About

Known credits:
157
Birthday:
1879-08-17
Place of birth:
Warsaw, Poland
Website:
N/A

Samuel Goldwyn

Overview

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 for

Acting
2013 Salinger Actor Self - Film Producer (archive footage) 59
Average
2001 Goldwyn: The Man and His Movies Actor Self (archive footage) 59
Average
1925 Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ Actor Chariot Race Spectator (uncredited) 61
Fair

Production
1959 Porgy and Bess Production Producer 58
Average
1955 Guys and Dolls Production Producer 61
Fair
1955 Brooba Production Production Consultant N/A
N/A
1952 Hans Christian Andersen Production Producer 59
Average
1951 I Want You Production Producer 58
Average
1950 Edge of Doom Production Producer 58
Average
1950 Our Very Own Production Producer 59
Average
1950 My Foolish Heart Production Producer 59
Average
1949 Roseanna McCoy Production Producer 59
Average
1948 Enchantment Production Producer 58
Average
1948 A Song Is Born Production Producer 59
Average
1947 The Bishop's Wife Production Producer 62
Fair
1947 The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Production Producer 60
Fair
1946 The Best Years of Our Lives Production Producer 69
Fair
1946 The Kid from Brooklyn Production Producer 58
Average
1945 Wonder Man Production Producer 59
Average
1944 The Princess and the Pirate Production Producer 59
Average
1944 Up in Arms Production Producer 58
Average
1943 The North Star Production Producer 58
Average
1943 They Got Me Covered Production Producer 59
Average
1942 The Pride of the Yankees Production Producer 61
Fair
1941 Ball of Fire Production Producer 63
Fair
1941 The Little Foxes Production Producer 62
Fair
1940 The Westerner Production Producer 60
Fair
1939 Raffles Production Producer 58
Average
1939 The Real Glory Production Producer 59
Average
1939 They Shall Have Music Production Producer 59
Average
1939 Wuthering Heights Production Producer 63
Fair
1938 The Cowboy and the Lady Production Producer 58
Average
1938 The Adventures of Marco Polo Production Producer 58
Average
1938 The Goldwyn Follies Production Producer 58
Average
1937 The Hurricane Production Producer 59
Average
1937 Dead End Production Producer 61
Fair
1937 Stella Dallas Production Producer 60
Fair
1937 Woman Chases Man Production Producer 59
Average
1936 Beloved Enemy Production Producer 59
Average
1936 Come and Get It Production Producer 59
Average
1936 Dodsworth Production Producer 61
Fair
1936 These Three Production Producer 59
Average
1936 Strike Me Pink Production Producer 59
Average
1935 Splendor Production Producer 59
Average
1935 Barbary Coast Production Producer 59
Average
1935 The Dark Angel Production Producer 59
Average
1935 The Wedding Night Production Producer 58
Average
1934 Kid Millions Production Producer 58
Average
1934 We Live Again Production Producer 59
Average
1934 Nana Production Producer 58
Average
1933 Roman Scandals Production Producer 58
Average
1933 The Masquerader Production Producer 58
Average
1932 Cynara Production Producer 58
Average
1932 The Kid from Spain Production Producer 59
Average
1932 Arsène Lupin Production Producer 59
Average
1932 The Greeks Had a Word for Them Production Producer 58
Average
1931 Arrowsmith Production Producer 59
Average
1931 The Unholy Garden Production Producer 59
Average
1931 Palmy Days Production Producer 59
Average
1931 Street Scene Production Producer 59
Average
1931 Tonight or Never Production Producer 59
Average
1930 One Heavenly Night Production Producer 59
Average
1930 The Devil to Pay! Production Producer 58
Average
1930 Whoopee! Production Producer 59
Average
1930 Raffles Production Producer 59
Average
1929 Condemned! Production Producer 59
Average
1929 This Is Heaven Production Producer N/A
N/A
1929 Bulldog Drummond Production Producer 59
Average
1929 The Rescue Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1928 The Awakening Production Producer N/A
N/A
1928 Two Lovers Production Producer N/A
N/A
1927 The Devil Dancer Production Producer N/A
N/A
1927 The Magic Flame Production Producer 58
Average
1927 The Night of Love Production Producer 58
Average
1926 The Winning of Barbara Worth Production Producer 59
Average
1926 Partners Again Production Producer N/A
N/A
1925 Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ Production Producer 61
Fair
1925 Stella Dallas Production Producer 59
