Sono Art-World Wide Pictures was an American

film distribution Film distribution (also known as Film exhibition or Film distribution and exhibition) is the process of making a movie available for viewing by an audience. This is normally the task of a professional film distributor, who would determine the marke ...

and production company in operation from 1927 to 1933. Their first feature film was ''

The Rainbow Man ''The Rainbow Man'' (known as ''La valle delle rose'' in Italy) is a 1929 American pre-Code musical film, musical drama film. A copy of ''The Rainbow Man'' is preserved by the Library of Congress Packard Campus. Cast *Eddie Dowling as Rainbow ...

'' (1929), while one of their most prominent was ''

The Great Gabbo ''The Great Gabbo'' is a 1929 American Pre-Code early sound musical drama film directed by James Cruze, based on Ben Hecht's 1928 short story "The Rival Dummy", and starring Erich von Stroheim and Betty Compson. The film features songs by Lynn Co ...

'' (1929) starring

Erich von Stroheim Erich Oswald Hans Carl Maria von Stroheim (born Erich Oswald Stroheim; September 22, 1885 – May 12, 1957) was an Austrian-American director, actor and producer, most noted as a film star and avant-garde, visionary director of the silent era. H ...

and directed by

James Cruze James Cruze (born James Cruze Bosen; March 27, 1884 – August 3, 1942) was a silent film actor and film director. Early years Cruze's middle name came from the battle of Vera Cruz. He was raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

for James Cruze Productions, Inc. One of the last films distributed by the company was ''

A Study in Scarlet ''A Study in Scarlet'' is an 1887 detective novel by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle. The story marks the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who would become the most famous detective duo in literature. The book's title der ...

'' (1933) starring

Reginald Owen John Reginald Owen (5 August 1887 – 5 November 1972) was a British actor. He was known for his many roles in British and American films and television programs. Career The son of Joseph and Frances Owen, Reginald Owen studied at Sir Herbert ...

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

. Sono Art was the original U.S. distributor for four

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

-directed films, ''

Downhill Downhill may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Downhill'' (1927 film), a British film by Alfred Hitchcock * ''Downhill'' (2014 film), a British comedy directed by James Rouse * ''Downhill'' (2016 film), a Chilean thriller directed by Patrici ...

'' (1927), '' Easy Virtue'' (1928), '' The Manxman'' (1929), and ''

Blackmail Blackmail is an act of coercion using the threat of revealing or publicizing either substantially true or false information about a person or people unless certain demands are met. It is often damaging information, and it may be revealed to fa ...

'' (1929), as well as the British

Anna May Wong Wong Liu Tsong (January 3, 1905 – February 3, 1961), known professionally as Anna May Wong, was an American actress, considered the first Chinese-American movie star in Hollywood, as well as the first Chinese-American actress to gain intern ...

vehicle ''

Piccadilly Piccadilly () is a road in the City of Westminster, London, to the south of Mayfair, between Hyde Park Corner in the west and Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is part of the A4 road that connects central London to Hammersmith, Earl's Court, ...

'' (1929).

Merger

In 1933, Sono-Art merged with

Rayart Pictures Rayart Pictures was one of the early film production and distribution companies operating independently of the major Hollywood studios in the United States during the later silent film era from the mid-to-late 1920s and into the early "talkies" e ...

to form

Monogram Pictures Monogram Pictures Corporation was an American film studio that produced mostly low-budget films between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram was among the smaller studios i ...

. The original Monogram (including its library) merged into Republic Pictures in 1935; that library is now owned by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

(through Republic), although all Sono Art-World Wide productions have fallen into the public domain.

Filmography

* ''

The Talk of Hollywood ''The Talk of Hollywood'' is a 1929 American musical comedy film directed by Mark Sandrich and starring Nat Carr, Fay Marbe and Hope Sutherland.Munden p.785 It was shot at the New York studios of RKO Pictures. The film's sets were designed b ...

'' (1929) * ''

Blaze o' Glory ''Blaze o' Glory'' is a 1929 American musical war film directed by George Crone and Renaud Hoffman. It stars Eddie Dowling and Betty Compson. The soundtrack survives. Plot At the stand of his murder trial, defendant Eddie Williams recounts hi ...

