Arthur B. Krim (April 4, 1910 – September 21, 1994) was an American entertainment lawyer, the former finance chairman for the U.S. Democratic Party, an adviser to President Lyndon Johnson and the former chairman of Eagle-Lion Films (1946–1949), United Artists (1951–1978), and Orion Pictures (1978–1992). His more than four decades as a movie studio head is one of the longest in Hollywood history.[1]
Arthur B. Krim | |
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| Born | April 4, 1910 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | 21 September 1994 (aged 84) New York City, U.S. |
| Education | Columbia University, (BA) Columbia Law School, (JD) |
| Occupation(s) | Chairman of Orion Pictures from 1978 to 1992 Chairman of United Artists from 1951 to 1978 |
| Spouse | Mathilde Krim |
Biography
editBorn to a Jewish family[2] in New York City, he received his B.A. from Columbia University in 1930, and graduated from Columbia Law School two years later.[3]
Krim was a partner at the firm of Phillips Nizer Benjamin Krim & Ballon. He worked as an entertainment lawyer for clients such as Clifford Odets and John Garfield.[4]
He served in the U.S. Army Service Forces in the Pacific Theatre of Operations of World War II where he rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Film
editIn 1946 Krim and his partner Robert Benjamin managed the American portion of Eagle-Lion Films where they sought top talent to produce their films.[5]
When Krim and Benjamin took over United Artists in 1951, stockholders gave them three years to turn a profit; they did it in six months.[6] Krim remained with UA until 1978 when he created Orion Pictures.
Democratic Party
editKrim became an influential Democrat, head of the Democratic Party Financing Committee and advised Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and Jimmy Carter.[6]
Personal life
editHe was married to Mathilde Krim. He died in New York City in 1994, aged 84.[3]
Upon Nelson Mandela's release and subsequent freedom tour in 1990, Krim hosted a $1,000 per person cocktail party at his East Side townhouse where attendees hoped to greet the newly freed Mandela.[7]
References
edit- ^ "Krim, Trustees' Former Leader, Is Dead at 84". www.columbia.edu. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
- ^ Brook, Vincent (December 15, 2016). From Shtetl to Stardom: Jews and Hollywood: Chapter 1: Still an Empire of Their Own: How Jews Remain Atop a Reinvented Hollywood. Purdue University Press. p. 17. ISBN 9781557537638. Archived from the original on April 16, 2017. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
- ^ a b "In Memoriam: Arthur B. Krim '30, LAW'32". Columbia College Today. Winter 2014. Archived from the original on 2016-12-26. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
- ^ p. 47 Morrison, John Mathilde Krim Infobase Publishing, 2009
- ^ Tzioumakis, Yannis American Independent Cinema: Second Edition Edinburgh University Press, 7 Mar 2018
- ^ a b Week, Jew of the. "Jews of the Week: Mathilde and Arthur Krim | Jew of the Week". Archived from the original on 2019-04-20. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
- ^ Cortes, Ryan (2016-06-22). "#RememberWhensdays: Nelson Mandela visits Yankee Stadium". Andscape. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
External links
edit
- Arthur B. Krim at IMDb
- Oral History Interviews with Arthur B. Krim, from the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library
- Arthur Krim papers, 1920 - 1990 at the Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University, New York, NY