7 Facts About Columbia Pictures

1. In 1997, Columbia Pictures ranked as the highest-grossing movie studio in the United States with a gross of $1.256 billion.

2. On July 21, 1995, Sony Columbia Pictures teamed up with Jim Henson Productions and created the joint venture Jim Henson Pictures.

3. On June 18, 1985, Columbia Pictures acquired Norman Lear and Jerry Perenchio's Embassy Communications, Inc, mostly for its library of highly successful television series such as All in the Family and The Jeffersons for $485 million.

4. On May 17, 1982, Columbia Pictures acquired Spelling-Goldberg Productions for over $40 million.

5. On May 6, 1974, Columbia Pictures retired the Screen Gems name from television, renaming its television division Columbia Pictures Television.

6. On November 8, 1948, Columbia Pictures adopted the Screen Gems name for its television production subsidiary when the studio acquired Pioneer Telefilms, a television commercial company founded by Harry Cohn's nephew, Ralph Cohn.

7. In 1949, Columbia Pictures agreed to release animated shorts from United Productions of America; these new shorts were more sophisticated than Columbia's older cartoons, and many won critical praise and industry awards.