'' (1929) * ''

'' (1929) * '' Hello Sister'' (1930) * ''

Midnight Daddies ''Midnight Daddies'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Mack Sennett and starring Andy Clyde, Harry Gribbon, and Rosemary Theby.Balducci, p. 99 It was the last feature film that Sennett directed: his remaining six films were B ...

'' (1930) * '' What a Man'' (1930) * '' Cock o' the Walk'' (1930) * '' The Big Fight'' (1930) * ''

The Dude Wrangler ''The Dude Wrangler'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy Western film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Lina Basquette, Tom Keene and Clyde Cook.Pitts p.343 Cast * Lina Basquette as Helen Dane * Tom Keene as Wally McCann (credited as ...

'' (1930) * ''

Rogue of the Rio Grande ''Rogue of the Rio Grande'' is a 1930 American musical comedy Western film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and starring José Bohr, Myrna Loy and Walter Miller.Pitts p.344 Main cast * José Bohr as El Malo * Myrna Loy as Carmita * Walte ...

'' (1930) * ''

Once a Gentleman ''Once a Gentleman'' is a 1930 American comedy film directed by James Cruze and starring Edward Everett Horton, Lois Wilson and Francis X. Bushman.Pitts p.344 A butler goes on vacation, where he is wrongly supposed to be a wealthy man. Cast * ...

'' (1930) * ''

Reno Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...

'' (1930) * ''

The Costello Case ''The Costello Case'' is a 1930 American pre-Code crime film directed by Walter Lang. Cast * Tom Moore as Mahoney * Lola Lane as Mollie * Roscoe Karns as Blair * Wheeler Oakman as Mile-Away-Harry * Russell Hardie as Jimmie * William B. David ...

'' (1930) * '' Damaged Love'' (1931) * '' Swanee River'' (1931) * ''

Mounted Fury ''Mounted Fury'' is a 1931 American drama film directed by Stuart Paton and written by Betty Burbridge. The film stars John Bowers, Blanche Mehaffey, Robert Ellis, Frank Rice, George Regas and Lina Basquette. The film was released on Decembe ...

'' (1931) * '' Murder at Midnight'' (1931) * ''

Air Police The United States Air Force Security Forces (SF) are the ground combat force and military police service of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. USAF Security Forces (SF) were formerly known as Military Police (MP), Air Police (AP), and Sec ...

'' (1931) * '' In Old Cheyenne'' (1931) * ''

First Aid First aid is the first and immediate assistance given to any person with either a minor or serious illness or injury, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, or to promote recovery. It includes initial in ...

'' (1931) * ''

Hell-Bent for Frisco ''Hell-Bent for Frisco'' is a 1931 American pre-Code action film directed by Stuart Paton and starring Charles Delaney, Vera Reynolds and Carroll Nye.Darby, p. 107 Synopsis After his girlfriend's brother is murdered, a San Francisco newspaper ...

'' (1931) * ''

Is There Justice? ''Is There Justice?'' is a 1931 American pre-Code crime film directed by Stuart Paton and starring Rex Lease, Henry B. Walthall and Blanche Mehaffey.Langman & Finn p.125 It is now considered a lost film. Synopsis The brother of woman who died i ...

'' (1931) * '' Neck and Neck'' (1931) * ''

Law of the West ''Law of the West'' is a 1985 graphic adventure set in the American Old West developed by Accolade for the Commodore 64, Apple II, and Nintendo Entertainment System. It was one of the company's launch titles and the only game from Accolade ...

'' (1932) * ''

The Last Mile The Last Mile may refer to: * The Last Mile (prison rehabilitation program), a program for inmates in the California corrections system * ''The Last Mile'' (play), a 1930 play by John Wexley * ''The Last Mile'' (1932 film), an American adaptatio ...

'' (1932) * ''

Texas Buddies ''Texas Buddies'' is a 1932 American Western film written and directed by Robert North Bradbury. The film stars Bob Steele, Nancy Drexel, Francis McDonald, Harry Semels, George "Gabby" Hayes and William Dyer. The film was released on October ...

'' (1932) * ''

Riders of the Desert ''Riders of the Desert'' is a 1932 American Western film directed by Robert North Bradbury and written by Wellyn Totman. The film stars Bob Steele, Gertrude Messinger, Al St. John, George "Gabby" Hayes, John Elliott and Horace B. Carpenter. ...

