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Andre Blay, Who Put Movies on Videotape, Is Dead at 81
Andre Blay, whose innovative idea of marketing Hollywood movies on videocassettes sparked an entertainment industry bonanza and a revolution in television viewing, died on Aug. 24 in Bonita Springs, Fla. He was 81.
The cause was complications of pneumonia, his son, Robert, said.
Once Hollywood studios, moviegoers and couch potatoes began catching on to the phenomenon in the late 1970s, Mr. Blay's merchandising breakthrough created a new revenue stream that helped revive the film industry.
It also created a vast market for goods ranging from video recorders to the obligatory popcorn that viewers could microwave at home.
The relatively high initial retail price of movies on videocassettes also prompted an unexpected proliferation of video rental stores, from neighborhood businesses to sprawling chains like Blockbuster.
The cause was complications of pneumonia, his son, Robert, said.
Once Hollywood studios, moviegoers and couch potatoes began catching on to the phenomenon in the late 1970s, Mr. Blay's merchandising breakthrough created a new revenue stream that helped revive the film industry.
It also created a vast market for goods ranging from video recorders to the obligatory popcorn that viewers could microwave at home.
The relatively high initial retail price of movies on videocassettes also prompted an unexpected proliferation of video rental stores, from neighborhood businesses to sprawling chains like Blockbuster.
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