Arthur B. Krim papers, 1922-1995, bulk 1965-1992
Collection context
- Creator:
- Krim, Arthur B., 1910-1994
- Extent:
- 66.76 Linear Feet 77 boxes (38 record cartons, 22 document boxes, 16 flat boxes, and 1 card file box)
- Language:
- English , French , German , Hebrew , Italian .
- Scope and content:
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Arthur B. Krim (1910–1994) was an entertainment lawyer and the former chairman of Orion Pictures and the United Artists Corporation. The correspondence, papers, photographs, and A/V content document the professional and personal life of Arthur Krim and his involvement with Columbia University and the Democratic National Committee, especially his relationship with President Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973) and First Lady Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson (1912-2007).
- Biographical / historical:
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Arthur B. Krim (1910–1994) was an entertainment lawyer and the former chairman of Orion Pictures and the United Artists Corporation.
From 1935 until 1978, Arthur Krim was a partner at the New York-based entertainment law firm Phillips, Nizer, Benjamin, Krim & Ballon.
On December 7, 1958, Mr. Krim married Dr. Mathilde Galland (1926–2018), who was a biomedical researcher and the founding chairman of amfAR, the American Foundation for AIDS Research. They had one daughter, Daphna.
Mr. Krim was chairman of Orion Pictures from 1978 to 1992 and chairman of United Artists from 1951 to 1978. Over the course of his career, he produced more than 1,000 movies.
Arthur Krim, Robert S. Benjamin, and three other studio executives—Eric Pleskow (1924–2019), Mike Medavoy, and William Bernstein (1933–2020)—founded Orion Pictures in 1978 as a joint venture with Warner Brothers. The group went on to produce films like "10," "Arthur," and "Excalibur" and to take over Filmways and form the Orion Pictures Corporation.
Mr. Krim was long prominent in Democratic political circles and was a valued fund-raiser and a trusted behind-the-scenes adviser to Presidents John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973), and Jimmy Carter. Former Vice President Walter F. Mondale (1928-2021) once called him "a shrewd political strategist and a fiercely loyal adviser and friend."
Arthur Krim was especially close to President Lyndon B. Johnson. In this regard, on March 31, 1968, they were in the Oval Office at the White House when President Johnson announced to the nation that he would not run for reelection, despite the Krims' best efforts to convince him otherwise.
From 1966 to 1968, Mr. Krim was the chairman of the Democratic National Finance Committee, and for many years he was on the boards of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation and the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.
He was a member of Columbia University's board of trustees from 1967 to 1982 and served as chairman from 1977 to 1982.
Mr. Krim was also active on behalf of a variety of humanitarian causes, including civil rights, equal rights for gay Americans, efforts against AIDS, and opposition to Apartheid, the old system of racial segregation in South Africa.
He became close to Nelson Mandela (1918–2013), the anti-apartheid activist and first black president of South Africa (1994–1999), as well as other prominent South African opponents of racial separation.
After a long illness, on September 21, 1994, Arthur B. Krim passed away at his home in New York City.
Access and use
- Restrictions:
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This collection is located on-site.
- Preferred citation:
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Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Arthur B. Krim papers; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.
- Location of this collection:
- Before you visit:
- Researchers interested in viewing materials in the RBML reading room must must book an appointment at least 7 days in advance. To make the most of your visit, be sure to request your desired materials before booking your appointment, as researchers are limited to 5 items per day.
- Contact:
- rbml@library.columbia.edu