Realart Pictures Inc.
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film distribution, film production |
| Founded | 1948 |
| Founder | Jack Broder, Joseph Harris |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Film reissues, original low-budget films |
Realart Pictures was established in 1948 by Jack Broder and Joseph Harris as a film distribution enterprise. The firm focused on re-releasing older motion pictures, primarily sourced from the Universal Pictures collection, while also managing selected acquisitions, foreign imports, and productions originating from Jack Broder Productions. It is important to note that this company is unrelated to the silent-era Realart Productions connected with Famous Players–Lasky.
History
Following Universal Pictures' transition to Universal-International in 1946, studio chief William Goetz halted the production of B-movies to concentrate on independent projects. Subsequently, he leased Universal's sound-era film library spanning 1930 to 1946 to Broder and Harris. Realart obtained theatrical reissue rights for a decade, with television rights explicitly excluded.
Realart distributed Universal’s films as double-feature programs accompanied by redesigned promotional materials that removed Universal's branding. While most films retained their original titles, some were renamed to enhance commercial appeal—for instance, The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry was retitled Guilty of Murder, and Man-Made Monster became The Atomic Monster. In reissues, actors who later achieved greater recognition received more prominent billing; examples include Robert Mitchum in Gung Ho! and Dan Dailey in Give Out, Sisters. In addition to Universal titles, Realart acquired films from other sources such as A Walk in the Sun, which was released under the new title Salerno Beachhead.
Exhibitors preferred Realart’s offerings since these reissues frequently outperformed contemporary releases. Understanding that revenue from reissues alone was limited, Broder expanded into producing original low-budget movies through Jack Broder Productions, with distribution handled by Realart. Notable productions included the boxing drama Kid Monk Baroni, starring a young Leonard Nimoy; the jungle-themed comedy Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla; the horror film Bride of the Gorilla; and the Western Battles of Chief Pontiac.
As television gained widespread popularity in the early 1950s and neighborhood cinemas experienced decline, some Realart re-releases were circulated multiple times. Shortly after their theatrical runs, Broder began licensing his productions for television broadcast. Between 1955 and 1966, Realart theatrically released only four original films, including Roger Corman’s directorial debut Five Guns West. Despite this limited output, Realart sustained profitability through distribution via "states' rights" offices located in major metropolitan areas, representing companies such as American International Pictures that lacked their own distribution networks.