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American International Pictures, LLC (AIP or American International Productions) is an American
film production Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a Film, motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screen ...
company owned by
Amazon MGM Studios Amazon MGM Studios is an American film and television production and distribution company owned by Amazon, and headquartered at the Culver Studios complex in Culver City, California. Launched on November 16, 2010, it took its current name on O ...
. In its original operating period, AIP was an independent film production and
distribution Distribution may refer to: Mathematics *Distribution (mathematics), generalized functions used to formulate solutions of partial differential equations *Probability distribution, the probability of a particular value or value range of a varia ...
company known for producing and releasing films from 1955 until 1980, a year after its acquisition by
Filmways Filmways, Inc. (also known as Filmways Pictures and Filmways Television) was a television and film production company founded by American film executive Martin Ransohoff and Edwin Kasper in 1952. It is probably best remembered as the production c ...
in 1979. It was formed on April 2, 1954, as American Releasing Corporation (ARC) by former Realart Pictures Inc. sales manager James H. Nicholson and entertainment lawyer Samuel Z. Arkoff and their first release was the 1953 UK documentary film '' Operation Malaya''. It was dedicated to releasing low-budget films packaged as
double feature The double feature is a Film, motion picture industry phenomenon in which theaters would exhibit two films for the price of one, supplanting an earlier format in which the presentation of one feature film would be followed by various short subjec ...
s, primarily of interest to the
teenagers Adolescence () is a transitional stage of human physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with ...
of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. The company eventually became a part of
Orion Pictures Orion Releasing, LLC (Trade name, doing business as Orion Pictures) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by the Amazon MGM Studios subsidiary of Amazon (company), Amazon. It was founded in 1978 as Ori ...
, which in turn, became a division of Amazon MGM Studios. On October 7, 2020, four decades after the original closure,
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...
revived AIP as a label for acquired films for digital and theatrical releases, with MGM overseeing across streaming platforms and
United Artists Releasing United Artists Releasing, LLC (UAR) was an American film distribution joint venture between Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Annapurna Pictures and the successor to United Artists (UA) that operated from October 31, 2017 to March 4, 2023. Founded by form ...
handling theatrical distribution in North America until 2023 when Amazon MGM Studios took over.


AIP personnel

Nicholson and Arkoff served as
executive producers Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the production of media. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights or royalties). In films, ...
while
Roger Corman Roger William Corman (April 5, 1926 – May 9, 2024) was an American film director, producer, and actor. Known under various monikers such as "The Pope of Pop Cinema", "The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood", and "The King of Cult", he w ...
and
Alex Gordon Alexander Jonathan Gordon (born February 10, 1984) is an American former professional baseball left fielder who played his entire career for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2007 to 2020. Prior to playing professional ...
were the principal film producers and, sometimes, directors. Writer Charles B. Griffith wrote many of the early films, along with Arkoff's brother-in-law, Lou Rusoff, who later produced many of the films he had written. Other writers included
Ray Russell Ray Russell (September 4, 1924 – March 15, 1999) was an American editor and writer of short stories, novels, and screenplays. Russell is best known for his horror fiction, although he also wrote mystery and science fiction stories. His most ...
,
Richard Matheson Richard Burton Matheson (February 20, 1926 – June 23, 2013) was an American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres. He is best known as the author of '' I Am Legend'', a 1954 science ficti ...
and
Charles Beaumont Charles Beaumont (born Charles Leroy Nutt; January 2, 1929 – February 21, 1967) was an American author of speculative fiction, including short stories in the horror and science fiction subgenres.Stefan R. Dziemianowicz, "Beaumont, Charles" ...
.
Floyd Crosby Floyd Delafield Crosby, ASC (December 12, 1899September 30, 1985) was an American cinematographer. He won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography in 1931 for '' Tabu: A Story of the South Seas'', his debut film, before going on to shoot over ...
, A.S.C. famous for his camera work on a number of exotic documentaries and the
Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...
winner, ''
High Noon ''High Noon'' is a 1952 American Western (genre), Western film produced by Stanley Kramer from a screenplay by Carl Foreman, directed by Fred Zinnemann, and starring Gary Cooper. The plot, which occurs in Real time (media), real time, centers ...
'', was chief cinematographer. His innovative use of surreal color and odd lenses and angles gave AIP films a signature look. The early rubber monster suits and miniatures of
Paul Blaisdell Paul Blaisdell (July 21, 1927 – July 10, 1983) was an American painter, sculptor and visual effects creator, best remembered for his work in science fiction and horror B movies of the 1950s. Life and career Blaisdell was born in Newport, Rhod ...
were used in AIP's
science fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses Speculative fiction, speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as Extraterrestrial life in fiction, extraterrestria ...
s. The company also hired
Les Baxter Leslie Thompson Baxter (March 14, 1922 – January 15, 1996) was an American composer, conductor, and musician. After working as an arranger and composer for swing bands, he developed his own style of easy listening music, known as exotica and s ...
and Ronald Stein to compose many of its film scores. In the 1950s, the company had a number of actors under contract, including John Ashley,
Fay Spain Lona Fay Spain (October 6, 1932 – May 8, 1983) was an American actress in motion pictures and television. Early years Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Fay Spain was the younger of two daughters born to Robert C. Spain and Arminta Frances "Mick ...
and Steve Terrell.


Emphasis on teenagers

When many of ARC/AIP's first releases failed to earn a profit, Arkoff quizzed film exhibitors who told him of the value of the teenage market as adults were watching television. AIP stopped making Westerns with Arkoff explaining: "To compete with television westerns you have to have color, big stars and $2,000,000".. AIP was the first company to use
focus group A focus group is a group interview involving a small number (sometimes up to ten) of demographically predefined participants. Their reactions to specific researcher/evaluator-posed questions are studied. Focus groups are used in market researc ...
s, polling American teenagers about what they would like to see and using their responses to determine titles, stars, and story content. AIP would question their exhibitors (who often provided 20% of AIP's financing) what they thought of the success of a title, then would have a writer create a script for it. A sequence of tasks in a typical production involved creating a great title, getting an artist such as Albert Kallis who supervised all AIP artwork from 1955 to 1973 to create a dynamic, eye-catching poster, then raising the cash, and finally writing and casting the film. According to Filmink, "AIP ran on basic principles: keep overheads down (i.e. no permanent studio space), keep all costs down, use fading stars (eg Ray Milland) or its own up-and-coming names (eg John Ashley), use cheap directors, go for genre (horror, sci fi, action, peplum), follow the trends, abandon the trends when audience enthusiasm lessens, give audiences something they can’t get from a regular studio picture, build your own franchises."


The ARKOFF formula

Samuel Z. Arkoff related his tried-and-true "ARKOFF formula" for producing a successful low-budget movie years later, during a 1980s talk show appearance. His ideas for a movie included: * Action (exciting, entertaining drama) * Revolution (novel or controversial themes and ideas) * Killing (a modicum of violence) * Oratory (notable dialogue and speeches) * Fantasy (acted-out fantasies common to the audience) * Fornication (
sex appeal Sexual attraction is attraction on the basis of sexual desire or the quality of arousing such interest. Sexual attractiveness or sex appeal is an individual's ability to attract other people sexually, and is a factor in sexual selection or m ...
for young adults) Later, the AIP publicity department devised a strategy called "the Peter Pan Syndrome": a) a younger child will watch anything an older child will watch;
b) an older child will not watch anything a younger child will watch;
c) a girl will watch anything a boy will watch;
d) a boy will not watch anything a girl will watch;
therefore:
to catch your greatest audience you zero in on the 19-year-old male.


