About

Known credits:
306
Birthday:
1902-09-05
Place of birth:
Wahoo, Nebraska, USA
Website:
N/A

Darryl F. Zanuck

Overview

Darryl Francis Zanuck (September 5, 1902 – December 22, 1979) was an American film producer and studio executive; he earlier contributed stories for films starting in the silent era. He played a major part in the Hollywood studio system as one of its longest survivors (the length of his career was rivaled only by that of Adolph Zukor). He produced three films that won the Academy Award for Best Picture during his tenure.

Zanuck was born in Wahoo, Nebraska, the son of Sarah Louise (née Torpin), who later married Charles Norton, and Frank Harvey Zanuck, who owned and operated a hotel in Wahoo. He had an older brother, Donald (1893–1903), who died in an accident when he was only 9 years old. Zanuck was of partial Swiss descent, and raised a Protestant. At age six, Zanuck and his mother moved to Los Angeles, where the better climate could improve her poor health. At age eight, he found his first movie job as an extra, but his disapproving father recalled him to Nebraska. In 1917, despite being 15, he deceived a recruiter, joined the United States Army, and served in France with the Nebraska National Guard during World War I.

Upon returning to the US, he worked in many part-time jobs while seeking work as a writer. He found work producing movie plots, and sold his first story in 1922 to William Russell and his second to Irving Thalberg. Screenwriter Frederica Sagor Maas, story editor at Universal Pictures' New York office, stated that one of the stories Zanuck sent out to movie studios around this time was completely plagiarized from another author's work.

Zanuck then worked for Mack Sennett and FBO (where he wrote the serials The Telephone Girl and The Leather Pushers) and took that experience to Warner Bros., where he wrote stories for Rin Tin Tin and under a number of pseudonyms wrote over 40 scripts from 1924 to 1929, including Red Hot Tires (1925) and Old San Francisco (1927). He moved into management in 1929, and became head of production in 1931.

In 1933, Zanuck left Warner Bros. over a salary dispute with studio head Jack L. Warner. A few days later, he partnered with Joseph Schenck to form 20th Century Pictures, Inc. with financial help from Joseph's brother Nicholas Schenck and Louis B. Mayer, president and studio head of Loew's, Inc and its subsidiary Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, along with William Goetz and Raymond Griffith. 20th Century released its material through United Artists.

During that short time (1933–1935), 20th Century became the most successful independent movie studio of its time, breaking box-office records with 18 of its 19 films, all profitable, including Clive of India, Les Miserables, and The House of Rothschild. After a dispute with United Artists over stock ownership, Schenck and Zanuck negotiated and used their studio to bring the bankrupt Fox studios in 1935 to create Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation.

Zanuck was Vice President of Production of this new studio and took a hands-on approach, closely involving himself in scripts, film editing, and producing. ... Source: Article "Darryl F. Zanuck" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Known for

Acting
2022 Rat Pack Actor Darryl F. Zanuck (Images d'archives) 59
Average
2009 1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year Actor Self (archive footage) 59
Average
2006 42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage Actor Self (archive footage) 59
Average
2005 Filmmakers vs. Tycoons Actor Self (archive footage) 59
Average
2001 Backstory: 'Gentleman's Agreement' Actor Self (archive footage) N/A
N/A
2001 Cleopatra: The Film That Changed Hollywood Actor Self (archive footage) 59
Average
2000 Backstory: 'How Green Was My Valley' Actor Self (archive footage) N/A
N/A
1997 Frank Capra's American Dream Actor Self (archive footage) 59
Average
1995 Darryl F. Zanuck: 20th Century Filmmaker Actor Self (archive footage) 59
Average
1989 John Huston: The Man, the Movies, the Maverick Actor Self (archive footage) 59
Average
1968 D-Day Revisited Actor Self 59
Average
1951 The CinemaScope Parade Actor Self N/A
N/A
1950 The Screen Writer Actor Self (uncredited) N/A
N/A
1943 Show-Business at War Actor Self 59
Average
1940 Cavalcade of the Academy Awards Actor Self 59
Average
1933 The 42nd Street Special Actor Self 59
Average

Directing
1962 The Longest Day Directing Director 69
Fair
1942 Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake Directing Director 59
Average

