For the 100th Anniversary of Columbia Pictures, the Media History Digital Library is excited to save and share important material from its history.

In 2024, Sony is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Columbia Pictures. Columbia Pictures, founded in the late 1910s by Harry Cohn, Jack Cohn, and Joe Brandt, began as Cohn-Brandt-Cohn (CBC) Film Sales--a small studio producing low-budget films. It formally adopted the name "Columbia Pictures" in January 1924. Throughout its history, the studio has made important contributions to the entertainment industry. It gained prominence in the 1930s and 1940s with hits like It Happened One Night, which won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Over the decades, Columbia adapted to industry changes, producing notable film noir classics, widescreen spectacles in the 1950s, and influential films in the New American Cinema movement of the 1970s. Its ability to evolve and innovate has cemented Columbia Pictures as a significant player in Hollywood’s history.