Biography

An entertainment lawyer, studio chairman, and an influential adviser to three U.S. Presidents. Arthur B. Krim was known as the producer of more than 1,000 movies.

Raised in Mount Vernon, New York, Krim was captain of the cross-country team and president of his high school graduating class. While attending Columbia University, Krim majored in History, headed the debate team and earned Phi Beta Kappa honors, graduating in 1930 with a bachelors degree.

Upon entering Columbia Law School, he set a first-year scholastic record, serving as editor in chief of the Columbia Law Review, and graduating first in his class.

After graduation, Krim joined the entertainment law firm of Phillips and Nizer. While working at the firm, Krim became partners with Phillips's nephew, Robert Saul Benjamin. By 1938, Krim and Benjamin would become senior partners in the law firm, now named Phillips, Nizer, Benjamin, and Krim. As an entertainment lawyer, he prospered with many clients such as playwright Clifford Odets and actor John Garfield.

During World War II, Krim served as special assistant to army undersecretary Robert Patterson, later rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel.

After the war, Krim returned to his law practice. By 1946, Krim was recommended by Benjamin to become president of Eagle-Lion Films, a position he held until 1950.

The following year, Krim and Benjamin, would take over ownership of United Artists from Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford. Under their leadership, United Artists became profitable again, emerging as the country’s leading distributor of independently produced films, with hits such as "The African Queen", "High Noon", among other film classics, returning the studio to a prominence that hadn't been seen in many years.

In 1967, Krim and Benjamin sold United Artists to Transamerica Corporation, but by the late 1970's, despite the success of films such as "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", "Rocky", and "Annie Hall", disputes with the management of Transamerica led to Krim, Benjamin, and three other studio executives, Eric Pleskow, William Bernstein, and Mike Medavoy resigning from United Artists in January 1978, a move that shocked the film industry.

A month later, the five men would form Orion Pictures. The studio would go on to produce films like "10", "Arthur", "Caddyshack", "Excalibur", "Amadeus", "Back to School", "Platoon", "Dances with Wolves", and "The Silence of the Lambs". Krim was chairman of the studio until his resignation in 1992.

Outside of his work in the entertainment business, Krim was prominent in democratic political circles and was a valued fundraiser and trusted giver of advice to U.S. presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Jimmy Carter.

Krim was also active on behalf of a variety of causes, including civil rights, equal rights for gay Americans, efforts against AIDS, and opposition to the old system of racial separation in South Africa.

Krim died on September 21, 1994 at the age of 84.