Cary Grant during filming of Gunga Din (1939)

RKO Radio Pictures, Inc. was founded in 1928 and operated out of the former Robertson-Cole studios in Hollywood (now part of the Paramount lot). The company was born out of mergers among the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), the Film Booking Offices of America (FBO) and the Keith-Albee-Orpheum vaudeville circuit in the 1920s. The result was Radio-Keith-Orpheum, better known as RKO. The studio built its prestige upon a generally high production standard and the participation of major stars, such as Fred Astaire, Irene Dunne, Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers. Its individual hit films included King Kong (1933), Top Hat (1935), Stage Door (1937), Gunga Din (1939) and Suspicion (1941). Aside from its own productions, RKO also released Goldwyn, Disney and Selznick films. The company continued as a major motion picture studio for more than 27 years. In 1948 Howard Hughes acquired a large share of RKO stock and gained control of the company. After a period of financial difficulties, the company ceased production in 1958, and the studio lot was sold to Desilu.