Robert Saul Benjamin (1909 – October 22, 1979) was a founding partner of the movie-litigation firm Phillips, Nizer, Benjamin, Krim & Ballon, a former co‐chairman of United Artists, and a founding member of Orion Pictures.

Biography

Robert Saul Benjamin was born to a Jewish family.

Career

Benjamin, along with his longtime friend and partner Arthur B. Krim, took over United Artists in 1951. The deal that they struck with then-owners Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford was that if the company showed a profit in any one of the first three years of their management, the two would be able to purchase a 50% share of the company for one dollar. The Krim-Benjamin team quickly showed a profit, and they bought out Chaplin and Pickford to own the company outright in 1955. In 1957, they took the company public. In 1975 Benjamin was a senior adviser to the United States delegation to the United Nations.

Awards

In 1979, Robert Benjamin won the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian award posthumously. His wife Jean accepted the award on his behalf.

Personal life

Robert Benjamin married Jean Kortright. They had two kids, Jonathan and Margret.