Al Lichtman

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Al Lichtman
Lichtman in 1919
Born
Alexander Lichtman

(1888-04-09)April 9, 1888
Monok, Hungary
DiedFebruary 20, 1958(1958-02-20) (aged 69)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Film salesman
  • film producer

Alexander Lichtman (April 9, 1888 – February 20, 1958) was a film salesman, occasionally working as a film producer. He was president of United Artists in 1935. He proposed the process of block booking to Adolph Zukor, which became industry standard practice. Variety called him "perhaps the greatest film salesman in the history of the business".[1]

Biography

Al Lichtman Tribute menu cover

Lichtman was born in Monok, Hungary. His parents were Joseph Lichtman and Pepe (aka Josephine) Zuckermandel. The family emigrated to the US when Lichtman was 10 but his parents died within the next 3 years.[1]

He started work as an usher at a burlesque house in New York and later joined the circus and also gave monologues for Gus Sun's Gus Sun Time before joining Powers Motion Pictures Co. in New York. He tried to persuade Adolph Zukor to let him produce a film of

Artcraft Pictures. Alco was reorganized as Metro Pictures. Artcraft was later merged with Paramount and others into Famous Players–Lasky with Lichtman becoming general manager. Lichtman suggested to Zukor that the studio produce 52 films a year and that they introduce a block booking system to sell all their product to exhibitors as a bundle, which became industry practice.[1]

In 1921 he joined United Artists but left to become president of

Sam Goldwyn over the production of Barbary Coast (1935).[2]

In November of that same year he joined

20th Century Fox in 1950 and became head of distribution and stayed there until his retirement in 1956 due to ill health. He was prominent in Fox's launch of CinemaScope. He returned to Fox as a producer a year later, producing The Young Lions (1958) which was released after his death.[1]

He died at his home in Los Angeles, California, following a coronary occlusion.[1] Lichtman has a "Star" on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

References

  1. ^
    Archive.org
    .
  2. ^ a b "Cinema: North Formosa Novelties". Time. October 21, 1935. Archived from the original on September 2, 2010.
  3. ^ "Cinema: Recordings". Time. November 4, 1935. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016.

External links

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