Hemdale Film Corporation  Hemdale Film Corporation, known as Hemdale Communications after 1993, was an independent British-American film production company and distributor. The company was founded in London in 1967 as the Hemdale Company by actor David Hemmings and John Daly, naming the company from a combination of their surnames. The company produced numerous acclaimed films, often in conjunction with companies such as TriStar and Orion Pictures, including "Platoon" (1986) and "The Last Emperor" (1987), back-to-back winners of the Academy Award for Best Picture. Hemdale began as an investment company to cut the high personal taxes on British actors. Eventually, the company went public as Hemdale Ltd. and began diversifying. Hemdale partnered with Patrick Meehan of Worldwide Artists, who once managed the band Black Sabbath, invested in feature films, financed stage productions such as "Grease", and became involved in boxing promotions such as The Rumble in the Jungle match between George Foreman and Muhammed Ali. John Daly was Hemdale's chairman and president. David Hemmings left the company in 1971, and Daly purchased his stock. Hemdale also distributed cable TV to hotels, which, in 1974, was its major source of revenue. After producing and distributing British films throughout the 1970s, Hemdale relocated to Hollywood in 1980 and focused extensively on movie-making. A distribution agreement was made with Orion Pictures. In 1981 Derek Gibson joined the company as executive vice president and head of production. Daly and Gibson were then credited together as executive producers on all Hemdale films. Among Hemdale's best known films are "The Terminator", "The Return of the Living Dead", "Hoosiers", "Salvador", "River's Edge", "Platoon", and "The Last Emperor"; the latter two were back-to-back recipients of the Academy Award for Best Picture. Hemdale produced and or financed over 80 films during this period. In 1986, "Salvador" was the first major film released by Hemdale Distribution in the United States. "" had received a regional release in December 1985. In 1991, Hemdale sold its valuable assets to another company that Daly and Gibson ran at cut-rate prices, which became Hemdale Communications. Erik Parkinson joined the new company as president of Hemdale Pictures Corporation and Hemdale Home Video. That same year, the new Hemdale created a collection of many video cassette titles released by Hemdale Home Video around the United States of America.