Benjamin "BB" Kahane (November 30, 1891 – September 18, 1960) was an American film producer.

Career

After graduating from the

Chicago-Kent College of Law Chicago-Kent College of Law is the law school affiliated with the Illinois Institute of Technology. It is the second oldest law school in the state of Illinois. It is ranked 91st among U.S. law schools, and its trial advocacy program is ranked in ...

in 1912, Kahane practiced several years as a lawyer. He entered the motion picture industry in 1919. He first worked as a consultant in legal matters and was promoted to general counsel, secretary and treasurer and member of the

Orpheum Circuit, Inc Orpheum is a name often used for theatres or other entertainment venues. It may refer to: Theatres * Orpheum Circuit, a chain of vaudeville and movie theaters Canada * Orpheum (Vancouver), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Germany * Orpheum Dr ...

. When the Orpheum Circuit amalgamated with Keith-Albee in November 1928, he became secretary and treasurer of

Radio-Keith-Orpheum RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...

. In April 1932 he became vice-president of RKO, president of RKO-Studios, Inc., and RKO Pathé Pictures Inc., in active charge of RKO Studios. He served first as executive film producer, for the film ''A Woman Rebels'', 1936) with Katharine Hepburn. He resigned from RKO in August 1936, and joined Columbia as vice-president in 1938. He produced Charles Vidor's ''The Lady in Question'' (1940), the first joint film of

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...

and

Glenn Ford Gwyllyn Samuel Newton "Glenn" Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006) was a Canadian-American actor who often portrayed ordinary men in unusual circumstances. Ford was most prominent during Hollywood's Golden Age as one of the biggest box-offi ...

. In 1957 at the

30th Academy Awards The 30th Academy Awards ceremony was held on March 26, 1958, to honor the best films of 1957. The Oscar for Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium was awarded to Pierre Boulle for ''The Bridge on the River Kwai'', despite the f ...

, Kahane received an Academy Honorary Award in recognition of his "distinguished service to the motion picture industry". It was presented to him by the actor

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...

. In 1959 he was elected president of the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...

. He held this office until his death the following year. During his tenure as the president of the Academy he presented the

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award is awarded periodically by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) at the Governors Awards ceremonies for an individual's "outstanding contributions to humanitarian causes". Prior to 2009 and ...

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in Bob Hope filmography, more than 70 short and ...

and an honorary Academy Award to Buster Keaton at the

32nd Academy Awards The 32nd Academy Awards ceremony was held on April 4, 1960 at the RKO Pantages Theatre, to honor the films of 1959. William Wyler's Bible epic '' Ben-Hur'' won 11 Oscars, breaking the record of nine set the previous year by '' Gigi''. This ...

Filmography

* ''

Love on a Bet ''Love on a Bet'' is a 1936 American romantic comedy film directed by Leigh Jason using a screenplay by P. J. Wolfson and Philip G. Epstein, based on a story by Kenneth Earl. The film stars Gene Raymond, Wendy Barrie, and Helen Broderick, and ...

'' (1936) * ''

A Woman Rebels ''A Woman Rebels'' is a 1936 American historical drama film adapted from the 1930 novel ''Portrait of a Rebel'' by Netta Syrett and starring Katharine Hepburn as Pamela Thistlewaite, who rebels against the social mores of Victorian England. The fi ...

'' (1936) * '' There's That Woman Again'' (1939) * '' Those High Grey Walls'' (1939) * '' The Lady in Question'' (1940) * '' Her First Beau'' (1941)

References

* "Benjamin B. Kahane" in: William R. Denslow, foreword by Harry S. Truman: ''10,000 Famous Freemasons" Volume III, K - P, published by Macoy Publishing Inc., Richmond, Virginia, Publishing, 1957–2004, p. 1

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kahane, Benjamin BB 1891 births 1960 deaths Academy Honorary Award recipients Film producers from Illinois Businesspeople from Chicago Presidents of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 20th-century American businesspeople