Writing
1960 Crack in the Mirror Writing Writer 59
Average
1944 The Purple Heart Writing Story 58
Average
1942 China Girl Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1942 Thunder Birds Writing Story 59
Average
1941 A Yank in the R.A.F. Writing Story 58
Average
1935 'G' Men Writing Novel 59
Average
1933 Lady Killer Writing Story 59
Average
1933 Baby Face Writing Story 61
Fair
1932 The Dark Horse Writing Story 59
Average
1930 The Life of the Party Writing Writer 59
Average
1930 Maybe It's Love Writing Story 58
Average
1929 Madonna of Avenue A Writing Story N/A
N/A
1929 Hardboiled Rose Writing Story N/A
N/A
1928 My Man Writing Story N/A
N/A
1928 Noah's Ark Writing Story 59
Average
1928 The Midnight Taxi Writing Story 58
Average
1928 State Street Sadie Writing Story N/A
N/A
1928 Pay as You Enter Writing Story N/A
N/A
1928 Tenderloin Writing Story N/A
N/A
1927 Ham and Eggs at the Front Writing Story N/A
N/A
1927 Jaws of Steel Writing Writer 59
Average
1927 Old San Francisco Writing Writer 59
Average
1927 The Desired Woman Writing Story N/A
N/A
1927 The First Auto Writing Story 58
Average
1927 The Black Diamond Express Writing Story N/A
N/A
1927 Simple Sis Writing Story N/A
N/A
1927 Irish Hearts Writing Story N/A
N/A
1927 Tracked by the Police Writing Story 59
Average
1927 The Missing Link Writing Scenario Writer 58
Average
1926 The Better 'Ole Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1926 Across the Pacific Writing Adaptation 58
Average
1926 Footloose Widows Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1926 Oh! What a Nurse! Writing Scenario Writer N/A
N/A
1926 The Little Irish Girl Writing Adaptation N/A
N/A
1926 The Cave Man Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1925 Hogan's Alley Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1925 Seven Sinners Writing Story 59
Average
1925 Red Hot Tires Writing Story N/A
N/A
1925 The Limited Mail Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1925 Eve's Lover Writing Scenario Writer N/A
N/A
1925 A Broadway Butterfly Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1924 The Lighthouse by the Sea Writing Writer 59
Average
1924 Find Your Man Writing Writer 59
Average
1924 Money to Burns Writing Co-Writer N/A
N/A
1923 Fighting Blood Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1923 Fighting Blood Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1923 Fighting Blood Writing Writer N/A
N/A