History


American Releasing Corporation

AIP began as the American Releasing Corporation, a new distribution company formed in 1954 by James H. Nicholson and Samuel Z. Arkoff.


Roger Corman

They were interested in distributing a car chase movie produced by
Roger Corman Roger William Corman (April 5, 1926 – May 9, 2024) was an American film director, producer, and actor. Known under various monikers such as "The Pope of Pop Cinema", "The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood", and "The King of Cult", he w ...
for his Palo Alto Productions, '' The Fast and the Furious'' (1955). Corman had received offers from other companies for the film, but ARC offered to advance money to enable Corman to make two other films. Corman agreed, ''The Fast and the Furious'' performed well at the box office and the company was launched. Corman's next two films for the company were a Western, '' Five Guns West'' (1955), which Corman directed, and a science fiction film, '' The Beast with a Million Eyes'' (1955). The title from the latter had come from Nicholson. ARC also distributed the Western '' Outlaw Treasure'' (1955) starring
Johnny Carpenter Johnny Carpenter (Jasper Carpenter; June 25, 1914 – February 27, 2003) was an American film actor, screenwriter and producer. He was known mostly for his work in Westerns and for his association with actor and filmmaker Ed Wood. He used the s ...
.


Alex Gordon

ARC got Corman to direct another Western and science fiction double bill '' Apache Woman'' (1955) and '' Day the World Ended'' (1955). Both scripts were written by Arkoff's brother-in-law Lou Rusoff, who would become the company's leading writer in its early days. ''Apache Woman'' was produced by Alex Gordon, an associate of Arkoff's, ''Day'' was produced by Corman. Both were made by Golden State Productions, ARC's production arm. Normally, B movies were made for the second part of a bill and received a flat rate. As television was encroaching on the B movie market, Nicholson and Arkoff felt it would be more profitable to make two low budget films and distribute them together on a
double feature The double feature is a Film, motion picture industry phenomenon in which theaters would exhibit two films for the price of one, supplanting an earlier format in which the presentation of one feature film would be followed by various short subjec ...
. Nicholson came up with a title for a film to support ''Day the World Ended'', ''
The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues ''The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues'' is a 1955 independent film, independently made American black-and-white science fiction film, science-fiction monster film produced by Jack Milner and Dan Milner (who also directed), that stars Kent Taylor an ...
'' (1955), but lacked the money to make both films. They split the costs with Dan and Jack Milner, film editors who wanted to get into production. The resulting double bill was very successful at the box office. Gordon also produced '' The Oklahoma Woman'' (1955), a Western by Corman, made through Sunset Productions. It was put on a double feature with '' Female Jungle'' (1955), a
film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...
. Other films released under the ARC banner include a British documentary '' Operation Malaya'' (1955) and Corman's ''
Gunslinger Gunfighters, also called gunslingers () or in the late 19th and early 20th century gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in shootouts. Today, the term "gunslin ...
'' (1956).


American International in the 1950s

Arkoff and Nicholson had always wanted to name their company "American International Pictures", but the name was unavailable. When the name became available, they changed over. There were three main production arms at AIP in the late 1950s: Roger Corman, Alex Gordon & Lou Rusoff, and Herman Cohen. Arkoff and Nicholson would buy films from other filmmakers as well, and import films from outside America.


Roger Corman

Corman continued to be an important member of AIP (though he also worked for Allied Artists and his own Filmgroup company during this period). He had a big hit for the company with the science fiction film '' It Conquered the World'' (1956) from a script by Rusoff that was rewritten by Charles B. Griffith. His films included '' Rock All Night'' (1956); '' Naked Paradise'' (1957), in which Arkoff had a small role; ''
The Undead The Undead is an American horror punk band formed in 1980 in New York City's East Village by Bobby Steele (vocals and guitar), Chris "Jack" Natz (bass) and Patrick Blanck (drums). They were one of the pioneers in the New York hardcore scene. ...
''; '' Sorority Girl''; '' The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent'' (1957); '' Machine Gun Kelly'' with
Charles Bronson Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky; November 3, 1921 – August 30, 2003) was an American actor. He was known for his roles in action films and his "granite features and brawny physique". Bronson was born into extreme poverty in ...
; and '' Teenage Caveman'' (1958), with
Robert Vaughn Robert Francis Vaughn (November 22, 1932 – November 11, 2016) was an American actor and political activist, whose career in film, television and theater spanned nearly six decades and who was best known for his role as secret agent Nap ...
. AIP also distributed films Corman helped finance, such as '' Night of the Blood Beast'', '' She Gods of Shark Reef'' and '' The Brain Eaters'' (all released in 1958).


Alex Gordon and Lou Rusoff

The other key producer for AIP was Alex Gordon who mostly made films though his Golden State Productions outfit, usually written by Lou Rusoff. He made '' Girls in Prison'' (1956), with director Edward L. Cahn who would become one of AIP's most prolific directors. AIP released it on a double bill with ''
Hot Rod Girl ''Hot Rod Girl'' is an independent, black-and-white 1956 teen-oriented action film produced by Norman T. Herman, directed by Leslie H. Martinson and released by American International Pictures as a double feature with ''Girls in Prison (1956 film) ...
'' (1956). Cahn also directed the following for Gordon: ''
The She-Creature ''The She-Creature'', or ''The She Creature'', is a 1956 American black-and-white science fiction horror film, released by American International Pictures from a script by Lou Rusoff (brother-in-law of AIP executive Samuel Z. Arkoff). It wa ...
'' (released as a double feature with ''It Conquered the World''); ''
Flesh and the Spur ''Flesh and the Spur'' is a 1956 American western film directed by Edward L. Cahn. The film stars John Agar as Lucius Random, Marla English as Wild Willow and Mike Connors (billed here as Touch Connors) as Stacy Tanner. The film was released ...
'', the last Western made by AIP; '' Shake, Rattle & Rock!'', a rock musical with
Mike Connors Krekor Ohanian (August 15, 1925 – January 26, 2017), known professionally as Mike Connors, was an American actor. He was best known for playing private detective Joe Mannix in the CBS television series ''Mannix'' from 1967 to 1975. This role ...
; '' Runaway Daughters'' (1956); '' Voodoo Woman''; '' Dragstrip Girl'' (1957), with John Ashley; ''
Motorcycle Gang An outlaw motorcycle club, known colloquially as a biker club or club (in Australia), is a motorcycle subculture generally centered on the use of cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and choppers, and a set of ideals that purpo ...
'' (1957), again with Ashley; '' Jet Attack'' and '' Submarine Seahawk'' (1958). Most of these were written by Rusoff and directed by Edward L. Cahn. Gordon left AIP and Rusoff alone produced ''
Hot Rod Gang ''Hot Rod Gang'' is a 1958 American teen drama film directed by Lew Landers and starring John Ashley. The working title was ''Hot Rod Rock'' with the film also released under the title ''Fury Unleashed''. American International Pictures released ...
'' (1958) and '' Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow'' (1959).


