Barney Balaban
Barney Balaban | |
---|---|
Born | June 8, 1887 |
Died | March 7, 1971 (age 83) |
Nationality | American |
Known for | President of Paramount Pictures |
Spouse |
Tillie Urkov (m. 1929) |
Children | Judith Rose Balaban Leonard "Red" Balaban Burt Balaban |
Family | A. J. Balaban (brother) Max Balaban (brother) Elmer Balaban (brother) Bob Balaban (nephew) Jay Kanter (former son-in-law) Anthony Franciosa (former son-in-law) Don Quine (former son-in-law) |
Barney Balaban (June 8, 1887 – March 7, 1971) was an American film executive who was the president of Paramount Pictures from 1936 to 1964 and an innovator in the cinema industry.
Life and career
Barney Balaban (formerly Birnbaum) was the eldest of the seven sons of
Balaban worked as a messenger boy and a cold storage company employee until 1908, when he was persuaded, at age 21, to go into the cinema business. According to a 1945 article in Forbes magazine, his mother came home from her first picture show and commented, "The customers pay before they even see what they're paying for! There'll be money in that business."[5]
Balaban and his younger brothers rented the 100-seat Kedzie Theater. From there, Balaban's innovations changed the industry. In 1910, Balaban built the Circle Theatre, the first cinema to have a balcony. After his sister Ida married Sam Katz (1892–1960), the two brothers-in-law made plans for a chain of cinemas in the Midwest, the Balaban and Katz Theatre Chain. Barney's brothers John, Dave, Abe (aka A. J.), and Max all worked for Balaban and Katz. Brothers Elmer and Harry owned their own theater concern called H & E Balaban.
The first link in the chain, the Central Park Theatre in Chicago, opened in 1917. Balaban and Katz set about to create the first
The Balaban and Katz chain (B & K) incorporated in 1923. A controlling interest was purchased in 1926 by Famous Players–Lasky Corp. in exchange for thirteen million dollars in stock. On July 2, 1936, Paramount's directors elected Balaban president of the studio, succeeding
In 1929, Balaban married Tillie Urkov; they had three children, film producer and director
Balaban continued as president of Paramount Pictures until 1964.[8] He then became chairman until the 1966 takeover by Gulf and Western. The Balaban and Katz trademark is the property of the Balaban and Katz Historical Foundation. He was the uncle of actor Bob Balaban.
Depiction in media
Balban appears in the season 2 episode "Hollywoodland" of the NBC series Timeless, portrayed by Josh Randall.
Barney Balaban (portrayed by Richard Portnow) was also a featured character in the movie Hitchcock, about Alfred Hitchcock and his struggle to get Psycho made.
See also
- Elmer Balaban, brother
- Bob Balaban, nephew
References
- ISBN 0-7385-3986-4.
- ^ a b c "Barney Balaban Dead at 83; Headed Paramount Pictures". The New York Times. March 8, 1971.
- ISBN 978-0926019744.
- ^ "A.J. Balaban Special Edition". Variety. Vol. XCIV, no. 7. February 27, 1929. p. 7. Retrieved February 6, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ a b McClary, T. C. (February 1, 1945). "Barney Balaban: "My Biggest Mistake"". Forbes. Vol. 55, no. 3. p. 16. Retrieved February 6, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ Hodgson, Fred (June 1944). Fredman, J. George (ed.). "A Gift to the Nation - Barney Balaban, the American Jew, Who Purchased the Original Bill of Rights as a Gift to His Country". The Jewish Veteran. Vol. XIII, no. 10. Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America. pp. 9 and 19. Retrieved February 6, 2024 – via Google Books.
- ProQuest 115830846. Archived from the originalon March 8, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2024.