Astor Pictures
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film distribution, film production |
| Founded | 1933 |
| Founder | Robert M. Savini |
| Defunct | 1963 |
| Fate | Filed for bankruptcy |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Robert M. Savini (founder), George F. Foley, Jr., Franklin Bruder (owners after Savini) |
| Products | Film distribution, film production |
Astor Pictures was an American film distribution enterprise active from 1930 until 1963, established by businessman Robert M. Savini (1886–1956). Initially concentrating on reissuing existing films, Astor later broadened its scope to include the distribution of independently made movies, some of which it produced during the 1950s.
History
With a rich background in the film industry, Savini had managed Savini Films in Atlanta and held roles at Columbia Pictures, Sono Art-World Wide Pictures, KBS Film Company, and Tiffany Pictures. In 1933, following his co-founding of Amity Pictures alongside William Saal, Savini founded Astor Pictures with a primary focus on film distribution.
Located at 130 West 46th Street in New York City, Astor's initial approach involved acquiring distribution rights for films from other studios to re-release them nationwide. This strategy included sound adaptations of classics like Wings and Tumbleweeds, the Educational Pictures catalog, as well as various titles from Poverty Row westerns and Grand National Pictures. Additionally, Astor became the parent company of Atlantic Pictures, which operated as a film distribution exchange in the Southern United States.
Astor expanded into limited film production and co-financing of B-movies, including race films and British mystery titles, targeting rural venues and neighborhood theaters—a market segment that supported its profitability throughout World War II. By 1946, Astor maintained 26 branch offices across the United States. During the 1950s, it launched Atlantic Television Corporation to syndicate its film library for television and produced new features such as Cat-Women of the Moon, while distributing titles like Robot Monster.
Confronted with industry changes in the late 1950s alongside peers like Republic Pictures and RKO Radio Pictures, Astor sought to adapt by handling art house films including La Dolce Vita and Peeping Tom. Nonetheless, financial difficulties coupled with a reputation for low-budget productions weakened its competitive standing. The company ultimately ceased operations in 1963.
Types of Astor releases
- Acquired theatrical re-release rights to the non-Western film collection of the defunct Grand National Pictures following its closure.
- Obtained re-release permissions for numerous films originally distributed by United Artists and RKO Radio Pictures.
- Secured rights to Educational Pictures shorts, notably including Shirley Temple’s Baby Burlesks series.
- Assembled Bing Crosby’s Educational shorts into the feature-length compilation The Road to Hollywood, aiming to rival Paramount’s Road to series.
- Released collections such as 1930s Betty Grable RKO shorts under the title Hollywood Bound (1947), Danny Kaye’s Educational Pictures shorts as The Birth of a Star (1944), and compilations featuring Bob Hope, Milton Berle, Bert Lahr, and Willie Howard titled It Pays to Be Funny (1947).
- Reissued William S. Hart’s silent film Tumbleweeds (1925) in 1939 with added musical score, sound effects, and an introductory segment starring Hart himself.
- Finished and released an incomplete 1940 Cornel Wilde project as Stairway for a Star (1947) after incorporating new footage.
- Distributed a wide array of race films but produced only one original title: Louis Jordan’s Beware! (1946).
- Acquired re-release rights for many Sam Katzman-produced Monogram Pictures East Side Kids features to accompany Monogram’s own Bowery Boys series.
- Handled U.S. distribution of Sunset Carson Westerns made after his tenure at Republic Pictures and early Hammer Films through a partnership with Hammer’s parent company Exclusive Films.
- Released numerous low-budget science fiction movies during the 1950s such as Cat-Women of the Moon along with its remake Missile to the Moon.
Subsidiaries
- In the late 1940s, Atlantic Television was established to facilitate the distribution of films for television audiences.
- Managed Comedy House, which issued edited comedy shorts from Bing Crosby and other Educational Pictures titles for 16mm home viewing purposes.
Art House releases
After Savini's passing, ownership of Astor and Atlantic Television transferred to George F. Foley, Jr. and Franklin Bruder, who specialized in introducing European cinema to the American market. During the early 1960s, Astor became known for distributing renowned film masterpieces. Its standout commercial achievement was Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960), which achieved substantial box office success and paved the way for additional foreign film releases including Michael Powell's Peeping Tom (1960), François Truffaut's Shoot the Piano Player (1960), Alain Resnais' Last Year at Marienbad (1961), and Orson Welles' The Trial (1962). Despite these artistic and financial accomplishments, Astor filed for bankruptcy in 1963.