Herman Cohen

Another key producer for AIP was
Herman Cohen Herman Cohen (August 27, 1925 – June 2, 2002) was an American producer of B-movies during the 1950s, and helped to popularize the teen horror movie genre with films like the cult classic '' I Was a Teenage Werewolf''. Career Born in Detroit ...
, who had a huge hit with ''
I Was a Teenage Werewolf ''I Was a Teenage Werewolf'' is a 1957 American science fiction horror film directed by Gene Fowler Jr., and starring Michael Landon as a troubled teenager, Yvonne Lime, and Whit Bissell. Co-written and produced by cult film producer Herma ...
'' (1957) starring
Michael Landon Michael Landon Sr. (born Eugene Maurice Orowitz; October 31, 1936 – July 1, 1991) was an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his roles as Little Joe Cartwright in ''Bonanza'' (1959–1973), Charles Ingalls in ''Little House on th ...
. He followed it with ''
I Was a Teenage Frankenstein ''I Was a Teenage Frankenstein'' (U.K. title: ''Teenage Frankenstein'') is a horror film starring Whit Bissell, Phyllis Coates and Gary Conway, released by American International Pictures (AIP) in November 1957 as a double feature with '' Blo ...
'', '' Blood of Dracula'' (both also in 1957 as a double feature), '' How to Make a Monster'' (1958), '' The Headless Ghost'' and '' Horrors of the Black Museum'' (both in 1959).


Other producers

Other key collaborators who worked for AIP in the late 1950s included: * Norman T. Herman: ''
Hot Rod Girl ''Hot Rod Girl'' is an independent, black-and-white 1956 teen-oriented action film produced by Norman T. Herman, directed by Leslie H. Martinson and released by American International Pictures as a double feature with ''Girls in Prison (1956 film) ...
'' (1956) * Robert Gurney: ''
Invasion of the Saucer Men ''Invasion of the Saucer Men'' (U.K. title: ''Invasion of the Hell Creatures''; working title: ''Spacemen Saturday Night''), is a 1957 black-and-white comic science fiction/ comedy horror film produced by James H. Nicholson for release by Amer ...
'' (1957; released as a double feature with ''I Was a Teenage Werewolf''), ''
Reform School Girl ''Reform School Girl'' is a 1957 American drama film starring Gloria Castillo as a teenage girl who is sent to a reformatory. The film was directed by Edward Bernds and was produced by Samuel Z. Arkoff. ''Reform School Girl'' was one of many s ...
'' (1957) and '' Terror from the Year 5000'' (1958) * Bert I. Gordon: ''
The Amazing Colossal Man ''The Amazing Colossal Man'' (also known as ''The Colossal Man'') is a 1957 American black-and-white science fiction film from American International Pictures. Produced and directed by Bert I. Gordon, it stars Glenn Langan, Cathy Downs, Willi ...
'' (1957), ''
Attack of the Puppet People ''Attack of the Puppet People'' (retitled ''Six Inches Tall'' for its U.K. release) is a 1958 American black-and-white science fiction horror film produced and directed by Bert I. Gordon. It stars John Agar, John Hoyt, and June Kenney. Gordon a ...
'' (1958), '' War of the Colossal Beast'' (1958; the sequel to ''The Amazing Colossal Man'') and '' Earth vs. the Spider'' (1958) * Burt Topper: '' Hell Squad'' (1958), ''
Tank Commandos ''Tank Commando'' is a 1959 American war film produced, directed and written by Burt Topper. American International Pictures released the film as a double feature with ''Operation Dames''. Premise During the Italian campaign (World War II), Italia ...
'' (1959) and '' Diary of a High School Bride'' (1959) *
Edward Bernds Edward Bernds (July 12, 1905May 20, 2000) was an American screenwriter and director, born in Chicago, Illinois. Career While in his junior year in Lake View High School, he and several friends formed a small radio clique and obtained amateur li ...
: '' High School Hellcats'' (1958). * Stanley Shpetne: '' The Bonnie Parker Story'' (1958) and '' Paratroop Command'' (1959). * Stanley Kallis: '' Operation Dames'' (1959) and '' Roadracers'' (1959).


Pickups

AIP would flesh out their distribution schedule by buying films made by outside producers. These included '' The Astounding She-Monster'', the documentary '' Naked Africa'', '' The Screaming Skull'' (1957), ''
The Cool and the Crazy ''The Cool and the Crazy'' is a 1958 American teen drama film directed by William Witney that was distributed by American-International Pictures as a double feature with '' Dragstrip Riot''. It stars Scott Marlowe and Gigi Perreau. Plot ...
'', '' Daddy-O'', '' Dragstrip Riot'' and '' Tank Battalion'' (1958).


Anglo-Amalgamated

AIP developed a mutual relationship with Britain's
Anglo-Amalgamated Anglo-Amalgamated Productions was a British film production company, run by Nat Cohen and Stuart Levy, which operated from 1945 until roughly 1971 (after which it was absorbed into EMI Films). Low-budget and second features, often produced at ...
who would distribute AIP's product in the UK. In return, AIP would distribute their films in the U.S., such as ''
The Tommy Steele Story ''The Tommy Steele Story'' is a 1957 British film directed by Gerard Bryant and starring Tommy Steele, dramatising Steele's rise to fame as a teen idol. Along with '' Rock You Sinners'', it was one of the first British films to feature rock and r ...
'' (1957) and '' Cat Girl'' (1957). AIP also imported '' The White Huntress'' (1954, England), ''Pulgarcito'' (1958, Mexico) and '' The Sky Calls'' (1959, Russia).


Late 1950s crisis

AIP became a victim of its own success when other companies started copying its double feature strategy. Costs were rising and were not compensated by increased box office grosses. AIP shut down most of their production arms and focused on distributing films from Italy, while they decided what to do next. In October 1959 AIP announced it had secured finance from Colonial Bank (who had financed three of their films to date) for ten films over the next 12 months. The remaining 14 to 20 projects planned were paid by Pathe Laboratories. The ten films were '' Diary of a High School Bride'', ''Drag Race'', ''The Haunted House of Usher'', ''End of the World'', ''World Without Women'', ''Bombs Away'', ''Blood Hill'',''Take Me To Your Leader'', ''She'' and ''Eve and the Dragon''. Not all of these would be made.


AIP's 1960s output

The company moved into rented office space at the former Chaplin Studios.


Imports

In the late 1950s, AIP kept their company afloat by importing films from Italy. These included '' Sheba and the Gladiator'' (1959), ''
Goliath and the Barbarians ''Goliath and the Barbarians'' () is a 1959 Italian sword-and-sandal, peplum film loosely based on events of the Lombards, Lombard Lombards#Invasion and conquest of the Italian peninsula, invasion of Italy in AD 568. As with many Cinema of Italy ...
'' (1959) and '' Black Sunday'' (1960); the latter film proved to be one of the company's early successes. There was also '' Atomic Agent'' (1959, France), ''
The Angry Red Planet ''The Angry Red Planet'' (also called ''Invasion of Mars'' and ''Journey to Planet Four'') is a 1959 American science-fiction film directed by Ib Melchior and starring Gerald Mohr. Melchior reportedly had an initial production budget of only $ ...
'' (1959, Denmark), '' Tiger of Bengal'' (1959) and '' The Indian Tomb'' (1960) from
Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), better known as Fritz Lang (), was an Austrian-born film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety Obituari ...
in Germany, edited together as ''Journey to the Lost City'', '' Portrait of a Sinner'' (1959, West Germany), '' The Professionals'' (1960, Great Britain), and '' Escape to Paradise'' (1960, the Philippines). They also bought '' Why Must I Die?'' and '' The Jailbreakers'' (1960).