Average
1925 A Thief in Paradise Production Producer 58
Average
1924 In Hollywood with Potash and Perlmutter Production Producer N/A
N/A
1924 Cytherea Production Producer N/A
N/A
1924 True As Steel Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1924 Nellie, the Beautiful Cloak Model Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1924 Three Weeks Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1924 Name the Man Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1923 The Eternal City Production Producer 59
Average
1923 Unseeing Eyes Production Producer N/A
N/A
1923 The Day of Faith Production Producer N/A
N/A
1923 Slave of Desire Production Producer N/A
N/A
1923 The Eternal Three Production Producer N/A
N/A
1923 Potash and Perlmutter Production Producer N/A
N/A
1923 Lost and Found on a South Sea Island Production Producer N/A
N/A
1923 The Christian Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1922 A Blind Bargain Production Producer 59
Average
1922 Hungry Hearts Production Producer 58
Average
1922 Remembrance Production Producer N/A
N/A
1922 Mr. Barnes of New York Production Producer N/A
N/A
1922 His Back Against the Wall Production Producer N/A
N/A
1922 Head Over Heels Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1922 Sherlock Holmes Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1922 Watch Your Step Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1921 Doubling for Romeo Production Producer N/A
N/A
1921 The Ace of Hearts Production Producer 59
Average
1921 Oh Mary Be Careful Production Producer N/A
N/A
1921 Don't Neglect Your Wife Production Producer N/A
N/A
1921 Boys Will Be Boys Production Producer N/A
N/A
1921 A Tale of Two Worlds Production Producer 59
Average
1921 Guile of Women Production Producer N/A
N/A
1920 What Happened To Rosa? Production Producer 59
Average
1920 The Great Lover Production Producer N/A
N/A
1920 Officer 666 Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1920 Honest Hutch Production Producer N/A
N/A
1920 The Truth Production Producer N/A
N/A
1920 The Penalty Production Producer 59
Average
1920 Cupid the Cowpuncher Production Producer N/A
N/A
1920 The Slim Princess Production Producer N/A
N/A
1920 Jes' Call Me Jim Production Producer 58
Average
1920 Partners of the Night Production Producer N/A
N/A
1920 The Paliser Case Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1920 Water, Water, Everywhere Production Producer N/A
N/A
1920 Pinto Production Producer N/A
N/A
1919 Jubilo Production Producer 59
Average
1919 Almost a Husband Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1919 The World and Its Woman Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1919 Lord and Lady Algy Production Producer N/A
N/A
1919 Upstairs Production Producer N/A
N/A
1919 The Stronger Vow Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1919 Sis Hopkins Production Producer N/A
N/A
1918 The Racing Strain Production Producer N/A
N/A
1918 A Perfect Lady Production Producer N/A
N/A
1918 The Hell Cat Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1918 A Perfect 36 Production Producer N/A
N/A
1918 Thirty a Week Production Producer N/A
N/A
1918 Laughing Bill Hyde Production Producer N/A
N/A
1918 Peck's Bad Girl Production Producer N/A
N/A
1918 The Turn of the Wheel Production Producer 58
Average
1918 All Woman Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1918 The Face in the Dark Production Producer N/A
N/A
1918 The Floor Below Production Producer 59
Average
1918 The Beloved Traitor Production Producer N/A
N/A
1917 The Cinderella Man Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1917 Fighting Odds Production Producer N/A
N/A
1917 Polly of the Circus Production Executive Producer 59
Average

Crew
1950 Our Very Own Crew Presenter 59
Average
1941 Ball of Fire Crew Presenter 63
Fair
1940 The Westerner Crew Presenter 60
Fair
1939 The Real Glory Crew Presenter 59
Average
1938 The Cowboy and the Lady Crew Presenter 58
Average
1937 The Hurricane Crew Presenter 59
Average
1937 Dead End Crew Presenter 61
Fair
1931 Arrowsmith Crew Presenter 59
Average
1920 The North Wind's Malice Crew Presenter N/A
N/A
1920 The Penalty Crew Presenter 59
Average
1920 A Double-Dyed Deceiver Crew Presenter N/A
N/A
1919 The Loves of Letty Crew Presenter N/A
N/A
1919 Through the Wrong Door Crew Presenter N/A
N/A
1919 The Woman on the Index Crew Presenter N/A
N/A