General Teleradio buys RKO from Hughes

    Jul 19, 1955Labels: General Teleradio, General Tire

    • RKO General Wiki
    • TIME 1956

13. RKO Radio merges into General Teleradio

    Dec 31, 1955Labels: RKO Teleradio

    • Justia 1962
    • RKO General Wiki

14. RKO ends distribution and shuts down production

    Jan 22, 1957Labels: Distribution Shutdown

    • RKO Wiki
    • RKO General Wiki

15. Desilu buys RKO studio facilities

    Dec 1, 1957Labels: Desilu Productions, Lucille Ball

    • Desilu Wiki
    • RKO Wiki