Central Pictures

Central Pictures is a film studio founded by John Doe and Hiroshi Nakajima on November 17, 1930. They were initially headed in a small town.

Prehistory (1918-1930)
John Doe (1905-1987) was the director for movies made between 1918 and 1930. He also acted sometimes.

Hiroshi Nakajima (1907-1998) previously had no experience in film. He, however, was in theatre since 1917.

Beginning (1930-1945)
Central Pictures was founded by John Doe and Hiroshi Nakajima on November 17, 1930. In early 1931, they hired 32 actors, hence the 32 points on the Sun. They made low-budget B movies that would only be shown locally until February 1931, when they got a deal with a distributor, George Distributors Ltd. (Now George F. Johnson Distributors). Their films were soon distributed outside of the United States. This also allowed them to make more high budget films.

1945-1983
Central started using the Central Motion Picture Rating System in 1964 after complaints that a 1963 film contained extreme violence. The ratings were: It was retired in 1968 after the Motion Picture Association of America created a universal film ratings system.
 * AA (All Ages) - This picture is suitable for all ages. All ages are admitted.
 * AP (All Ages with Parents) - This picture contains content that needs parental guidance.
 * AP13 - This picture contains content that may be inappropriate for children under 13.
 * M (Mature) - This picture contains extreme violence and/or sexual content. No one under 17 admitted.

Central's first animated film was released in 1975.

Central International (1983-1989)
In 1983, Central and International Pictures formed a holding company called Central International Communications. It went defunct in 1987.

1987-1992
By 1986, Central was losing control of the holding company and shut it down in 1987. A Polish financer named Bogdan Brzezicki wanted to buy the company, but Hiroshi Nakajima denied.

Technology ventures (1997-2008)
In 1997, Central founded Central Technologies. Their first product was the Central InterPhone in 1998. It was a basic Nokia phone made for internet browsing.

Films
Central Pictures has released 62,184 films since December 1, 1930. The year with the least films was 1930 with 1, and the most was 2003 with 168.