Robert M. Savini born Robert Madison Florett Savini August 29, 1886 in New Orleans, Louisiana, died April 29, 1956 (age 69) in New York City, New York, was an American film distributor. producer and head of

Astor Pictures Astor Pictures was a 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 released independently m ...

Biography

Savini first 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 responsible for the Film promotion, marketing of a film. The distribution company may be the same with, or different from, the production company. Distribution deals are an important part of financing a film. The distributo ...

. 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) starri ...

. The following year Saal and Savini teamed up 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. Built in 1905 and expanded in 1909–1910 for the Astor family, the hotel occupied a site bounded by Broadway, Shubert Alley, and 44th and 45th Stre ...

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 of various previously released films to release as double features at neighborhood theaters. Sometimes Astor would "streamline" the older films by editing them to fit is as part of a

double feature The double feature is a motion picture industry phenomenon in which theatres would exhibit two films for the price of one, supplanting an earlier format in which one feature film and various short subject reels would be shown. Opera use Opera ho ...

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 gauge of film. 16 mm refers to the width of the film (about inch); other common film gauges include 8 and 35 mm. It is generally used for non-theatrical (e.g., industrial, edu ...

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 black audiences, and featuring black casts. Approximately five hundred race films were produce ...

s and organised a Broadway premiere for

Oscar Micheaux Oscar Devereaux Micheaux (; January 2, 1884 – March 25, 1951) was an 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 controlled ...

'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 be ...

'' (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 ''Cat-Women of the Moon'' is an independently made 1953 American black-and-white three-dimensional science-fiction film, produced by Jack Rabin and Al Zimbalist, directed by Arthur Hilton, that stars Sonny Tufts, Victor Jory, and Marie Windsor ...

''.

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