Irvin Shapiro (August 6, 1906 – January 1, 1989) was an American producer, film importer, and film distributor who was responsible for introducing a number of influential foreign films to the United States, as well as handling the early work of some noted directors.

Biography

Shapiro was born on August 6, 1906, in Washington, D.C. In the early 1920s, while still a teenager, he developed an interest in cinema, writing film reviews for the '' Washington Herald'' and later managing the Wardman Park Hotel Theatre, a local cinema. Moving to New York, he became involved in the distribution of foreign films in America and independent films overseas, as well as working for a year at the publicity office of

RKO Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the major film studios, "Big Five" film studios of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood's Clas ...

. In 1932, he set up World Pictures Corporation (also known as DuWorld Pictures and Films Around The World), a film distribution company that also worked on the development of specialist cinemas. He headed the company until 1985, when he was forced to sell due to health problems (he was suffering from

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...

Film Classics

Shapiro founded another company in 1943, Film Classics, which dealt with film reissues and American releases of British Gaumont Films. The company began producing its own films and releasing other new productions in 1947. In 1950 it merged with Eagle-Lion to become Eagle-Lion Classics. In the 1950s, obtaining the rights to some 1940s films produced by

MGM 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 ...

(among others), Shapiro became a pioneer in the release of films to television through Unity Television, which he co-founded in 1949.

Legacy

In over five decades as a distributor, Shapiro introduced American cinema-goers to many European films, including '' The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'' (d. Robert Wiene, 1920), '' The Battleship Potemkin'' (d. Sergei Eisenstein, 1925), '' The Grand Illusion'' (d.

Jean Renoir Jean Renoir (; 15 September 1894 – 12 February 1979) was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. His '' La Grande Illusion'' (1937) and '' The Rules of the Game'' (1939) are often cited by critics as among the greate ...

, 1937), '' Les Cousins'' (d.

Claude Chabrol Claude Henri Jean Chabrol (; 24 June 1930 – 12 September 2010) was a French film director and a member of the French New Wave (''nouvelle vague'') group of filmmakers who first came to prominence at the end of the 1950s. Like his colleagues an ...

, 1959) and '' Breathless'' (d.

Jean-Luc Godard Jean-Luc Godard ( , ; ; 3 December 193013 September 2022) was a French and Swiss film director, screenwriter, and film critic. He rose to prominence as a pioneer of the French New Wave film movement of the 1960s, alongside such filmmakers as ...

, 1960), and was instrumental in helping end the American boycott of German films after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He was also the first to handle films by such directors as

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...

, Stanley Kubrick, George A. Romero, Sidney J. Furie and Sam Raimi (whose first film, '' The Evil Dead'' (1981), had its title suggested by Shapiro), and was one of the founders of the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

(at which ''The Evil Dead'' was later shown). In many interviews and public comments, Raimi and Bruce Campbell (the chief creative forces behind ''The Evil Dead'') have described Shapiro as an eccentric but extremely talented film producer, and frequently do an impression of Shapiro, with a thick, raspy voice, explaining how to market their film. Raimi has credited Shapiro with his early success. Irvin Shapiro died at his home in New York on January 1, 1989, due to complications from Parkinson's disease. He was 82. In the ending credits to the 2013 film '' Evil Dead'', the director and producers present a message written in memory of Shapiro. It says: "Special thanks to . . . Irvin Shapiro, to whom we will always be indebted."

Notes

References

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Shapiro, Irvin 1906 births 1989 deaths Deaths from Parkinson's disease in New York (state) Film distributors (people) People from Washington, D.C.