Biography: Robert Lenard Lippert (March 31, 1909 – November 16, 1976) was an American film producer and cinema chain owner, also known as King of the Bs. President and COO of Lippert Theatres, Affiliated Theatres, and Transcontinental Theatres–all based in San Francisco–at his height, Lippert owned a chain of 139 movie theaters. He helped finance more than 300 films, including the directorial debuts of Samuel Fuller, James Clavell, and Burt Kennedy.