Associated Exhibitors

Associated Exhibitors was an American film distribution company active during the silent era. The company did not produce its own pictures but released productions by independent producers, handling a mixture of low-budget and more prestigious films during the 1920s. Established in 1920, it had a close association with Pathe Exchange, another medium-sized American company.[1]

Company logo

During the early 1920s Associated Exhibitors was headed by president Arthur S. Kane, before leaving for Universal Pictures in 1925.[2] During these years the number of films increased, while the quality declined.[3] Having resisted the practice of block booking for many years, Associated Exhibitors adopted it in 1925.[2] After being taken over by a business group, the company announced its plans to acquire a studio and begin film production under the oversight of Pat Powers, however this did not occur. In 1926 Lewis J. Selznick was appointed to manage the company following the bankruptcy of his own studio.[2]

The company was drawn increasingly closer to Pathe Exchange, which gradually subsumed its assets.[4] The final release to go out under the Associated Exhibitors banner was the western Bad Man's Bluff released on December 26, 1926. Pathe would itself before long be merged into the larger conglomerate RKO Pictures.