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Samuel Goldwyn

Samuel Goldwyn (born Szmul Gelbfisz), also known as Samuel Goldfish, was a Polish American film producer. He was most well known for being the founding contributor and executive of several motion picture studios in Hollywood. In 1916, Goldwyn partnered with Broadway producers Edgar and Archibald Selwyn, using a combination of both names to call their movie-making enterprise Goldwyn Pictures. Seeing an opportunity, Samuel Gelbfisz then had his name legally changed to Samuel Goldwyn, which he used for the rest of his life. Goldwyn Pictures proved successful but it is their Leo the Lion trademark for which the organization is most famous. On April 10, 1924, Goldwyn Pictures was acquired by Marcus Loew and merged into his Metro Pictures Corporation. Despite the inclusion of his name, Goldwyn had no role in the management or production at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Before the sale and merger of Goldwyn Pictures in April 1924, Goldwyn had established Samuel Goldwyn Productions in 1923 as a production-only operation (with no distribution arm). Their first feature was Potash and Perlmutter, released in September 1923 through First National Pictures. Some of the early productions bear the name Howard Productions, named for Goldwyn's wife Frances Howard. For 35 years, Goldwyn built a reputation in filmmaking and developed an eye for finding the talent for making films. William Wyler directed many of his most celebrated productions, and he hired writers such as Ben Hecht, Sidney Howard, Dorothy Parker, and Lillian Hellman. (According to legend, at a heated story conference Goldwyn scolded someone —in most accounts Mrs. Parker, who recalled he had once been a glove maker— with the retort: “Don't you point that finger at me. I knew it when it had a thimble on it!” During that time, Goldwyn made numerous films and reigned as the most successful independent producer in the US. Many of his films were forgettable; his collaboration with John Ford, however, resulted in Best Picture Oscar nomination for Arrowsmith (1931). William Wyler was responsible for most of Goldwyn's highly lauded films, with Best Picture Oscar nominations for Dodsworth (1936), Dead End (1937), Wuthering Heights (1939), The Little Foxes (1941) and The Best Years of Our Lives (1948). The leading actors in several of Goldwyn films, especially those directed by William Wyler, were also Oscar-nominated for their performances. Throughout the 1930s, Goldwyn released all his films through United Artists, but beginning in 1941, and continuing almost through the end of his career, Goldwyn released his films through RKO Radio Pictures. Goldwyn died at his home in Los Angeles in 1974 from natural causes, at the probable age of 94. He was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California. In the 1980s, Samuel Goldwyn Studio was sold to Warner Bros. There is a theater named after him in Beverly Hills and he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1631 Vine Street.

  • Known ForProduction
  • Born17 August 1879 (age 146)
  • Place of BirthWarsaw, Poland