Production
1973 Hung Up Production Producer N/A
N/A
1970 Tora! Tora! Tora! Production Executive Producer 65
Fair
1965 The Agony and the Ecstasy Production Executive Producer 61
Fair
1964 The Visit Production Producer 59
Average
1962 The Chapman Report Production Producer 58
Average
1962 The Longest Day Production Producer 69
Fair
1961 The Big Gamble Production Producer 59
Average
1961 Sanctuary Production Producer 58
Average
1960 Crack in the Mirror Production Producer 59
Average
1958 The Roots of Heaven Production Producer 59
Average
1958 The Barbarian and the Geisha Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1957 The Sun Also Rises Production Producer 59
Average
1957 Island in the Sun Production Producer 59
Average
1956 The King and I Production Executive Producer 64
Fair
1956 The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit Production Producer 59
Average
1956 On the Threshold of Space Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1955 Good Morning, Miss Dove Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1955 The View from Pompey's Head Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1955 Seven Cities of Gold Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1954 Broken Lance Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1954 The Egyptian Production Producer 59
Average
1953 Beneath the 12-Mile Reef Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1953 Friends Production Producer N/A
N/A
1952 The Snows of Kilimanjaro Production Producer 59
Average
1952 With a Song in My Heart Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1952 Viva Zapata! Production Producer 61
Fair
1951 People Will Talk Production Producer 60
Fair
1951 David and Bathsheba Production Producer 58
Average
1950 All About Eve Production Producer 75
Good
1950 No Way Out Production Producer 60
Fair
1950 The Gunfighter Production Executive Producer 62
Fair
1950 Night and the City Production Executive Producer 64
Fair
1950 A Ticket to Tomahawk Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1950 Under My Skin Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1949 Twelve O'Clock High Production Producer 61
Fair
1949 Everybody Does It Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1949 Father Was a Fullback Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1949 Pinky Production Producer 59
Average
1949 Slattery's Hurricane Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1949 Sand Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1949 You're My Everything Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1949 It Happens Every Spring Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1949 The Fan Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1949 The Forbidden Street Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1948 The Walls of Jericho Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1948 That Wonderful Urge Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1948 The Snake Pit Production Executive Producer 60
Fair
1948 Apartment for Peggy Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1948 Cry of the City Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1948 Road House Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1948 Give My Regards to Broadway Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1948 Fury at Furnace Creek Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1948 Sitting Pretty Production Executive Producer 60
Fair
1948 Call Northside 777 Production Executive Producer 60
Fair
1947 Captain from Castile Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1947 Gentleman's Agreement Production Producer 62
Fair
1947 Forever Amber Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1947 Nightmare Alley Production Executive Producer 62
Fair
1947 The Foxes of Harrow Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1947 Moss Rose Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1947 The Homestretch Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1947 Carnival in Costa Rica Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1947 Boomerang! Production Executive Producer 60
Fair
1947 The Shocking Miss Pilgrim Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1946 The Razor's Edge Production Producer 60
Fair
1946 Centennial Summer Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1946 Somewhere in the Night Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1946 Strange Triangle Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1946 Dragonwyck Production Producer 60
Fair
1946 Claudia and David Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1945 Leave Her to Heaven Production Executive Producer 63
Fair
1944 Winged Victory Production Producer 59
Average
1944 Wilson Production Producer 58
Average
1944 Buffalo Bill Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1944 The Purple Heart Production Producer 58
Average
1944 Lifeboat Production Executive Producer 65
Fair
1943 Wintertime Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1943 Crash Dive Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1942 China Girl Production Producer 58
Average
1942 The Black Swan Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1942 To the Shores of Tripoli Production Producer 58
Average
1942 Thunder Birds Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1942 The Pied Piper Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1942 This Above All Production Producer 59
Average
1942 Song of the Islands Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1942 Sex Hygiene Production Producer 58
Average
1941 How Green Was My Valley Production Producer 65
Fair
1941 Week-End in Havana Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1941 A Yank in the R.A.F. Production Producer 58
Average
1941 Sun Valley Serenade Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1941 Wild Geese Calling Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1941 Moon Over Miami Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1941 Man Hunt Production Executive Producer 61
Fair
1941 Blood and Sand Production Producer 59
Average
1941 The Great American Broadcast Production Producer 58
Average
1941 That Night in Rio Production Producer 59
Average
1941 Western Union Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1941 Tobacco Road Production Producer 59
Average
1941 Tall, Dark and Handsome Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1941 Hudson's Bay Production Producer 59
Average
1941 Know For Sure Production Producer 58
Average
1940 Chad Hanna Production Producer 59
Average
1940 The Mark of Zorro Production Executive Producer 62
Fair
1940 Down Argentine Way Production Producer 58
Average
1940 Brigham Young Production Producer 58
Average
1940 Public Deb No. 1 Production Producer 58
Average
1940 The Great Profile Production Producer 59
Average
1940 The Return of Frank James Production Producer 59
Average
1940 The Man I Married Production Producer 59
Average
1940 Maryland Production Producer 59
Average
1940 Four Sons Production Producer 59
Average
1940 Lillian Russell Production Producer 58
Average
1940 Star Dust Production Producer 58
Average
1940 The Grapes of Wrath Production Producer 71
Good