The Corman-Poe cycle

In the early 1960s, AIP gained kudos by combining
Roger Corman Roger William Corman (April 5, 1926 – May 9, 2024) was an American film director, producer, and actor. Known under various monikers such as "The Pope of Pop Cinema", "The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood", and "The King of Cult", he w ...
,
Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor. He was known for his work in the horror film genre, mostly portraying villains. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price ...
and the stories of
Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...
into a series of horror films, with scripts by
Richard Matheson Richard Burton Matheson (February 20, 1926 – June 23, 2013) was an American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres. He is best known as the author of '' I Am Legend'', a 1954 science ficti ...
,
Charles Beaumont Charles Beaumont (born Charles Leroy Nutt; January 2, 1929 – February 21, 1967) was an American author of speculative fiction, including short stories in the horror and science fiction subgenres.Stefan R. Dziemianowicz, "Beaumont, Charles" ...
,
Ray Russell Ray Russell (September 4, 1924 – March 15, 1999) was an American editor and writer of short stories, novels, and screenplays. Russell is best known for his horror fiction, although he also wrote mystery and science fiction stories. His most ...
, R. Wright Campbell and
Robert Towne Robert Towne (born Robert Bertram Schwartz; November 23, 1934 – July 1, 2024) was an American screenwriter and director. He started writing films for Roger Corman, including '' The Tomb of Ligeia'' in 1964, and was later part of the New Hollyw ...
. The original idea, usually credited to Corman and Lou Rusoff, was to take Poe's story "
The Fall of the House of Usher "The Fall of the House of Usher" is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1839 in ''Burton's Gentleman's Magazine'', then included in the collection ''Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque'' in 1840. The short stor ...
", which had both a high name-recognition value and the merit of being in the
public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no Exclusive exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly Waiver, waived, or may be inapplicable. Because no one holds ...
, and thus
royalty Royalty may refer to: * the mystique/prestige bestowed upon monarchs ** one or more monarchs, such as kings, queens, emperors, empresses, princes, princesses, etc. *** royal family, the immediate family of a king or queen-regnant, and sometimes h ...
-free, and expand it into a feature film. Corman convinced the studio to give him a larger budget than the typical AIP film so he could film the movie in widescreen and color, and use it to create lavish sets as well. The success of '' House of Usher'' led AIP to finance further films based on Poe's stories. The sets and special effects were often reused in subsequent movies (for example, the burning roof of the Usher mansion reappears in most of the other films as
stock footage Stock footage, and similarly, archive footage, library pictures, and file footage is film or video footage that can be used again in other films. Stock footage is beneficial to filmmakers as it saves shooting new material. A single piece of stock ...
), making the series quite cost-effective. All the films in the series were directed by Roger Corman, and they all starred Price except ''
The Premature Burial "The Premature Burial" is a horror short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, published in 1844 in ''The Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper''. Its main character expresses fear about being buried alive. This fear was common in this period and ...
'', which featured
Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. He is often remembered for his portrayal of an alcoholic writer in Billy Wilder's ''The Lost Weekend'' (1945), which wo ...
in the lead. It was originally produced for another studio, but AIP acquired the rights to it. As the series progressed, Corman made attempts to change the formula. Later films added more humor to the stories, especially ''
The Raven "The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a distraught lover who is paid a visit ...
'', which takes Poe's poem as an inspiration and develops it into an all-out farce starring Price,
Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), known professionally as Boris Karloff () and occasionally billed as Karloff the Uncanny, was a British actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstei ...
and
Peter Lorre Peter Lorre (; born László Löwenstein, ; June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964) was a Hungarian and American actor, active first in Europe and later in the United States. Known for his timidly devious characters, his appearance, and accented vo ...
; Karloff had starred in a 1935 film with the same title. Corman also adapted
H. P. Lovecraft Howard Phillips Lovecraft (, ; August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American writer of Weird fiction, weird, Science fiction, science, fantasy, and horror fiction. He is best known for his creation of the Cthulhu Mythos. Born in Provi ...
's short novel '' The Case of Charles Dexter Ward'' in an attempt to get away from Poe, but AIP changed the title to that of an obscure Poe poem, '' The Haunted Palace'', and marketed it as yet another movie in the series. The last two films in the series, ''
The Masque of the Red Death "The Masque of the Red Death" (originally published as "The Mask of the Red Death: A Fantasy") is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1842. The story follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plag ...
'' and '' The Tomb of Ligeia'', were filmed in England with an unusually long schedule for Corman and AIP. Although Corman and Rusoff are generally credited with coming up with the idea for the Poe series, in an interview on the Anchor Bay DVD of
Mario Bava Mario Bava (; 31 July 1914 – 27 April 1980) was an Italian filmmaker who worked variously as a director, cinematographer, special effects artist and screenwriter. His low-budget genre films, known for their distinctive visual flair and stylish ...
's ''
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...
'', Mark Damon claims that he first suggested the idea to Corman. Damon also says that Corman let him direct '' The Pit and the Pendulum'' uncredited. Corman's commentary for ''Pit'' mentions nothing of this and all existing production stills of the film show Corman directing.


List of Corman-Poe films

During the early 1960s, AIP produced a series of horror films inspired by the Poe cycle. Of eight films, seven feature stories that are actually based on the works of Poe. # '' House of Usher'' (1960) – based on the short story "
The Fall of the House of Usher "The Fall of the House of Usher" is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1839 in ''Burton's Gentleman's Magazine'', then included in the collection ''Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque'' in 1840. The short stor ...
" # '' The Pit and the Pendulum'' (1961) – based on the title of the short story of the same name # ''
The Premature Burial "The Premature Burial" is a horror short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, published in 1844 in ''The Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper''. Its main character expresses fear about being buried alive. This fear was common in this period and ...
'' (1962) – based on the short story of the same name # '' Tales of Terror'' (1962) – based on the short stories " Morella", " The Black Cat", "
The Cask of Amontillado "The Cask of Amontillado" is a short story by the American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in the November 1846 issue of ''Godey's Lady's Book''. The story, set in an unnamed Italy, Italian city at carnival time, is about a man taking fa ...
" and " The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar" # ''
The Raven "The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a distraught lover who is paid a visit ...
'' (1963) – based on the poem of the same name # '' The Haunted Palace'' (1963) – plot based on
H. P. Lovecraft Howard Phillips Lovecraft (, ; August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American writer of Weird fiction, weird, Science fiction, science, fantasy, and horror fiction. He is best known for his creation of the Cthulhu Mythos. Born in Provi ...
's novel '' The Case of Charles Dexter Ward'', using the title from Poe's 1839 poem # ''
The Masque of the Red Death "The Masque of the Red Death" (originally published as "The Mask of the Red Death: A Fantasy") is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1842. The story follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plag ...
'' (1964) – based on the short story of the same name with another Poe short story, " Hop-Frog", used as a subplot # '' The Tomb of Ligeia'' (1964) – based on the short story "
Ligeia "Ligeia" () is an early short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1838. The story follows an unnamed narrator and his wife Ligeia, a beautiful and intelligent raven-haired woman. She falls ill, composes " The Conqueror W ...
" Seven of the films, with the exception of ''The Premature Burial'', featured
Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor. He was known for his work in the horror film genre, mostly portraying villains. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price ...
as the star. Occasionally, Corman's 1963 film ''
The Terror The Reign of Terror (French: ''La Terreur'', literally "The Terror") was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public executions took place in response to ...
'' (produced immediately after ''
The Raven "The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a distraught lover who is paid a visit ...
'') is recognized as being part of the Corman-Poe cycle, although the film's story and title are not based on any literary work of Poe. Some Poe films announced by AIP but not made include ''The Gold Bug'', ''The Thousand and Second Tale of Scheherazade'', and ''The Angel of the Odd''. In 1962, Arkoff said AIP was in a position similar to
Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...
just before they made ''
Submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...
'' and ''
Dirigible An airship, dirigible balloon or dirigible is a type of aerostat ( lighter-than-air) aircraft that can navigate through the air flying under its own power. Aerostats use buoyancy from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding ...
'':
Before that they were on poverty row. Our better position will enable us to obtain more important writers, perhaps more important producers as well. We're a privately owned company at the moment but perhaps within two or three years we will become a public company.