Samuel Goldwyn

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Samuel Goldwyn (born Szmul Gelbfisz), also known as Samuel Goldfish, was a Polish American film producer. He was most well known for being the founding contributor and executive of several motion picture studios in Hollywood. In 1916, Goldwyn partnered with Broadway producers Edgar and Archibald Selwyn, using a combination of both names to call their movie-making enterprise Goldwyn Pictures. Seeing an opportunity, Samuel Gelbfisz then had his name legally changed to Samuel Goldwyn, which he used for the rest of his life. Goldwyn Pictures proved successful but it is their Leo the Lion trademark for which the organization is most famous. On April 10, 1924, Goldwyn Pictures was acquired by Marcus Loew and merged into his Metro Pictures Corporation. Despite the inclusion of his name, Goldwyn had no role in the management or production at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Before the sale and merger of Goldwyn Pictures in April 1924, Goldwyn had established Samuel Goldwyn Productions in 1923 as a production-only operation (with no distribution arm). Their first feature was Potash and Perlmutter, released in September 1923 through First National Pictures. Some of the early productions bear the name Howard Productions, named for Goldwyn's wife Frances Howard. For 35 years, Goldwyn built a reputation in filmmaking and developed an eye for finding the talent for making films. William Wyler directed many of his most celebrated productions, and he hired writers such as Ben Hecht, Sidney Howard, Dorothy Parker, and Lillian Hellman. (According to legend, at a heated story conference Goldwyn scolded someone —in most accounts Mrs. Parker, who recalled he had once been a glove maker— with the retort: “Don't you point that finger at me. I knew it when it had a thimble on it!” During that time, Goldwyn made numerous films and reigned as the most successful independent producer in the US. Many of his films were forgettable; his collaboration with John Ford, however, resulted in Best Picture Oscar nomination for Arrowsmith (1931). William Wyler was responsible for most of Goldwyn's highly lauded films, with Best Picture Oscar nominations for Dodsworth (1936), Dead End (1937), Wuthering Heights (1939), The Little Foxes (1941) and The Best Years of Our Lives (1948). The leading actors in several of Goldwyn films, especially those directed by William Wyler, were also Oscar-nominated for their performances. Throughout the 1930s, Goldwyn released all his films through United Artists, but beginning in 1941, and continuing almost through the end of his career, Goldwyn released his films through RKO Radio Pictures. Goldwyn died at his home in Los Angeles in 1974 from natural causes, at the probable age of 94. He was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California. In the 1980s, Samuel Goldwyn Studio was sold to Warner Bros. There is a theater named after him in Beverly Hills and he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1631 Vine Street.

