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[[File:UPA logo.jpg|right|250px]]
{{Infobox Company
'''United Productions of America''', typically abbreviated as '''UPA''', was an [[United States|American]] studio founded in 1941. Beginning as an animation studio, UPA produced several theatrical shorts for [[Sony|Columbia Pictures]] such as the ''Mr. Magoo'' series, and went on to find success with the television series ''Gerald McBoing-Boing'' it produced for CBS. When UPA's financial condition declined in the 1950's and 60's, it was purchased by producer [[Henry G. Saperstein]], who initially increased the quantity of television output it produced before turning the studio toward distribution instead. UPA co-produced three [[kaiju]] films with [[Japan]]ese studio [[Toho]] in [[1965]] and [[1966]], and would go on to release numerous Toho productions to theaters, television syndication, and home video from the 1960's through 80's. UPA became defunct in 2000 following Saperstein's death in 1998, and was sold to Classic Media, itself acquired by DreamWorks in 2012 and then by [[Universal Pictures]] in 2016.
|type2          =Yellow
|image          =UPA logo.jpg
|name            =United Productions of America
|dt              =United Productions of America (UPA)
|type            =Animation studio, media distributor
|status          =Defunct (purchased)
|leader          =Robert "Bobe" Cannon, John Hubley, [[Henry G. Saperstein]]
|founder        =Zack Schwartz, David Hilberman, Stephen Bosustow
|founded        =[[1941]]
|defunct        =[[2000]]
|aka            ={{bl|Industrial Film and Poster Service (1941-1945)|UPA Productions of America}}
|succeeded      =[[Classic Media]]
}}
'''United Productions of America''' ('''UPA''') was an [[United States|American]] company founded in [[1941]]. Beginning as an animation studio, UPA produced several theatrical shorts for [[Sony|Columbia Pictures]] such as the ''[[wikipedia:Mr. Magoo|Mr. Magoo]]'' series, and went on to find success with the television series ''[[wikipedia:Gerald McBoing-Boing|Gerald McBoing-Boing]]'' it produced for CBS. When UPA's financial condition declined in the 1950s and 1960s, it was purchased by producer [[Henry G. Saperstein]], who initially increased the quantity of television output it produced before turning the studio toward distribution instead.
 
UPA licensed numerous Toho productions for release to theaters, television syndication, and home video from the 1960s{{sfn|''Boxoffice''|1964|p=W-2}} through to the 1990s.{{sfn|Sciacca|1987|p=48}}{{sfn|''Variety''|1998|p=44}} Among these were ''[[Invasion of Astro-Monster]]'' (1965), ''[[The War of the Gargantuas]]'' (1966), and ''[[All Monsters Attack]]'' (1969), the first two of which were co-produced with Saperstein's [[Benedict Pictures Corporation]]. UPA became defunct in [[2000]] following Saperstein's death in [[1998]], and was sold to [[Classic Media]], which was itself acquired by DreamWorks in [[2012]] and then by [[Universal Pictures]] in [[2016]].
{{TOC}}
{{TOC}}
==Selected Filmography==
==Selected filmography==
*''[[Frankenstein vs. Baragon]]'' (1965) - co-produced with [[Toho]], distributed through American International Pictures as ''Frankenstein Conquers the World'' in 1966
===Production company===
*''[[Invasion of Astro-Monster]]'' (1965) - co-produced with Toho, distributed through Maron Films as ''Monster Zero'' in 1970
*''[[Invasion of Astro-Monster|Monster Zero]]'' (1970) [American version;{{sfn|''Boxoffice''|1966|p=10}} released by Maron Films]<ref name="Variety '70">{{harvnb|''Variety''|1970|p=6}}</ref>
*''[[The War of the Gargantuas]]'' (1966) - co-produced with Toho, distributed through Maron Films in 1970
*''[[The War of the Gargantuas]]'' (1970) [American version; released by Maron Films]{{R|Variety '70}}
*''[[All Monsters Attack]]'' (1969) - distributed through Maron Films as ''Godzilla's Revenge'' in 1971
*''[[All Monsters Attack|Godzilla's Revenge]]'' (1971) [American version; released by Maron Films]
*''[[Lake of Dracula]]'' (1971) - distributed as ''The Lake of Dracula'' in 1980
===Distributor===
*''[[Prophecies of Nostradamus]]'' (1974) - distributed as ''The Last Days of Planet Earth'' in the 1980's
*''Retreat from Kiska'' (TV 1973)
*''[[Terror of Mechagodzilla]]'' (1975) - distributed in 1978
*''[[Terror of Mechagodzilla]]'' (TV 1978){{#tag:ref|UPA's version of ''Terror of Mechagodzilla'' was produced for and distributed to television. UPA sold its theatrical rights to the film to Bob Conn Enterprises, which subsequently released a differently-edited version as ''The Terror of Godzilla''; UPA would distribute the theatrical version, re-titled ''Terror of Mechagodzilla'', to television and home video beginning in the 1980s.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|pp=204, 205}}|group="note"}}
*''[[ESPY]]'' (TV 1980s)
*''Evil of Dracula'' (TV 1980s)
*''[[wikipedia:Lake of Dracula|The Lake of Dracula]]'' (TV 1980s)
*''[[Prophecies of Nostradamus|The Last Days of Planet Earth]]'' (TV 1980s)
In addition to the aforementioned films, UPA held the U.S. television and home video rights to the following Toho films:
*''[[Godzilla (1954 film)#U.S. release|Godzilla, King of the Monsters!]]''<ref name="Broadcasting">{{harvnb|''Broadcasting''|1987|p=182}}</ref>
*''[[Rodan (film)#U.S. release|Rodan]]{{R|Broadcasting}}
*''[[Mothra vs. Godzilla#U.S. release|Godzilla vs. Mothra]]''{{R|Broadcasting}}
*''High Seas Hijack''{{R|Broadcasting}}
==Notes==
{{Notelist}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
===Bibliography===
*{{cite magazine|title=Hank Saperstein Obtains 'Giant Moth' From Toho|magazine=Boxoffice|date=1 June 1964|publisher=Boxoffice Media LP|ref={{harvid|''Boxoffice''|1964}}}}
*{{cite magazine|title=Godzilla, Japan's Monster Hit|magazine=Variety|last=Sciacca|first=Tom|date=23 September 1987|publisher=Cahners Publishing}}
*{{cite magazine|title=Obituaries: Henry G. Saperstein|magazine=Variety|date=29 June 1998|publisher=Cahners Publishing|ref={{harvid|''Variety''|1998}}}}
*{{cite magazine|title=New Recording System Used For 'Astro-Monsters' Film|magazine=Boxoffice|date=6 June 1966|publisher=Boxoffice Media LP|ref={{harvid|''Boxoffice''|1966}}}}
*{{cite magazine|title=Pair Toho Monsters; May Take $3-Mil; Maron Presses His Luck In New Duo|magazine=Variety|date=2 September 1970|ref={{harvid|''Variety''|1970}}}}
*{{cite book|last=Ryfle|first=Steve|authorlink=Steve Ryfle|title=[[Japan's Favorite Mon-Star: The Unauthorized Biography of "The Big G"]]|publisher=ECW Press|date=1 April 1998|isbn=1550223488}}
*{{cite magazine|title=NATPE 87: Westin Canal Place exhibitors|magazine=Broadcasting|volume=112|issue=3|date=19 January 1987|publisher=Broadcasting Publications|ref={{harvid|''Broadcasting''|1987}}}}
{{Companies}}
{{Comments}}
{{Comments}}
{{Era|REL}}
{{Era|REL}}
[[Category:Companies]]
[[Category:Companies]]
[[Category:The Real World]]
[[Category:The Real World]]

