Churchill Films, also called Churchill Media, was an American Film producer and distributor of direct-to-video/educational films founded by Robert Churchill (1911-1997) and Sy Wexler (1916–2005) in 1948 as Churchill Wexler Film Productions. They have produced The Mouse and the Motorcycle (1986) based on the 1965 book by Beverly Cleary and many other award-winning children's films.Website to Weston Woods Books and Films, successor to Churchill Films
Churchill Films was acquired by American Educational Products in 1994. The Churchill Films catalog is now part of Discovery Education.
In December 2009, The Jungle (1967), a film distributed by Churchill Films in 16mm for the educational film market, was named to the National Film Registry."Thriller and 24 Other Films Named to National Film Registry", Associated Press via Yahoo News (December 30, 2009) History Origins Churchill Films was Founded in 1948, by Robert Churchill and Sy Wexler. Churchill was a Harvard law graduate and former fashion photographer who pivoted to cinematography during World War II, making training films for the U.S. Army Signal Corps.
The studio originally launched under the name Churchill Wexler Film Productions when Both Churchill and Wexler met
Operating out of Los Angeles, California, the duo produced their first educational short, Wonders in Your Own Backyard, in 1948 on a budget of $836 ($11,583 adjusted for inflation)
In 1961, the partnership dissolved, and the company was officially rebranded as Churchill Films.
Buyouts In 1994, co-founder Robert Churchill sold the company to American Educational Products.
In 1996, Churchill Media was integrated under AMEP and was merged into another major acquisition to form SVE & Churchill Media, continuing to distribute 16mm films, multimedia, and direct-to-video educational content to schools and libraries.
In 2004, SVE & Churchill Media was merged with another educational media distributor, Clearvue/eav. Following this merger, the "Churchill" name was dropped from the corporate branding, and the new entity operated under the name Clearvue & SVE.
By 2008, Discovery Bought the Combined entity and it was merged into Discovery's Operations between 2008 and 2009. Filmography +YearTitleStarringDirectorProducer(s)RuntimeNotes1967The Jungle Charlie "Brown" Davis,
Reginald "Reggie" Ackridge
David "Bat" Williams
Jimmy "Country" Robinson Charlie "Brown" Davis,
Jimmy "Country" Robinson
David "Bat" Williams22:00Made under the direction of the Temple University professor Harold Haskins.1971HopscotchJune Foray,
Jane Webb,
Kimie Calvert,
Joan Drake,
Barbara Baldwin,
Lillian Peel,
Faith PeelSpencer Peel,
Alan Zaslove,
Robert ChurchillRobert Churchill12:001975Sooper GoopRobert Ridgely,
Julie McWhirther
Fred WolfCharles SwensonRobert Churchill13:00
10:00 (1989 short version)The music is composed by Joseph Byrd who is known as a composer and the leader of the short-lived experimental band The United States of America. It was considered for an Academy Award in 1976, which did not make the cut.1983Curious George Goes to the HospitalRuth Buell, Corey Burton
Bobbie SpeidelJohn Clark MatthewsRobert Churchill, George McQuilkin15:15Based on Curious George Goes to the Hospital (1966) by Margret Rey and H. A. Rey.1984Curious GeorgeCorey Burton, June Foray14:33Based on Curious George (1941) by Margret Rey and H. A. Rey.1985Frog and Toad Are FriendsHal Smith, Will Ryan,
Jan Colmar17:54Based on Frog and Toad Are Friends (1970) by Arnold Lobel.Frog and Toad: Behind the ScenesJohn Clark Matthews9:23Based on Frog and Toad Are Friends (1985) by Churchill Films1986 1987 (Home video)The Mouse and the MotorcyclePhilip Waller, Mimi Kennedy, Ray Walston,
Thom SharpRon UnderwoodGeorge McQuilkin, John Clark Matthews40:54Based on The Mouse and the Motorcycle (1970) by Beverly Cleary1987Frog and Toad TogetherHal Smith (Toad), Will Ryan (Frog)John Clark MatthewsRobert Churchill, George McQuilkin17:34Based on Frog and Toad Together (1971, 1972) by Arnold Lobel.1988Runaway RalphFred Savage, Conchata Ferrell,
Sara GilbertRon UnderwoodGeorge McQuilkin, John Clark Matthews40:11Based on Runaway Ralph (1970) by Beverly Cleary1989Morris Goes to SchoolWill Ryan, Diane MichelleJohn Clark MatthewsGeorge McQuilkin14:37Based on Morris Goes to School (1970) by Bernard Wiseman.Stanley and the DinosaursWill Ryan,
Jim Cummings,
Corey BurtonJohn Clark Matthews15:42Based on Stanley (1962) by Syd Hoff.1990Ralph S. MouseRobert Oliveri, Britt Leach,
Lou CutellThomas G. SmithGeorge McQuilkin, John Clark Matthews41:35Based on Ralph S. Mouse (1982) by Beverly Cleary1991Uncle ElephantWill Ryan,
Pat Musick,
June Foray,
Corey Burton John Clark MatthewsJohn Clark Matthews25:53Based on Uncle Elephant (1981) by Arnold Lobel. Made with WGBH Educational Foundation1992Mouse SoupBuddy Hackett,
Will Ryan,
Hal Rayle,
Pat Musick,
Dawnn Lewis25:48Based on Mouse Soup (1977) by Arnold Lobel.1993Commander Toad in SpaceCory Miller,
James Murray
Bruce Lanoil
Mark Hamill
Nichelle Nichols
Mary McDonald Lewis 23:21Based on Commander Toad in Space (1980) by Jane Yolen
Made for the ABC Weekend Specials TV showMorris Has a ColdWill Ryan,
Hal Smith,
Pat Musick13:39Based on Morris Has a Cold (1978) by Bernard Wiseman
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