Astor Pictures

Astor Pictures
Industry Film distributor
Fate Went out of business
Founded 1930
Defunct 1963
Headquarters New York City
Key people Robert M. Savini (1886-1956)

Astor Pictures was a motion picture distribution service in operation from 1930 to 1963, founded by Robert M. Savini (29 August 1886 - 29 April 1956). Astor, located at 130 West 46th Street in New York City, initially acquired the rights to other motion pictures for profitable re-release.

In 1947, the motion picture periodical Boxoffice reported that the number of reissued films for that year were four times that of the previous year.[1] Many smaller cinemas wished to show double features to attract audiences with a reissued film being the cheapest type of release.

Types of Astor releases

Astor Pictures--

After Savini's death, Astor and Atlantic Television were acquired by George M. Foley, Jr. and Franklin Bruder, who released European films in the USA. It is probably here the Astor name is best remembered, for in three short years they brought several cinematic classics to theaters in the early sixties. Astor's biggest success was undoubtedly Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960), which was a huge box-office hit for the company, and allowed it to continue to release foreign films such as Michael Powell's Peeping Tom (1960), Francois Truffaut's Shoot the Piano Player (1960), Alain Resnais' Last Year at Marienbad (1961) and Orson Welles' The Trial (1962). However, despite its success with such important films, Astor went out of the distribution business in 1963.[5]

References

  1. ^ p.72 Wilinsky, Barbara Sure Seaters-The Emergence of Art House University of Minnesota Press 2001
  2. ^ Balio, Tino Grand Design: Hollywood as a Modern Business Enterprise 1930-1939 University of California Press 1996
  3. ^ McGilligan, Patrick Oscar Micheaux The Great and Only: The Life of America's First Black Filmmaker Harper 2007
  4. ^ http://www.bmonster.com/cult20.html
  5. ^ Heffenan, Kevin Ghouls, Gimmicks and Gold: Horror Films and the American Movie Business 1953-1968 Duke University Press 2004

External links