The AIP Story (1955-1959)

For movie fans who are into B-level "schlock", claptrap potboilers made on the cheap, low budget exploitation programmers, drive-in/grindhouse fare and just all around "so bad it's good" cinematic trash, one acronym may reign supreme: AIP, also known as American International Pictures. Founded in 1954 by sales manager James H. Nicholson and entertainment lawyer Samuel Z. Arkoff, AIP went under the name American Releasing Corporation for the first two years of its existence. Having no interest whatsoever in competing for awards, critical praise or any kind of quality prestige with their productions, AIP believed in making them cheap, making them fast and above all, making them profitable. As the studio that literally spoke to and made movies exclusively for the teenage market (often releasing double features to play at drive-in theaters), AIP's formula proved to be very successful. By the end of the 1950's, they racked up several dozen low budget pictures of various genres. Many of them were very profitable and have since gone on to become cult classics. AIP managed to do what none of the other countless B-level production/distribution houses at the time could do. Generate enough annual profit to literally hold its own alongside the major Hollywood studios.

Many other authors and film historians have attempted to tell the AIP story but since so many people ended up being involved and very little to no material can be easily found for certain movies they distributed, the 100% definitive account of this "little studio that could" still has yet to be written. Here's my attempt to be as complete and accurate as possible. All of AIP's known feature film releases (including the American Releasing Corporation films) for the 1950's are compiled here along with their theatrical release dates and co-production company credits.

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