Arthur B. Krim

Arthur B. Krim
Gotfryd, Bernard, photographer · Public domain · source
Name	Arthur B. Krim
Birth date	March 17, 1910
Birth place	New York City, United States
Death date	September 15, 1994
Death place	Delray Beach, Florida, United States
Occupation	Lawyer, film executive, investor
Known for	Leadership of United Artists, founding Orion Pictures, political fundraising

Arthur B. Krim was an American lawyer, film studio executive, investor, and political activist who became a leading figure in 20th‑century American film industry management and Democratic Party fundraising. He gained prominence as president of United Artists where he reorganized distribution and studio financing, later co‑founding Orion Pictures and participating in multiple corporate boards. Krim's career intersected with prominent filmmakers, studio heads, political leaders, and cultural institutions across Hollywood, New York City, and Washington, D.C.

Early life and education

Krim was born in New York City and raised in a milieu connected to immigrant entrepreneurial networks and metropolitan Jewish communities that included families linked to Harvard University alumni and legal professionals. He attended Columbia University for undergraduate study and then matriculated at Columbia Law School, where he trained alongside contemporaries who entered fields such as corporate practice, municipal administration, and national politics. During his formative years Krim encountered legal doctrines and business strategies later relevant to film finance used by executives like Samuel Goldwyn and Louis B. Mayer.

Legal career and entry into film industry

After admission to the bar, Krim joined a New York law firm where he represented clients in entertainment, real estate, and corporate transactions that brought him into contact with producers and performers from Broadway and early Hollywood. His legal work involved negotiating contracts and rights with entities resembling Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., and distribution concerns modeled on RKO Radio Pictures. In the 1940s Krim moved from pure legal practice into studio management and film finance, leveraging relationships with producers akin to Darryl F. Zanuck and independent exhibitors comparable to figures at MGM to facilitate independent production and release strategies.

Leadership of United Artists and Orion Pictures

In 1951 Krim, together with partners who included veteran theatrical entrepreneurs, assumed executive control of United Artists. Under his leadership United Artists shifted toward a model prioritizing independent producers such as those associated with Ingrid Bergman, Charlie Chaplin, and Elia Kazan, while negotiating distribution agreements with theaters and international distributors similar to the networks used by Cinecittà and Gaumont. Krim implemented financing structures and profit‑sharing arrangements that aligned studio incentives with filmmakers like Billy Wilder and John Huston, helping secure releases that competed with output from 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures.

By the late 1970s and early 1980s Krim and colleagues co‑founded Orion Pictures, creating an independent studio that supported directors and producers comparable to Martin Scorsese, Robert Altman, and Woody Allen while negotiating distribution in a market dominated by conglomerates such as The Walt Disney Company and Time Warner. Orion's film slate, financed and distributed through arrangements influenced by Krim's earlier innovations, produced titles that engaged awards institutions like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and festival circuits exemplified by Cannes Film Festival and Venice Film Festival.

Political activity and public service

Krim was active in Democratic Party fundraising and civic organizations, aligning him with political figures such as John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and later Jimmy Carter. He chaired donor efforts and informal advisory groups that interfaced with presidential campaigns and administrations, similar to the networks mobilized by industrialists and financiers in mid‑20th century American politics. Krim served on commissions and boards linked to cultural diplomacy and public broadcasting entities, collaborating with institutions like the National Endowment for the Arts and liaising with policymakers from the United States Congress on matters affecting trade in motion pictures and international cultural exchanges.

Business interests and later ventures

Beyond studios, Krim held board positions and investment stakes in a range of entertainment, real estate, and media enterprises that included partnerships resembling those at MCA Inc., Television Network affiliates, and independent exhibition chains. He advised on mergers and acquisitions that echoed notable transactions involving Sony Corporation and MGM/UA, and he participated in philanthropic funding models supporting museums and universities similar to Museum of Modern Art and Yale University. In later decades Krim remained an influential dealmaker during periods of consolidation in the media industry, engaging with corporate leaders from News Corporation and financial actors from Goldman Sachs‑style institutions.

Personal life and legacy

Krim's personal life included marriage and family ties that connected him to legal, cultural, and philanthropic circles in New York City and Los Angeles. He maintained friendships with producers, directors, and political leaders comparable to relationships held by figures like Samuel Bronfman and Harry Cohn. Krim's legacy is visible in modern studio financing models, the survival of independent production through companies inspired by Orion Pictures, and in philanthropic support for film preservation and scholarship associated with archives like the American Film Institute and university collections. His influence is reflected in honors and recognitions from industry organizations and cultural institutions that continue to study the mid‑20th century transformation of the American motion picture business.

Category:American film executives Category:Columbia University alumni Category:People from New York City