Latest revision as of 01:32, 1 March 2024

United Productions of America
UPA

Type Animation studio, media distributor
Status Defunct (purchased)
Led by Robert "Bobe" Cannon, John Hubley, Henry G. Saperstein
Founder(s) Zack Schwartz, David Hilberman, Stephen Bosustow
Founded 1941
Defunct 2000
Also known as
  • Industrial Film and Poster Service (1941-1945)
  • UPA Productions of America
Succeeded by Classic Media

United Productions of America (UPA) was an American company founded in 1941. Beginning as an animation studio, UPA produced several theatrical shorts for Columbia Pictures such as the Mr. Magoo series, and went on to find success with the television series Gerald McBoing-Boing it produced for CBS. When UPA's financial condition declined in the 1950s and 1960s, it was purchased by producer Henry G. Saperstein, who initially increased the quantity of television output it produced before turning the studio toward distribution instead.

UPA licensed numerous Toho productions for release to theaters, television syndication, and home video from the 1960s[1] through to the 1990s.[2][3] Among these were Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965), The War of the Gargantuas (1966), and All Monsters Attack (1969), the first two of which were co-produced with Saperstein's Benedict Pictures Corporation. UPA became defunct in 2000 following Saperstein's death in 1998, and was sold to Classic Media, which was itself acquired by DreamWorks in 2012 and then by Universal Pictures in 2016.

Selected filmography

Production company

Distributor

In addition to the aforementioned films, UPA held the U.S. television and home video rights to the following Toho films:

Notes

  1. ↑ UPA's version of Terror of Mechagodzilla was produced for and distributed to television. UPA sold its theatrical rights to the film to Bob Conn Enterprises, which subsequently released a differently-edited version as The Terror of Godzilla; UPA would distribute the theatrical version, re-titled Terror of Mechagodzilla, to television and home video beginning in the 1980s.[6]

References

This is a list of references for UPA. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]

  1. ↑ Boxoffice 1964, p. W-2.
  2. ↑ Sciacca 1987, p. 48.
  3. ↑ Variety 1998, p. 44.
  4. ↑ Boxoffice 1966, p. 10.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Variety 1970, p. 6
  6. ↑ Ryfle 1998, pp. 204, 205.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Broadcasting 1987, p. 182

Bibliography

  • "Hank Saperstein Obtains 'Giant Moth' From Toho". Boxoffice. Boxoffice Media LP. 1 June 1964.
  • Sciacca, Tom (23 September 1987). "Godzilla, Japan's Monster Hit". Variety. Cahners Publishing.
  • "Obituaries: Henry G. Saperstein". Variety. Cahners Publishing. 29 June 1998.
  • "New Recording System Used For 'Astro-Monsters' Film". Boxoffice. Boxoffice Media LP. 6 June 1966.
  • "Pair Toho Monsters; May Take $3-Mil; Maron Presses His Luck In New Duo". Variety. 2 September 1970.
  • Ryfle, Steve (1 April 1998). Japan's Favorite Mon-Star: The Unauthorized Biography of "The Big G". ECW Press. ISBN 1550223488.
  • "NATPE 87: Westin Canal Place exhibitors". Broadcasting. Vol. 112 no. 3. Broadcasting Publications. 19 January 1987.

Companies, products, & services
Film/TV studios & distributors
Post-production companies
Publishing companies
Home video & streaming
Game & toy publishers
Food companies & chains
Miscellaneous

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