Robert M. Savini (born Robert Madison Florett Savini on August 29, 1886 in New Orleans, Louisiana) was an American film distributor. producer and head of

Astor Pictures Astor Pictures was a film distribution, motion picture distribution company in the United States from 1930 to 1963. It was founded by Robert M. Savini (29 August 1886 – 29 April 1956). Astor specialized in film re-releases. It later release ...

Biography

Savini entered the American motion picture world by becoming a theatre usher in August, 1904. He worked his way up to being a theatre owner, and became a

film distributor A film distributor is a person responsible for the marketing of a film. The distribution company may be the same as, or different from, the production company. Distribution deals are an important part of financing a film. The distributor may set ...

. In 1932 he became an assistant to William Saal of

Sono Art-World Wide Pictures Sono Art-World Wide Pictures was an American film distribution and production company in operation from 1927 to 1933. Their first feature film was '' The Rainbow Man'' (1929), while one of their most prominent was '' The Great Gabbo'' (1929) star ...

. Saal and Savini teamed up the following year to form Amnity Pictures in May 1933 until Savini formed his Astor Pictures in October 1933. The film distribution company was named for the

Hotel Astor Hotel Astor was a hotel on Times Square in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York, U.S. Built in 1905 and expanded in 1909–1910 for the Astor family, the hotel occupied a site bounded by Broadway, Shubert Alley, and 4 ...

in New York City where Savini was then residing. Savini claimed that World Wide Pictures changed its name to Atlantic Pictures in late 1935 and he would continue as its sales manager. For over two decades Astor acquired screening rights for various previously released films to be released as double features at

neighborhood theater A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neighbourh ...

s. Sometimes Astor would "streamline" the older films by editing them to fit as part of 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 ...

and often gave them new and more exciting titles. He also provided films in

16 mm 16 mm film is a historically popular and economical Film gauge, gauge of Photographic film, film. 16 mm refers to the width of the film (about inch); other common film gauges include 8 mm film, 8 mm and 35mm movie film, 35 mm. It ...

to small cinemas and clubs for screening as well as for home use. Astor distributed many

race film The race film or race movie was a genre of film produced in the United States between about 1915 and the early 1950s, consisting of films produced for African American, black audiences, and featuring black casts. Approximately five hundred race ...

s and organised a Broadway premiere for

Oscar Micheaux Oscar Devereaux Micheaux (; January 2, 1884 – March 25, 1951) was an American author, film director and independent producer of more than 44 films. Although the short-lived Lincoln Motion Picture Company was the first movie company owned and c ...

's ''

The Betrayal "The Betrayal" is the 164th episode of the NBC sitcom ''Seinfeld''. This was the eighth episode for the ninth and final season. It aired on November 20, 1997. In this episode, Jerry betrays George by having sex with his girlfriend Nina, right ...

'' (1948).pp. 46-47 Cripps, Thomas ''Making Movies Black: The Hollywood Message Movie from World War II to the Civil Rights Era'' Oxford University Press, 1993 Savini's Atlantic Pictures became Atlantic Television in 1950 which sold screening rights to several of their films for television showing. With the supply of older feature films for re-release drying up, Savini acquired film screening rights for many British and foreign language films and produced several new science fiction films such as '' Cat Women of the Moon''.

Bibliography

* Pitts, Michael R. ''Astor Pictures: A Filmography and History of the Reissue King, 1933-1965'' McFarland, 12 Apr 2019

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Savini, Robert M. 1886 births 1956 deaths Film producers from Louisiana 20th-century American businesspeople