Rayart Pictures
| Company type | Independent film production and distribution company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film production, Film distribution |
| Founded | 1924 |
| Founder | W. Ray Johnston |
| Defunct | 1933 |
| Fate | Merged with Sono Art-World Wide Pictures to form Monogram Pictures |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Low-cost western films, musical shorts, feature-length films |
Rayart Pictures was an independent film production and distribution enterprise in the United States, operating from 1924 until 1933. Established by businessman and founder W. Ray Johnston, the company functioned outside the dominant Hollywood studios. Rayart focused primarily on producing low-cost western films and developed its own distribution channels. Positioned as a Poverty Row outfit near Sunset Strip and Gower Street, it targeted specialized audiences through economical film projects.
By 1929, Rayart broadened its portfolio to include musical shorts and feature-length films such as Howdy Broadway, demonstrating a strategic move to diversify amid the industry's shift toward sound cinema. With the introduction of talkies, the firm adopted the name Raytone to signify its embrace of new technological trends.
The expansion of Rayart culminated in a 1933 merger with Sono Art-World Wide Pictures, resulting in the formation of Monogram Pictures. This merger established a prominent entity in the realm of budget-conscious filmmaking, strengthening its market presence and competitive stance within the changing entertainment landscape.
Filmography
- Midnight Secrets (1924)
- The Street of Tears (1924)
- For Another Woman (1924)
- The Pell Street Mystery (1924)
- Trail Dust (1924)
- Lightning Romance (1924)
- Geared to Go (1924)
- Double Fisted (1925)
- Ace of Clubs (1925)
- Buried Gold (1925)
- The Pride of the Force (1925)
- Cyclone Cavalier (1925)
- The Right Man (1925)
- The Fear Fighter (1925)
- Bashful Buccaneer (1925)
- Fighting Luck (1925)
- The Road Agent (1925)
- Goat Getter (1925)
- The Knockout Kid (1925)
- Starlight, the Untamed (1925)
- The Flame Fighter (1925)
- Border Vengeance (1925)
- Mistaken Orders (1925)
- Fighting Fate (1925)
- Secret Service Sanders (1925)
- Super Speed (1925)
- Winning a Woman (1925)
- Crack o' Dawn (1925)
- Dangerous Fists (1925)
- Once in a Lifetime (1925)
- The Snob Buster (1925)
- A Desperate Chance (1925)
- Youth's Gamble (1925)
- Getting 'Em Right (1925)
- Easy Money (1925)
- The Wolf Hunters (1926)
- The Dixie Flyer (1926)
- Temporary Sheriff (1926)
- One Punch O'Day (1926)
- The Midnight Limited (1926)
- Somebody's Mother (1926)
- Perils of the Coast Guard (1926)
- Phantom Police (1926)
- Broadway Billy (1926)
- The Self Starter (1926)
- ... [list truncated for brevity] ...
- Two Sisters, featuring sound
- Beyond the Law, featuring sound