First National Pictures

First National Pictures

Formerly	First National Exhibitors' Circuit (1917–1919) Associated First National Pictures, Inc. (1919–1924) First National Pictures, Inc. (1924–1936)
Industry	Motion picture exhibition, distribution and production
Founded	1917; 107 years ago (1917)
Founders	Thomas L. Tally J. D. Williams
Defunct	July 12, 1936; 87 years ago (1936-07-12) (closing all 133 liquidation process)
Successors	Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures Library: Warner Bros. (through Turner Entertainment Co.) Public domain (pre-1929)
Headquarters	United States
Products	Motion pictures, film distribution
Parent	Independent (1917–1928) Warner Bros. (1928–1936)

First National Pictures was an American motion picture production and distribution company. It was founded in 1917 as First National Exhibitors' Circuit, Inc., an association of independent theatre owners in the United States, and became the country's largest theater chain. Expanding from exhibiting movies to distributing them, the company reincorporated in 1919 as Associated First National Theatres, Inc. and Associated First National Pictures, Inc.

In 1924 it expanded to become a motion picture production company as First National Pictures, Inc., and became an important studio in the film industry. In September 1928, control of First National passed to Warner Bros., into which it was completely absorbed on November 4, 1929.

A number of Warner Bros. films were thereafter branded First National Pictures until July 1936, when First National Pictures, Inc., was dissolved.^[1]