Beach Party era

Beginning with 1963's '' Beach Party'', AIP created a new genre of beach party films featuring
Annette Funicello Annette Joanne Funicello (October 22, 1942 – April 8, 2013) was an American actress and singer. She began her professional career at age 12, becoming one of the most popular Mouseketeers on the original ''The Mickey Mouse Club, Mickey Mouse Cl ...
and
Frankie Avalon Francis Thomas Avallone (born September 18, 1940), better known as Frankie Avalon, is an American singer, actor and former teen idol. He had 31 charting U.S. ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' singles from 1958 to late 1962, including Record ...
. The original idea and the first script were Rusoff's. The highly successful and often imitated series ended in 1966 with the seventh film, ''
The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini ''Ghost in the Invisible Bikini'' is a 1966 American fantasy comedy film directed by Don Weis. It is the seventh and last of American International Pictures' beach party films. The film features the cast cavorting in and around a haunted house ...
''. Many actors from the beach films also appeared in AIP's spy-spoofs, such as '' Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine'' (1965) and car racing films like '' Fireball 500'' (1966) and '' Thunder Alley''. During this time, AIP also produced or distributed most of Corman's horror films, such as '' X: The Man with the X-ray Eyes''. In 1966, the studio released ''
The Wild Angels ''The Wild Angels'' is a 1966 American independent outlaw biker film produced and directed by Roger Corman. Made on location in Southern California, ''The Wild Angels'' was the first film to associate actor Peter Fonda with Harley-Davidson motor ...
'' starring
Peter Fonda Peter Henry Fonda (February 23, 1940 – August 16, 2019) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. He was a two-time Academy Award nominee, both for acting and screenwriting, and a two-time Golden Globe Award winner for his a ...
, based loosely on the real-life exploits of the
Hells Angels The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) is an international outlaw motorcycle club founded in California whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells ...
motorcycle gang. This film ushered in AIP's most successful year and kicked off a subgenre of motorcycle gang films that lasted almost 10 years and included '' Devil's Angels'', ''The Glory Stompers'' with
Dennis Hopper Dennis Lee Hopper (May 17, 1936 – May 29, 2010) was an American actor, filmmaker, photographer and visual artist. He was considered one of the key figures of New Hollywood. He earned prizes from the Cannes Film Festival and Venice Internatio ...
, and '' The Born Losers''—the film that introduced the
Billy Jack ''Billy Jack'' is a 1971 American action drama independent film, the second of four films centering on a character of the same name which began with the movie '' The Born Losers'' (1967), played by Tom Laughlin, who directed and co-wrote the ...
character. In 1968, AIP launched a $22 million film programme. The
psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary mental states (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips") and a perceived "expansion of consciousness". Also referred to as classic halluci ...
and
hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, counterculture of the mid-1960s to early 1970s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States and spread to dif ...
scenes of the late '60s were also exploited with films like '' The Trip'', also with Fonda, '' Riot on Sunset Strip'', ''
Wild in the Streets ''Wild in the Streets'' is a 1968 American dystopian comedy-drama film directed by Barry Shear and starring Christopher Jones, Hal Holbrook and Shelley Winters. Based on the short story "The Day It All Happened, Baby!" by Robert Thom, it ...
'', '' Maryjane'', '' Gas-s-s-s'' and '' Psych-Out'' with
Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. Nicholson is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, often playing rebels fighting against the social structure. Over his five-de ...
. These "social protest" films were also highly successful. Horror movies also enjoyed a revival of popularity in the late 60s.


