| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Talent agency |
| Predecessor | Rockwell-O'Keefe Theatrical Agency |
| Founded | Early 1930s |
| Founders | Thomas G. Rockwell and Francis "Cork" O'Keefe |
| Defunct | 1975; 50 years ago (1975) |
| Fate | Merged intoCreative Management Associates in 1968; merged withInternational Famous Agency in 1975 to formInternational Creative Management |
| Successor | General Artists Corporation |
Key people | Julius Rosenthal Wolf |
| Owner | GAC, Inc. (from 1968) |
General Amusement Corporation (GAC) was an internationaltalent booking agency dating back to the 1930s. Through a series of acquisitions and mergers, it eventually became one of the agencies that formedInternational Creative Management in 1975.
The company was founded in the early 1930s as a partnership between Thomas G. Rockwell (1901–1958)[1] and Francis "Cork" O'Keefe (1900–1990). It was called theRockwell-O'Keefe Theatrical Agency. Their clients includedBing Crosby and the newly formedDorsey Brothers band.
In 1939, when O'Keefe retired, Rockwell reorganized the firm and changed the name toGeneral Amusement Corporation.[2] In the 1940s, GAC's name was changed toGeneral Artists Corporation[2] to avoid confusion with a registered coin-machine company.[citation needed] At that point, the only larger booking firm than GAC wasMusic Corporation of America (MCA).[3]
Co-founder Rockwell died in 1958.[2] In 1968, GAC merged intoCreative Management Associates (with the parent company called "GAC, Inc.").[4] in 1975, it merged withInternational Famous Agency to formInternational Creative Management.
From 1962 to 1968,Julius Rosenthal Wolf served in various capacities with the agency,[5] ultimately becoming the agency's vice president. During his time with GAC, he became known as an early champion ofAfrican American talent in the film and theater industries.
Other notable people who worked for GAC over the years includedMartin Baum,Sid Bernstein,Stephen Blauner,Sam Cohn,David De Silva,Sandy Gallin, andMike Medavoy.
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