1940 Little Old New York Production Producer 58
Average
1940 The Blue Bird Production Producer 59
Average
1939 Swanee River Production Producer 58
Average
1939 Too Busy to Work Production Producer N/A
N/A
1939 Drums Along the Mohawk Production Producer 59
Average
1939 Hollywood Cavalcade Production Producer 59
Average
1939 Here I Am a Stranger Production Producer 59
Average
1939 The Rains Came Production Producer 59
Average
1939 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Production Producer 61
Fair
1939 Stanley and Livingstone Production Producer 59
Average
1939 Hotel for Women Production Producer 59
Average
1939 Second Fiddle Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1939 Susannah of the Mounties Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1939 Young Mr. Lincoln Production Producer 62
Fair
1939 The Gorilla Production Executive In Charge Of Production 58
Average
1939 Rose of Washington Square Production Producer 59
Average
1939 The Story of Alexander Graham Bell Production Producer 58
Average
1939 The Hound of the Baskervilles Production Executive Producer 62
Fair
1939 Wife, Husband and Friend Production Producer 58
Average
1939 Tail Spin Production Producer 59
Average
1939 Jesse James Production Producer 59
Average
1938 Kentucky Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1938 Submarine Patrol Production Producer 59
Average
1938 Just Around the Corner Production Producer 58
Average
1938 Suez Production Producer 58
Average
1938 My Lucky Star Production Producer 58
Average
1938 Gateway Production Producer 59
Average
1938 Little Miss Broadway Production Producer 59
Average
1938 I'll Give a Million Production Producer 58
Average
1938 Always Goodbye Production Producer 59
Average
1938 Three Blind Mice Production Producer 59
Average
1938 Josette Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1938 Kentucky Moonshine Production Producer 59
Average
1938 In Old Chicago Production Producer 59
Average
1938 Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm Production Producer 59
Average
1938 Sally, Irene and Mary Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1938 International Settlement Production Producer 59
Average
1938 Happy Landing Production Producer 59
Average
1937 Love and Hisses Production Producer N/A
N/A
1937 Heidi Production Producer 60
Fair
1937 Lancer Spy Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1937 Wife, Doctor and Nurse Production Producer 58
Average
1937 Thin Ice Production Producer 59
Average
1937 Wake Up and Live Production Producer 58
Average
1937 Wee Willie Winkie Production Producer 59
Average
1937 Slave Ship Production Producer 58
Average
1937 Angel's Holiday Production Producer 59
Average
1937 This Is My Affair Production Production Manager 59
Average
1937 Seventh Heaven Production Producer 59
Average
1937 Nancy Steele Is Missing! Production Producer N/A
N/A
1937 Love Is News Production Executive In Charge Of Production 59
Average
1937 On the Avenue Production Producer 59
Average
1936 Banjo on My Knee Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1936 Lloyd's of London Production Production Manager 59
Average
1936 White Hunter Production Producer N/A
N/A
1936 Reunion Production Executive Producer N/A
N/A
1936 Pigskin Parade Production Producer 58
Average
1936 Ladies In Love Production Executive In Charge Of Production 59
Average
1936 Ramona Production Executive Producer 58
Average
1936 The Road to Glory Production Producer 58
Average
1936 Sing, Baby, Sing Production Producer 59
Average
1936 To Mary - with Love Production Producer 58
Average
1936 Poor Little Rich Girl Production Producer 59
Average
1936 White Fang Production Producer 59
Average
1936 Private Number Production Production Manager 59
Average
1936 Half Angel Production Producer N/A
N/A
1936 Under Two Flags Production Producer 59
Average
1936 The Country Beyond Production Producer N/A
N/A
1936 A Message to Garcia Production Producer 58
Average
1936 The Prisoner of Shark Island Production Producer 59
Average
1936 It Had to Happen Production Producer 59
Average
1935 Professional Soldier Production Producer 58
Average
1935 The Littlest Rebel Production Production Manager 59
Average
1935 Show Them No Mercy! Production Producer 59
Average
1935 The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo Production Producer 59
Average
1935 Thanks a Million Production Producer 59
Average
1935 Metropolitan Production Producer N/A
N/A
1935 Call of the Wild Production Producer 59
Average
1935 Les Misérables Production Producer 60
Fair
1935 Cardinal Richelieu Production Producer 59
Average
1935 Folies Bergère Production Producer 58
Average
1935 Clive of India Production Producer 58
Average
1934 The Mighty Barnum Production Producer 58
Average
1934 The Affairs of Cellini Production Producer 58
Average
1934 Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back Production Producer 58
Average
1934 Born to Be Bad Production Producer 59
Average
1934 The Last Gentleman Production Producer 58
Average
1934 The House of Rothschild Production Producer 59
Average
1934 Looking for Trouble Production Producer 59
Average
1934 Moulin Rouge Production Producer 59
Average
1933 Gallant Lady Production Producer 59
Average
1933 Advice to the Lovelorn Production Producer 59
Average
1933 Blood Money Production Producer 59
Average
1933 The Bowery Production Producer 58
Average
1933 Ex-Lady Production Producer 59
Average
1933 The Working Man Production Producer 59
Average
1933 Parachute Jumper Production Producer 59
Average
1932 20,000 Years in Sing Sing Production Producer 59
Average
1932 Three on a Match Production Producer 59
Average
1932 The Cabin in the Cotton Production Producer 59
Average
1932 Life Begins Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1932 Doctor X Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1932 The Dark Horse Production Producer 59
Average
1932 The Rich Are Always with Us Production Producer 58
Average
1932 The Man Who Played God Production Producer 59
Average
1931 Blonde Crazy Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1931 The Public Enemy Production Producer 64
Fair
1931 Illicit Production Producer 59
Average
1931 Little Caesar Production Producer 62
Fair
1930 The Doorway to Hell Production Executive Producer 59
Average
1930 Three Faces East Production Producer 58
Average
1929 Show of Shows Production Producer 58
Average
1929 On With the Show! Production Producer 58
Average
1928 Noah's Ark Production Associate Producer 59
Average
1928 The Singing Fool Production Producer 58
Average
1928 The Terror Production Producer 58
Average
1928 Lights of New York Production Production Supervisor 58
Average
1928 Tenderloin Production Producer N/A
N/A
1927 Old San Francisco Production Producer 59
Average
1927 The Desired Woman Production Associate Producer N/A
N/A
1927 The First Auto Production Producer 58
Average
1926 So This Is Paris Production Producer 59
Average
1925 Lady Windermere's Fan Production Producer 59
Average
1925 Eve's Lover Production Producer N/A
N/A

Crew
1950 No Way Out Crew Presenter 60
Fair
1947 I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now Crew Additional Writing 59
Average
1945 Leave Her to Heaven Crew Presenter 63
Fair