The story
Founded by Bryant Haliday and Cyrus Harvey, Jr. in 1956.1
Janus Films was founded in 1956 by Bryant Haliday and Cyrus Harvey, Jr., in the historic Brattle Theater, a Harvard Square landmark in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Prior to the conception of Janus, Haliday and Harvey began screening both foreign and American films at the Brattle Theater and proceeded to regularly fill the 300-seat venue. Having purchased the theater, Haliday, together with Harvey, converted the Brattle into a popular movie house for the showing of art films.
Perceiving potential success in the film business, Haliday and Harvey moved into the New York City market and began running the 55th Street Playhouse. Janus Films was subsequently launched in March 1956 and the Playhouse was used as the primary location for exhibiting Janus-distributed films. The two owners eventually sold Janus Films in 1965 following a decline in the American art film market, and in 1966 Haliday also sold the Brattle, while Harvey continued to manage the theater into the 1970s.
In 1977, Kino International (now Kino Lorber) acquired rights to the company's film collection, which became the foundation for Kino's international library of films.
Janus was later acquired by Saul J. Turell and William J. Becker. Janus Films, alongside The Criterion Collection, was sold to Steven Rales in May 2024 in a private acquisition.
From Wikipedia’s article on Janus Films, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4