  • Known ForProduction
  • Born17 August 1879 (age 146)
  • Place of BirthWarsaw, Poland
KNOWN FOR
PHOTOS
CREDITS
Poster
Salinger
star
6.333
2013
Poster
Goldwyn: The Man and His Movies
star
8.0
2001
Poster
Porgy and Bess
star
6.1
1959
Poster
Small world: Vivien Leigh
star
-
1958
Poster
Guys and Dolls
star
6.571
1955
Poster
Hans Christian Andersen
star
6.3
1952
Poster
I Want You
star
5.2
1951
Poster
Edge of Doom
star
5.9
1950
Poster
My Foolish Heart
star
6.706
1950
Poster
Our Very Own
star
5.7
1950
Poster
Roseanna McCoy
star
6.1
1949
Poster
A Song Is Born
star
6.5
1948
Poster
Enchantment
star
6.4
1948
Poster
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
star
6.7
1947
Poster
The Bishop's Wife
star
7.0
1947
Poster
The Best Years of Our Lives
star
7.791
1946
Poster
The Kid from Brooklyn
star
6.2
1946
Poster
Wonder Man
star
6.566
1945
Poster
Up in Arms
star
6.0
1944
Poster
The Princess and the Pirate
star
6.854
1944
Poster
They Got Me Covered
star
5.9
1943
Poster
The North Star
star
6.1
1943
Poster
The Pride of the Yankees
star
7.36
1942
Poster
The Little Foxes
star
7.533
1941
Poster
Ball of Fire
star
7.367
1941
Poster
The Westerner
star
7.052
1940
Poster
Wuthering Heights
star
7.165
1939
Poster
The Real Glory
star
6.3
1939
Poster
They Shall Have Music
star
6.1
1939
Poster
Raffles
star
6.0
1939
Poster
The Goldwyn Follies
star
4.833
1938
Poster
The Adventures of Marco Polo
star
6.031
1938
Poster
The Cowboy and the Lady
star
6.1
1938
Poster
Woman Chases Man
star
5.6
1937
Poster
Stella Dallas
star
6.837
1937
Poster
Dead End
star
6.981
1937
Poster
The Hurricane
star
6.6
1937
Poster
Strike Me Pink
star
6.6
1936
Poster
These Three
star
7.1
1936
Poster
Dodsworth
star
7.082
1936
Poster
Come and Get It
star
6.8
1936
Poster
Beloved Enemy
star
6.1
1936
Poster
The Wedding Night
star
6.0
1935
Poster
The Dark Angel
star
6.158
1935
Poster
Barbary Coast
star
6.565
1935
Poster
Splendor
star
6.3
1935
Poster
Nana
star
5.0
1934
Poster
We Live Again
star
6.6
1934
Poster
Kid Millions
star
6.5
1934
Poster
The Masquerader
star
5.2
1933
Poster
Roman Scandals
star
6.0
1933
Poster
Arsène Lupin
star
6.9
1932
Poster
The Greeks Had a Word for Them
star
5.091
1932
Poster
The Kid from Spain
star
6.556
1932
Poster
Cynara
star
5.0
1932
Poster
Street Scene
star
6.814
1931
Poster
Palmy Days
star
7.0
1931
Poster
The Unholy Garden
star
6.333
1931
Poster
Arrowsmith
star
6.444
1931
Poster
Tonight or Never
star
5.9
1931
Poster
Whoopee!
star
6.429
1930
Poster
Raffles
star
6.067
1930
Poster
The Devil to Pay!
star
5.925
1930
Poster
One Heavenly Night
star
5.2
1930
Poster
Bulldog Drummond
star
6.478
1929
Poster
This Is Heaven
star
-
1929
Poster
Condemned!
star
6.5
1929
Poster
The Awakening
star
5.0
1928
Poster
Two Lovers
star
-
1928
Poster
The Magic Flame
star
4.333
1927
Poster
The Night of Love
star
5.0
1927
Poster
The Devil Dancer
star
5.0
1927
Poster
The Winning of Barbara Worth
star
6.55
1926
Poster
Partners Again
star
-
1926
Poster
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
star
7.33
1925
Poster
A Thief in Paradise
star
6.0
1925
Poster
Stella Dallas
star
7.115
1925
Poster
Cytherea
star
-
1924
Poster
In Hollywood with Potash and Perlmutter
star
-
1924
Poster
Lost and Found on a South Sea Island
star
-
1923
Poster
Potash and Perlmutter
star
-
1923
Poster
The Eternal Three
star
-
1923
Poster
Unseeing Eyes
star
-
1923
Poster
The Day of Faith
star
-
1923
Poster
The Eternal City
star
6.0
1923
Poster
Slave of Desire
star
-
1923
Poster
His Back Against the Wall
star
-
1922
Poster
Mr. Barnes of New York
star
-
1922
Poster
Remembrance
star
-
1922
Poster
A Blind Bargain
star
6.0
1922
Poster
Hungry Hearts
star
1.0
1922
Poster
Guile of Women
star
-
1921
Poster
Boys Will Be Boys
star
-
1921
Poster
A Tale of Two Worlds
star
5.5
1921
Poster
Don't Neglect Your Wife
star
-
1921
Poster
Oh Mary Be Careful
star
-
1921
Poster
The Ace of Hearts
star
6.5
1921
Poster
Doubling for Romeo
star
-
1921
Poster
Partners of the Night
star
-
1920
Poster
Jes' Call Me Jim
star
5.8
1920
Poster
The Slim Princess
star
-
1920
Poster
Cupid the Cowpuncher
star
-
1920
Poster
The Penalty
star
6.9
1920
Poster
The Truth
star
-
1920
Poster
Honest Hutch
star
-
1920
Poster
The Great Lover
star
-
1920
Poster
What Happened To Rosa
star
6.8
1920
Poster
Pinto
star
-
1920
Poster
Water, Water, Everywhere
star
-
1920
Poster
Sis Hopkins
star
-
1919
Poster
Upstairs
star
-
1919
Poster
Lord and Lady Algy
star
-
1919
Poster
Jubilo
star
5.333
1919
Poster
The Floor Below
star
5.3
1918
Poster
The Turn of the Wheel
star
1.0
1918
Poster
Peck's Bad Girl
star
-
1918
Poster
Laughing Bill Hyde
star
-
1918
Poster
Thirty a Week
star
-
1918
Poster
A Perfect 36
star
-
1918
Poster
A Perfect Lady
star
-
1918
Poster
The Racing Strain
star
-
1918
Poster
The Beloved Traitor
star
-
1918
Poster
The Face in the Dark
star
-
1918
Poster
Fighting Odds
star
-
1917