'' (1932) * ''

Those We Love ''Those We Love'' is a 1932 American pre-Code film directed by Robert Florey. It was adapted by F. Hugh Herbert from the play by George Abbott and S.K. Lauren. The film was independently produced and distributed. Plot Kenneth MacKenna plays a ...

'' (1932) * '' The Crooked Circle'' (1932) * ''

Son of Oklahoma ''Son of Oklahoma'' is a 1932 American Western film directed by Robert N. Bradbury and starring his son Bob Steele. Cast * Bob Steele - Dan Clayton * Josie Sedgwick - Mary Clayton, aka Shotgun Mary *Carmen Laroux - Anita Verdugo *Julian Rivero ...

'' (1932) * ''

The Man from Hell's Edges ''The Man from Hell's Edges'' (also known as ''El Lobo'') is a 1932 American Pre-Code Western film starring Bob Steele, written and direct by Steele's father, Robert N. Bradbury, for Trem Carr Pictures. It was released in the United States on ...

'' (1932) * ''

Sunset Trail ''Sunset Trail'' is a 1939 American Western film directed by Lesley Selander, written by Norman Houston, and starring William Boyd, George "Gabby" Hayes, Russell Hayden, Charlotte Wynters, Jan Clayton, Robert Fiske and Kenneth Harlan. It was ...

'' (1932) * '' False Faces'' (1932) * ''

Breach of Promise Breach of promise is a common law tort, abolished in many jurisdictions. It was also called breach of contract to marry,N.Y. Civil Rights Act article 8, §§ 80-A to 84. and the remedy awarded was known as heart balm. From at least the Middle ...

'' (1932) * '' Trailing the Killer'' (1932) * '' South of Santa Fe'' (1932) * ''

Dynamite Ranch ''Dynamite Ranch'' is a 1932 American Western film directed by Forrest Sheldon and written by Barry Barrington. The film stars Ken Maynard, Ruth Hall, Alan Roscoe, Martha Mattox, Arthur Hoyt and Albert J. Smith. The film was produced by K.B. ...

'' (1932) * '' Tombstone Canyon'' (1932) * ''

The Man Called Back ''The Man Called Back'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code film directed by Robert Florey. This film was independently produced for the bargain-basement price of $68,000, partly because Florey was allowed to re-use the tropical set constructed for the ...

'' (1932) * ''

The Death Kiss ''The Death Kiss'' is a 1933 American pre-Code mystery film starring David Manners as a crusading studio writer, Adrienne Ames as an actress, and Bela Lugosi as a studio manager. The thriller features three leading players from the previous year ...

'' (1932) * ''

Uptown New York ''Uptown New York'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code film directed by Victor Schertzinger and starring Jack Oakie, Shirley Grey, and Leon Ames. It is based on the story by Vina Delmar. Plot summary Pat and Max are in love and share an intimate r ...

'' (1932) * '' Cannonball Express'' (1932) * ''

Devil on Deck ''Devil on Deck'' is a 1932 Pre-code talking film directed by Wallace Fox and starring Reed Howes and Molly O'Day. It was produced and distributed by Sono Art-World Wide Pictures, a B-movie studio that turned out occasionally some successful pict ...

'' (1932) * ''

Hypnotized Hypnosis is a human condition involving focused attention (the selective attention/selective inattention hypothesis, SASI), reduced peripheral awareness, and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion.In 2015, the American Psychologica ...

'' (1932) * ''

Racetrack A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also u ...

'' (1933) * ''

Fargo Express ''Fargo Express'' is a 1933 American pre-Code Western film directed by Alan James and starring Ken Maynard, Helen Mack and Roy Stewart.Darby, p. 355 Cast * Ken Maynard as Ken Benton * Helen Mack as Helen Clark * Roy Stewart as Sam Goss * ...

'' (1933) * '' The Lone Avenger'' (1933) * '' The Constant Woman'' (1933) * '' Drum Taps'' (1933) * ''

'' (1933)

References

External links

Sono Art-World Wide Pictures at IMDB
Mass media companies established in 1927 Entertainment companies established in 1927 Mass media companies disestablished in 1933 Defunct American film studios Film distributors of the United States Film production companies of the United States Paramount Global subsidiaries 1933 mergers and acquisitions {{US-film-company-stub