Producers Sales Organization

Producers Sales Organization (PSO; on its final years PSO Productions, Inc.) was an independent motion picture production and sales company founded in 1977.[1] Initiated by Mark Damon, an actor-turned-producer,[1] PSO mostly handled foreign sales of independent films. It was initially a partnership between Damon, producer Sandy Howard, and Richard St. Johns, who worked for Arthur Guinness Son & Co. At one point, it was a subsidiary of Guinness.[2] In its final years of existence, PSO briefly became a full-fledged production company.

PSO Productions, Inc.

Formerly	Producers Sales Organization
Fate	Bankrupt
Successor	Vision International Vestron Pictures Library ultimately owned by Sony Pictures (through TriStar Pictures) and Icon Distribution UK
Founded	1977
Founder	Mark Damon
Defunct	1986
Headquarters	United States

Despite releasing many successful films, PSO ran into financial problems and was forced into bankruptcy in 1986, effectively ending the company.[3] Many of its employees were soon hired by Vestron Pictures to run a new foreign sales unit dubbed Producers Distribution Organization, later renamed Interaccess Film Distribution, Inc.[4][5][6]

A year after PSO ended, Damon founded a new company, with Peter Guber and Jon Peters, called Vision International.[1]

A majority of the PSO library would ultimately end up with Lionsgate, and then Icon International (originally founded by Mel Gibson).

Films

Among the most notable films PSO represented or financed include:

• Matilda (1978)[7]
• The Wanderers (1979)[8]
• A Change of Seasons (1980)[9]
• Little Lord Fauntleroy (1980)[8]
• The Final Countdown (1981)[10]
• Das Boot (1981)
• An American Werewolf in London (1981)
• Dead and Buried (1981)
• Endless Love (1981)
• Young Doctors in Love (1982)
• Heidi's Song (1982)[11]
• Cujo (1983)[12]
• The Day After (1983)[13]
• Fire and Ice (1983)
• Never Say Never Again (1983)[12]
• The Outsiders (1983)[12]
• Silkwood (1983)[12]
• La Traviata (1983)
• The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension (1984)[14]
• The Defective Detective (1984)
• The Neverending Story (1984)
• Once Upon a Time in America (1984)[12]
• Prizzi's Honor (1985)
• Heavenly Bodies (1985)
• The Clan of the Cave Bear (1986)
• 8 Million Ways to Die (1986)
• 9½ Weeks (1986)[15]
• Short Circuit (1986)
• Flight of the Navigator (1986)

References

1. "Mark Damon". lukeford.net. Retrieved 2014-10-01.
2. Damon & Schreyer, p. 47-49
3. Damon, M.; Schreyer, L. (2008). From Cowboy to Mogul to Monster: The Neverending Story of Film Pioneer Mark Damon. AuthorHouse. p. 438. ISBN 9781463465056.
4. "Vestron hired 3 members of PSO's management. - Los Angeles Times". articles.latimes.com. Retrieved 2014-10-01.
5. LA BRIEFLY. Daily News of Los Angeles (August 26, 1986).
6. Billboard (November 1, 1986), p. 48
7. Damon & Schreyer, p. 53-56
8. Damon & Schreyer, p. 58
9. Damon & Schreyer, p. 56-57
10. Damon & Schreyer, p. 60-65
11. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/62719225/
12. "Daily News - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2014-10-01.
14. "What are the contents of the Buckaroo Banzai Press Kit?". figmentfly.com. Retrieved 2014-10-01.
15. "Movie Review - 9 1 2 Weeks - FILM: '9 1/2 WEEKS,' A SEXUAL JOURNEY - NYTimes.com". movies.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2014-10-01.

Further reading

• Mark Damon; Linda Schreyer (2008). From Cowboy to Mogul to Monster: The Neverending Story of Film Pioneer Mark Damon. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse.

External links

• Producers Sales Organization at IMDb