International American International

In the UK, AIP struck up a film making partnership with Nat Cohen and Stuart Levy's
Anglo-Amalgamated Anglo-Amalgamated Productions was a British film production company, run by Nat Cohen and Stuart Levy, which operated from 1945 until roughly 1971 (after which it was absorbed into EMI Films). Low-budget and second features, often produced at ...
. Anglo eventually released over 140 AIP-made or owned movies in the UK, mainly on double bills. The arrangement also saw Anglo Amalgamated's British-made films distributed in the US by AIP. AIP's co-productions with Anglo included ''Cat Girl'', ''Circus of Horrors'' and ''The Masque of the Red Death''. AIP also had co-production arrangements with
Tigon British Film Productions Tigon British Film Productions or Tigon was a film production and distribution company, founded by Tony Tenser in 1966. It is best remembered for its horror films, particularly ''Witchfinder General (film), Witchfinder General'' (directed by ...
,
Hammer Film Productions Hammer Film Productions Ltd. is a British film production company based in London. Founded in 1934, the company is best known for a series of Gothic horror and fantasy films made from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. Many of these involve classi ...
and
Amicus Productions Amicus Productions was a Cinema of the United Kingdom, British film production company, based at Shepperton Studios, England, active between 1962 and 1977. It was founded by American producers and screenwriters Milton Subotsky and Max Rosenberg. ...
. Amongst the movies made under these arrangements were ''Witchfinder General'', ''The Vampire Lovers'' and ''Scream and Scream Again''. AIP maintained a production office in London until 1973 before it was closed down. Nevertheless, the company remained active in making and financing British films, including ''Hennessy'' and ''The People that Time Forgot''. They were also, briefly, involved in setting up two Hammer projects- ''Vampirella'' and ''To the Devil a Daughter'' (AIP distributed the latter on its initial US run.) On a trip to Italy, Arkoff met Fulvio Lucisano, an Italian screenwriter and producer who eventually headed Italian International Film, which co-produced 25 films in Italy for AIP. Due to importing completed productions from other foreign countries being cheaper and simpler than producing their own in-house studio films in America, AIP had released many
giallo In Italian cinema, (; : ; from , ) is a genre that often contains Slasher film, slasher, thriller (genre), thriller, psychological horror, psychological thriller, Sexploitation film, sexploitation, and, less frequently, supernatural, supernat ...
, peplum, Eurospy and Macaroni Combat
war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle s ...
s featuring many American stars and Italian stars such as the
comedy team A double act (also known as a comedy duo) is a form of comedy originating in the British music hall tradition, and American vaudeville, in which two comedians perform together as a single act, often highlighting differences in their characters' ...
of
Franco and Ciccio Franco and Ciccio (, ) were a comic comedy duo formed by Italian actors Franco Franchi (1928–1992) and Ciccio Ingrassia (1922–2003), particularly popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Their collaboration began in 1954 in the theatre field, and ende ...
. However, AIP released only two
Spaghetti Western The spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's filmmaking style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...
s ('' Massacre Time'' retitled ''The Brute and the Beast'' and '' God Forgives... I Don't!''), perhaps recalling their failure with Westerns in the 1950s. Many of these films were edited, rewritten with different (dubbed English) dialogue, usually by Arkoff's nephew Ted Rusoff, and sometimes re-scored by Les Baxter. AIP, through Henry G. Saperstein, is known for being the major U.S. distributor for
Toho is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...
's ''
Godzilla is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films p ...
'' and
Daiei , based in Kobe, Hyōgo, is one of the largest supermarket chains in Japan. In 1957, Isao Nakauchi founded the chain in Osaka near Sembayashi Station on the Keihan train line. Daiei is now under a restructuring process supported by Marubeni ...
's ''
Gamera is a fictional giant monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the Gamera, the Giant Monster, eponymous 1965 Japanese film. The character and the first film were intended to compete with the success of Toho's Godzilla (franchise), ''Godzilla'' ...
'' (
kaiju is a Japanese term that is commonly associated with media involving giant monsters. Its widespread contemporary use is credited to ''tokusatsu'' (special effects) director Eiji Tsuburaya and filmmaker Ishirō Honda, who popularized the ''kaiju'' ...
) films of the 1960s and 1970s. AIP also distributed other Japanese science fiction films like '' Frankenstein Conquers the World'', ''
Monster from a Prehistoric Planet is a 1967 Japanese Kaiju, ''kaiju'' film directed by Haruyasu Noguchi. The film is about a group of Japanese reporters who discover an infant monster called a Gappa on Obelisk Island. The reporters cage the creature and take it to Japan where it ...
'', ''
The X from Outer Space is a 1967 Japanese science fiction ''kaiju'' film directed by Kazui Nihonmatsu, and stars Eiji Okada and Toshiya Wazaki. Guilala returned in a 2008 Shochiku sequel (of sorts) called '' Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit''. Plot The s ...
'' and the
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
n production ''
Yongary, Monster from the Deep ''Yongary, Monster from the Deep'' (, ) is a 1967 ''kaiju'' film directed by Kim Ki-duk, with special effects by Kenichi Nakagawa. The film was a joint production between South Korean studio Keukdong (Far East) Entertainment Company and Japanes ...
'', as well as two Japanese animated features from
Toei Animation is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including '' Sally the Witch'', '' GeGeGe no Kitarō'', '' Mazinger Z'', '' Galaxy Express 999'', '' Cutie Honey'', '' Dr. Slu ...
, ''
Alakazam the Great ''Alakazam the Great'', known in Japan as , is a 1960 Japanese anime musical film, heavily based on the 16th-century Chinese novel ''Journey to the West''. It was one of the earliest anime films to be released in the United States. Osamu Tezuka ...
'' and '' Jack and the Witch''. AIP also released a pair of Japanese spy thrillers re-dubbed as a comedy co-written by
Woody Allen Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
called '' What's Up Tiger Lily?''. The studio also released edited and English-dubbed versions of several
Eastern Bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc (Combloc), the Socialist Bloc, the Workers Bloc, and the Soviet Bloc, was an unofficial coalition of communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America that were a ...
science fiction films that had the dialogue rewritten for the American market and in some cases had additional scenes filmed with American and British actors. These include the Soviet film ''
Planeta Bur ''Planeta Bur'' () is a 1962 Sovcolor Soviet science fiction adventure film scripted by Alexander Kazantsev from his novel, and co-scripted and directed by Pavel Klushantsev. In English, the film is often informally referred to as ''Planet of ...
'' (''Planet of Storms'') which was released by AIP in two different English-dubbed versions, as ''
Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet ''Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet'' is a 1965 science fiction film, one of two versions adapted for Roger Corman from the Cinema of the USSR, Soviet science fiction film ''Planeta Bur'' (''Planet of Storms''), scripted by Aleksandr Kazantsev ( ...
'' and '' Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women'' and the highly regarded 1963 Czech science fiction film '' Ikarie XB-1'', which was re-titled ''Voyage to the End of the Universe''. A few years later, AIP backed a British Poe film directed by
Gordon Hessler Gordon Hessler (12 December 1925 – 19 January 2014) was a German-born British film and television director, screenwriter, and producer. Biography Early years Born in Berlin, Germany, Katz, Ephraim. ''The Film Encyclopedia'', Harper Perennial, ...
: '' The Oblong Box'' (1969) based on the short story of the same name.


AIP-TV

In 1964, AIP became one of the last film studios to start its own television production company, American International Productions Television (a.k.a. American-International Television or AIP-TV). AIP-TV at first released many of their 1950s films to American television stations, then filmed unsuccessful
television pilot A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie) in United Kingdom and United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television netwo ...
s for '' Beach Party'' and '' Sergeant Deadhead''. The company then made several color sci-fi/horror
television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...
s by
Larry Buchanan Larry Buchanan (January 31, 1923 − December 2, 2004), born Marcus Larry Seale Jr., was a film director, producer and writer, who proclaimed himself a " schlockmeister". Many of his extremely low-budget films have landed on "worst movie" lists or ...
that were remakes of black-and-white AIP films, and sold packages of many English-dubbed European, Japanese and Mexican films (the last type were produced by K. Gordon Murray) and foreign-made live-action and animated TV series (including ''
Prince Planet ''Prince Planet'' is the English-language title given to one of the earliest anime television series, , when it was transmitted on American television in the United States in the mid-1960s. It did run on "The Works" television network before ...
''). The best known animated series AIP-TV distributed was '' Sinbad Jr. and his Magic Belt''. In order to allay the fears of cinema owners who feared current releases would soon end up being shown on television, AIP issued a statement retroactive to 1963 that the company would not release any of their films to television until five years after cinema release, unless the film had not made back its original negative costs. AIP-TV also filmed specials for promotion of AIP films, such as '' The Wild Weird World of Dr. Goldfoot'' (1965, ABC) and '' An Evening of Edgar Allan Poe'' (1972, syndication), both with
Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor. He was known for his work in the horror film genre, mostly portraying villains. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price ...
. In 1978, AIP-TV distributed the pop music series '' Twiggy's Jukebox''. For several years around this time, AIP-TV also distributed several British TV series, including '' The Avengers'', to U.S. stations.


AIP Records

AIP started their own record label, American International Records, in 1959 to release music used in their films. There were a number of soundtrack albums as well. AIP Records was once distributed by
MGM Records MGM Records was a record label founded by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946 for the purpose of releasing soundtrack recordings (later LP albums) of their musical films. It transitioned into a pop music label that continued into the ...
, the record label owned by AIP's successor-in-interest MGM.


