Robert Benjamin Explained

Robert Saul Benjamin (1909  - October 22, 1979) was a founding partner of the movie-litigation firm Phillips, Nizer, Benjamin, Krim & Ballon, a former co‐chairman of United Artists, and a founding member of Orion Pictures.

Biography

Born to a Jewish family,^[1] Benjamin, along with his longtime friend and partner Arthur B. Krim, took over United Artists in 1951. The deal that they struck with then-owners Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford was that if the company showed a profit in any one of the first three years of their management, the two would be able to purchase a 50% share of the company for one dollar.^{[2] [3]}

The Krim-Benjamin team quickly showed a profit, and they bought out Chaplin and Pickford to own the company outright in 1955. In 1957, they took the company public.

In 1979, Robert Benjamin won the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian award posthumously. His wife Jean accepted the award on his behalf.

Notes and References

1. Book: Brook, Vincent . From Shtetl to Stardom: Jews and Hollywood: Chapter 1: Still an Empire of Their Own: How Jews Remain Atop a Reinvented Hollywood . 17 . Purdue University Press . December 15, 2016 . 9781557537638.
2. News: Litwak . Mark . Psst, Wanna Buy a Studio? : UNITED ARTISTS The Company That Changed the Film Industry . Los Angeles Times . April 10, 1988.
3. Web site: Robert Benjamin, 70, Executive Of Film Company and a Lawyer . October 23, 1979 . . July 21, 2020.