Pathé
Pathé or Pathé Frères (French pronunciation: [pate fʁɛʁ], styled as PATHÉ!) is the name of various French businesses that were founded and originally run by the Pathé Brothers of France starting in 1896. In the early 1900s, Pathé became the world's largest film equipment and production company, as well as a major producer of phonograph records. In 1908, Pathé invented the newsreel that was shown in cinemas prior to a feature film.
Today, Pathé is a major film production and distribution company, owns a great number of cinema chains, across Europe but mainly in France, including 66% of the Les Cinémas Gaumont Pathé a joint venture between Pathé and the Gaumont Film Company, and several television networks across Europe. It is the second oldest still-operating film company in the world, predating Universal Studios and Paramount Pictures, second only to the French Gaumont Film Company studio.
History
The company was founded as Société Pathé Frères (Pathé Brothers Company) in Paris, France on 28 September 1896, by the four brothers Charles, Émile, Théophile and Jacques Pathé. During the first part of the 20th century, Pathé became the largest film equipment and production company in the world, as well as a major producer of phonograph records.