| 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.
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]