Going Public and Departure of Nicholson

In 1969, AIP went public to raise extra capital, issuing 300,000 shares. In 1970, they entered into an agreement with
Commonwealth United Entertainment Commonwealth United Entertainment (generally referred to as Commonwealth United; abbreviated as CUE), formerly known as Television Enterprises Corporation (abbreviated as TEC), was an American film & TV production and distribution company active ...
to issue their films. In 1971 they released 31 films, their greatest number to date, and were seen as one of the most stable companies in Hollywood. Despite their exploitation roots, they did not concentrate on R- or X-rated filmmaking during this period. In 1972, James H. Nicholson resigned from AIP to set up his own production company working out of
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
, called Academy Pictures Corporation; its only two releases were '' The Legend of Hell House'' and '' Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry''. AIP bought out over 100,000 of Nicholson's shares. He died shortly thereafter of a cancerous brain tumor. Around this time
Roger Corman Roger William Corman (April 5, 1926 – May 9, 2024) was an American film director, producer, and actor. Known under various monikers such as "The Pope of Pop Cinema", "The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood", and "The King of Cult", he w ...
stopped making films for AIP, focusing on his company,
New World Pictures New World Pictures (also known as New World Entertainment, New World Communications Group, Inc., and New World International) was an American independent production, distribution, and (in its final years as an autonomous entity) multimedia com ...
. According to ''Filmink'' "Corman leaving AIP coincided with Nicholson and Arkoff splitting up – they were like two parents who decide to get divorced when their eldest child finally moves out of home."


Arkoff alone

Arkoff continued on at AIP as president until the end of the decade. Heads of production during the 1970s included
Larry Gordon Larry Gordon may refer to: * Larry Gordon (American football) (1954–1983), American football player * Larry Gordon (basketball) (born 1987) * Larry Gordon (ice hockey) * Larry Gordon (musician) (1945–2021), American musician *Larry Darnell Gordo ...
(from January 1972 until early 1974) and Jere Henshaw (from 1977 until the demise of the company). By the early 1970s, AIP felt the horror movie cycle was in decline and so switched to other genres, such as kung fu and gangsters. Notably, they produced some of that decade's
blaxploitation In American cinema, Blaxploitation is the film subgenre of action movie derived from the exploitation film genre in the early 1970s, consequent to the combined cultural momentum of the black civil rights movement, the black power movement, ...
films, like ''
Blacula ''Blacula'' is a 1972 American blaxploitation horror film directed by William Crain. It stars William Marshall in the title role about an 18th-century African prince named Mamuwalde, who is turned into a vampire (and later locked in a coffin) ...
'' and '' Foxy Brown''. In a throwback to the old "studio days", the company is credited with making
Pam Grier Pamela Suzette Grier (born May 26, 1949) is an American actress, singer, and martial artist. Described by Quentin Tarantino as cinema's first female action star, she achieved fame for her starring roles in a string of 1970s action, blaxploitati ...
a household name, as the majority of her early '70s films were made under contract to American International. In the mid- to late 1970s, AIP began to produce more mainstream films, such as '' Bunny O'Hare'', '' Cooley High'', '' The Great Scout & Cathouse Thursday'', ''
The Amityville Horror ''The Amityville Horror'' is a book by American author Jay Anson, published in September 1977. It is also the basis of a series of films released from 1979 onward. The book is based on the claims of paranormal experiences by the Lutz family b ...
'', ''
Love at First Bite ''Love at First Bite'' is a 1979 American comedy horror film directed by Stan Dragoti and written by Robert Kaufman, using characters originally created by Bram Stoker. It stars George Hamilton, Susan Saint James, Richard Benjamin, and Art ...
'', ''
Meteor A meteor, known colloquially as a shooting star, is a glowing streak of a small body (usually meteoroid) going through Earth's atmosphere, after being heated to incandescence by collisions with air molecules in the upper atmosphere, creating a ...
'', '' Force 10 from Navarone'', ''
Shout at the Devil ''Shout at the Devil'' is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, released on September 26, 1983. It was the band's breakthrough album, establishing Mötley Crüe as one of the top selling heavy metal acts of the 198 ...
'', '' The Island of Dr. Moreau'' and '' C.H.O.M.P.S''. The increased spending on these projects, though they did make some money, contributed to the company's downfall. In the meantime, the studio imported and released its final foreign film, an Australian film, ''
Mad Max ''Mad Max'' is an Australian media franchise created by George Miller and Byron Kennedy. It centres on a series of post-apocalyptic and dystopian action films. The franchise began in 1979 with '' Mad Max'', and was followed by three sequels: ...
'', dubbed into
American English American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the Languages of the United States, most widely spoken lang ...
. James Nicholson's first wife Sylvia was still a major shareholder of the company. She sued AIP for mismanagement, but this was resolved in 1978 when AIP bought out her shares.


Merger with Filmways

By the late 1970s, filmmaking costs continued to rise, AIP's tactic of moving into bigger budgeted quality pictures was not paying off at the box office, and Arkoff began to think of merging the company. "We've been the Woolworths of the movie business but Woolworths is being out priced", said Arkoff. Talks began with Filmways, Incorporated. Negotiations stalled for a while, but resumed a number of months later. In 1979, AIP was sold to Filmways for $30 million and became a subsidiary production unit thereof, renamed Filmways Pictures in 1980. Arkoff was unhappy with the direction of the company and resigned to set up his own production company, receiving a pay out worth $1.4 million. AIP-TV was absorbed as the wholly owned program syndication arm of Filmways Television. Filmways was later bought by Orion Pictures Company in 1982 and Filmways was later renamed
Orion Pictures Corporation Orion may refer to: Common meanings * Orion (constellation), named after the mythical hunter * Orion (mythology), a hunter in Greek mythology Arts and media Fictional entities Characters and species * Orion (character), a DC Comics c ...
, but retained the distribution arm. This allowed Orion to establish its own distribution, after utilizing
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
for distribution. Warner Bros. still has distribution rights to Orion films which were originally distributed by this company. Today, a majority of the AIP library is owned by
Amazon MGM Studios Amazon MGM Studios is an American film and television production and distribution company owned by Amazon, and headquartered at the Culver Studios complex in Culver City, California. Launched on November 16, 2010, it took its current name on O ...
(via Orion Pictures). The American International name is still a registered trademark owned by Amazon MGM Studios's Orion Pictures unit.


Relaunch

On October 7, 2020, it was announced that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer relaunched AIP as a label for films that the studio will acquire for digital and limited theatrical releases. An MGM executive, Eric Hohl, was accepted as a president of the studio. MGM will oversee AIP's new films across all streaming platforms and the theatrical releases of them will be handled by its joint distribution venture
United Artists Releasing United Artists Releasing, LLC (UAR) was an American film distribution joint venture between Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Annapurna Pictures and the successor to United Artists (UA) that operated from October 31, 2017 to March 4, 2023. Founded by form ...
. The first film from the relaunched AIP was ''
Breaking News in Yuba County ''Breaking News in Yuba County'' is a 2021 American black comedy thriller film directed and co-produced by Tate Taylor, from a screenplay written by Amanda Idoko. The film stars an ensemble cast that includes Allison Janney, Mila Kunis, Awkwafin ...
'', directed by Tate Taylor and starring
Allison Janney Allison Brooks Janney (born November 19, 1959) is an American actress. Known for her performances across the screen and stage, she has received List of awards and nominations received by Allison Janney, various accolades, including an Academy A ...
, which was released on February 12, 2021. On May 17, 2021, technology company
Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...
entered negotiations to acquire MGM and even made a bid for about $9 billion. The negotiations are made with Anchorage Capital Kevin Ulrich. On May 26, 2021, it was officially announced that MGM will be acquired by Amazon for $8.45 billion, subject to regulatory approvals and other routine closing conditions; with the studio continuing to operate as a label under the new parent company, which includes AIP and its titles. The merger was finalized on March 17, 2022. On March 4, 2023, Amazon shut down UAR's operations and folded them into MGM. In May 2023,
Amazon Studios Amazon MGM Studios is an American film and television production and distribution company owned by Amazon, and headquartered at the Culver Studios complex in Culver City, California. Launched on November 16, 2010, it took its current name on O ...
created Amazon MGM Studios Distribution, an international film and television distribution unit for both MGM and Amazon projects, which will include new projects and acquisitions from AIP.


