James H. Nicholson | |
|---|---|
| Born | James Hartford Nicholson (1916-09-14)September 14, 1916 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Died | December 10, 1972(1972-12-10) (aged 56) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Inglewood Park Cemetery |
| Occupation | Film producer |
| Years active | 1954–1972 |
| Employer | American International Pictures |
| Known for | Co-founder of American International Pictures |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 4 |
James Hartford Nicholson (September 14, 1916 – December 10, 1972) was an Americanfilm producer. He is best known as the co-founder, withSamuel Z. Arkoff, ofAmerican International Pictures.
Nicholson was born on September 14, 1916, inSeattle, Washington. As a child, he developed a love of movies, especially fantasy and science fiction films. While atSan Francisco Polytechnic High School,[1] he joined ascience fiction fan club, where he metForrest J Ackerman. The two produced a fantasyfanzine together. Years later, Ackerman's magazineFamous Monsters of Filmland would heavily promote AIP's films.
Nicholson's first work in the film industry was as an usher at the El Rey Theatre inSan Francisco when he was 16. He became aprojectionist the following year and two years later bought his first theater.[2] He was the manager of twotheaters inOmaha, Nebraska. The chain that owned the theaters soon went out business and Nicholson found himself unemployed. He drifted through a series of short-lived jobs, and ended up running four revival movie theaters in Los Angeles with Joseph Moritz in 1944. He introduced new ways of attracting customers, including showing the1949 Rose Bowl.[2] Nicholson was eventually hired byJack Broder atRealart Pictures in their advertising department; his job was to devise new campaigns for the old movies that Realart re-released, which often included retitling the films. A threat of a lawsuit fromAlex Gordon, regarding a title similarity between one of Realart's reissues and a screenplay Gordon had written withEd Wood with exactly the same title, led to Nicholson meeting Samuel Z. Arkoff, who was at that time Gordon's lawyer. Nicholson and Arkoff became friends and eventually decided to formAmerican Releasing Corporation, a film distribution company, in 1954, in association with Moritz. Two years later they founded American International Pictures to make independent films for their circuit, with Nicholson as president.[2]
Nicholson was known as the creative member of the partnership. His movie sense, combined with Arkoff's business savvy, led to AIP's long string of successful films aimed squarely at teenaged audiences. From 1954 to 1980, AIP released over 125 films, most of them released directly todrive-ins andgrindhouses. Nicholson would often think up an exploitable title, and devise an entire advertising campaign complete with poster art, even before a script had been drafted. The films were mostly completed onlow budgets, with shooting done in two or three weeks (and sometimes only a few days) on rented stages at the Chaplin Studio, and nearly all of them turned profits.
Nicholson and Arkoff were named Producers of the Year in 1963 by the Allied States Association of Motion Picture Owners and in 1964 were named by theTheatre Owners of America as Master Showmen of the Decade.[2]
In 1972, Nicholson left AIP to make independent productions under his Academy Pictures Corp. with a distribution deal with AIP however, he later severed ties with AIP by signing a distribution deal with20th Century Fox.[3][4][2] According to his then-wife,Susan Hart, he was going to make five films:
Nicholson's death meant only the first and last of these were made.[5]
Nicholson was married twice. He had three daughters (Luree Holmes, Laura Nicholson, Loretta Nicholson) with his first wife, Sylvia, and a son, Jimmy, with actressSusan Hart.[2] His granddaughter from Laura was film producerJill Messick.[6]
Nicholson was diagnosed with abrain tumor during 1972 and receivedcobalt therapy but relapsed and died in the aftermath of surgery aged 56.[2][7][8] He is buried inInglewood Park Cemetery. AIP continued for several more years before Arkoff, having lost interest in the movie business, allowed himself to be bought out byFilmways for $4.3 million.
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