United Artists Theatres

United Artists Theatres

United Artists Theatres (established in 1924) has its roots in the movie studio of the same name founded by Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, and D. W. Griffith, but legally has always been separate from it. Joseph Schenck was brought in to become UA's president in 1924; as part of the deal, Schenck entered into a partnership with Chaplin and Pickford to buy and construct theaters using UA's name. Over time, the chain became separate from the studio and by the 1970s was part of a larger company, United Artists Communications.