Legacy

In 2005, less than four years after the death of Arkoff, filmmaker and
Troublemaker Studios Troublemaker Studios is an American independent production company founded and owned by filmmaker Robert Rodriguez and producer Elizabeth Avellán. The company is based in Austin, Texas, and is at the former site of the Robert Mueller Municipa ...
co-founder
Robert Rodriguez Robert Anthony Rodriguez ( ; born June 20, 1968) is an American filmmaker, composer, and visual effects supervisor. He shoots, edits, produces, and scores many of his films in Mexico and in his home state of Texas. Rodriguez directed the 1992 ...
founded a horror genre film and television company called Rodriguez International Pictures, which is a homage to the company.


Film library


1950s


1960s


1970s


1980s


2020s


Unproduced films

The following films were announced for production by AIP, but never made: * an adaptation of
H. Rider Haggard Sir Henry Rider Haggard (; 22 June 1856 – 14 May 1925) was an English writer of adventure fiction romances set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa, and a pioneer of the lost world literary genre. He was also involved in land reform t ...
's '' She'' (1958, dir.
Roger Corman Roger William Corman (April 5, 1926 – May 9, 2024) was an American film director, producer, and actor. Known under various monikers such as "The Pope of Pop Cinema", "The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood", and "The King of Cult", he w ...
) * ''Even and the Dragon'' (1958, dir. Stanley Shpetner) * ''Take Me to Your Leader'' (1958) – a part-animated feature * ''Aladdin and the Giant'' (1959) – produced by
Herman Cohen Herman Cohen (August 27, 1925 – June 2, 2002) was an American producer of B-movies during the 1950s, and helped to popularize the teen horror movie genre with films like the cult classic '' I Was a Teenage Werewolf''. Career Born in Detroit ...
* '' In the Year 2889'' (1959) – from the novel by
Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...
* ''The Talking Dog'' (1959) – a comedy * '' When the Sleeper Wakes'' from the novel by
H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 – 13 August 1946) was an English writer, prolific in many genres. He wrote more than fifty novels and dozens of short stories. His non-fiction output included works of social commentary, politics, hist ...
(1960–62) – Vincent Price was announced as a star in 1965 * a color
remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same s ...
of
Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), better known as Fritz Lang (), was an Austrian-born film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety Obituari ...
's ''
Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural area for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big city b ...
'' (1961) * ''Genghis Khan'' (1960s, dir.
Jacques Tourneur Jacques Tourneur (; ; November 12, 1904 – December 19, 1977) was a French-American filmmaker, active during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known as an auteur of stylish and atmospheric genre films, many of them for RKO Pictures, including ...
) – a Roadshow production with a $4.5 million budget * ''The Great Deluge'' – story of Noah's Ark * ''War of the Planets'' (1962) – a $2 million sci-fi epic starring
Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor. He was known for his work in the horror film genre, mostly portraying villains. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price ...
and
Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), known professionally as Boris Karloff () and occasionally billed as Karloff the Uncanny, was a British actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstei ...
based on a script by
Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave science fiction, New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. His published wo ...
* ''Off on a Comet'' (1962) – a filming of
Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...
's novel advertised in comic books * ''Stratofin'' (1962) based on Jules Verne's ''Master of the World'' * ''It's Alive'' (1963) with Peter Lorre, Harvey Lembeck and
Elsa Lanchester Elsa Sullivan Lanchester (28 October 1902 – 26 December 1986) was a British actress with a long career in theatre, film and television.Obituary '' Variety'', 31 December 1986. Lanchester studied dance as a child and after the First World ...
* ''Something in the Walls'' (1963) * ''The Magnificent Leonardi'' (1963) – with
Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. He is often remembered for his portrayal of an alcoholic writer in Billy Wilder's ''The Lost Weekend'' (1945), which wo ...
* ''Sins of Babylon'' (1963) * ''Rumble'' (1963) with Avalon and Funicello from a book by
Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave science fiction, New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. His published wo ...
about New York gangs * ''The Graveside Story'' (1964) – with Price, Karloff, Lorre and
Elsa Lanchester Elsa Sullivan Lanchester (28 October 1902 – 26 December 1986) was a British actress with a long career in theatre, film and television.Obituary '' Variety'', 31 December 1986. Lanchester studied dance as a child and after the First World ...
* ''The Gold Bug'' (1964) with Price, Lorre and Lanchester * ''The Chase'' (circa 1965) – a silent comedy starring
Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent films during the 1920s, in which he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. He frequently ...
* ''Malibu Madness'' (1965) * ''The Haunted Palace'' (1965) * ''Seven Footprints to Satan'' (1965) * ''The Jet Set'' or ''Jet Set Party'' (1964, dir. William Asher) – with Avalon and Funicello * ''Malibu Madness'' (1965) * ''Robin Hood Jones'' (1966, dir. William Asher) – a musical about
Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...
starring Price, Avalon, Funicello and Susan Hart * ''Cruise Party'' (1966) – with Avalon and Dwayne Hickman * ''The Girl in the Glass Bikini'' (1966, dir. William Asher) – a sci-fi/comedy with Avalon, Funicello and Aron Kincaid * ''The Girl in the Glass Castle'' (1966) – a musical comedy with a $1 million budget * ''The Hatfields and the McCoys'' (1966) – a musical with Avalon and Funicello * ''It'' (1967) – based on
Richard Matheson Richard Burton Matheson (February 20, 1926 – June 23, 2013) was an American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres. He is best known as the author of '' I Am Legend'', a 1954 science ficti ...
's story "Being" * ''The Golem'' (1967)


Financial earnings

* 1970 – $22.7 million * 1971 – $21.4 million * 1972 – $24 million * 1973 – $24.5 million – profit $744,000 * 1974 – $32.5 million – profit of $931,400 * 1975 – $48.2 million * 1978 – $51.2 million – profit $1.8 million


Notes


References

* . * *


External links


American International Pictures archive
curated by AIP historian Kliph Nesteroff {{Film Studio 1954 establishments in California 1980 disestablishments in California Companies based in Los Angeles Defunct American film studios Defunct companies based in Greater Los Angeles Entertainment companies based in California Film distributors of the United States Film production companies of the United States Filmways Mass media companies established in 1954 Mass media companies disestablished in 1980 1979 mergers and acquisitions Re-established companies American companies established in 2020 Entertainment companies established in 2020 Mass media companies established in 2020 2020 establishments in California Amazon MGM Studios Exploitation films