Post by teleadm on Aug 21, 2019 10:23:52 GMT
This years it's been 140 years since Szmuel Gelbfisz was born in Warsaw, Poland when it was part of The Russian Empire. He would grow up to be one of the most successful independent producers in Hollywood in the first part of the 20th century.
Unique among the independent producers, none of his movies has fallen into public domain, even if he ceased making movies in 1959, his comapny didn't stop functioning.
Famed for his relentless ambition, bad temper and genius for publicity, Samuel Goldwyn became Hollywood's leading "independent" producer, largely because none of his partners could tolerate him for long.
On 26 November 1898, Gelbfisz left Hamburg for Birmingham, England, where he remained with relatives for six weeks under the name Samuel Goldfish. On January 4, he sailed from Liverpool, arrived in Baltimore on 19 January 1899 and then came to New York in late January 1899. He found work in upstate Gloversville, New York in the bustling garment business.
Soon his innate marketing skills made him a very successful salesman at the Elite Glove Company.
In 1913, Goldish, along with his brother-in-law Jesse L. Lasky, Cecil B. DeMille, and Arthur Friend formed a partnership, The Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company, to produce feature-length motion pictures. Film rights for a stage play, The Squaw Man, were purchased for $4,000 and Dustin Farnum was hired for the leading role. Shooting for the first feature film made in Hollywood began on December 29, 1913.
In 1916, Goldfish partnered with Broadway producers Edgar and Archibald Selwyn, using a combination of both names to call their film-making enterprise Goldwyn Pictures. Seeing an opportunity, he 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).
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.
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 a 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 1946.
Throughout the 1930s, he 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. aged 94. His funeral was attended by many who "wanted to make sure that he was dead" (something that's been said about Harry Cohn's funeral too).
As of 2012, the distribution rights of Samuel Goldwyn films from the library were transferred to Warner Bros, with the exception of The Hurricane, which is now back with its original distributor, United Artists.
Here are some examples of the movies he produced:
The Dark Angel 1925, directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring Ronald Colman, Vilma Bánky, Wyndham Standing, Frank Elliott and others
Bulldog Drummond 1929, directed by F. Richard Jones and starring Ronald Colman, Claud Allister, Lawrence Grant, Montagu Love and others
Street Scene 1931, directed by King Vidor and starring Sylvia Sidney, William Collier Jr., Estelle Taylor, Beulah Bondi and others
Arrowsmith 1931 directed by John Ford and starring Ronald Colman, Helen Hayes, Richard Bennett, A.E. Anson and others
The Kid from Spain 1932, directed by Leo McCarey and starring Eddie Cantor, Lyda Roberti, Robert Young, Ruth Hall and others
These Three 1936, directed by William Wyler and starring Miriam Hopkins, Merle Oberon, Joel McCrea, Catherine Doucet and others
Dodsworth 1936, directed by William Wyler and starring Walter Huston, Ruth Chatterton, Paul Lukas, Mary Astor
and others
Stella Dallas 1937, directed by King Vidor and starring Barbara Stanwyck, John Boles, Anne Shirley, Barbara O'Neil and others
Dead End 1937, directed by William Wyler and starring Sylvia Sidney, Joel McCrea, Humphrey Bogart, Wendy Barrie
and others
The Hurricane 1937, directed by John Ford and starring Dorothy Lamour, Jon Hall, Mary Astor, C. Aubrey Smith and others
Wuthering Heights 1939, directed by William Wyler and starring Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier, David Niven, Flora Robson and others
The Westerner 1940, directed by William Wyler and starring Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan, Doris Davenport, Fred Stone and others
The Little Foxes 1941, directed by William Wyler and starring Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, Teresa Wright, Richard Carlson and others
Ball of Fire 1941, directed by Howard Hawks and starring Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Oskar Homolka, Henry Travers
and others
The Pride of the Yankees 1942, directed by Sam Wood and starring Gary Cooper, Teresa Wright, Babe Ruth, Walter Brennan and others
The Princess and the Pirate 1944, directed by David Butler and Sidney Lanfield and starring Bob Hope, Virginia Mayo, Walter Brennan, Walter Slezak and others
The Best Years of Our Lives 1946, directed by William Wyler and starring Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Fredric March, Teresa Wright and others
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty 1947, directed by Norman Z. McLeod and starring Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, Boris Karloff, Fay Bainter and others
The Bishop's Wife 1947, directed by Henry Koster and starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven, Monty Woolley and others
Enchantment 1948, directed by Irving Reis and starring David Niven, Teresa Wright, Evelyn Keyes, Farley Granger and others
My Foolish Heart 1949, directed by Mark Robson and starring Dana Andrews, Susan Hayward, Kent Smith, Lois Wheeler and others
Guys and Dolls 1955, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and starring Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra, Vivian Blaine and others
Porgy and Bess 1959, directed by Otto Preminger and starring Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge, Sammy Davis Jr., Pearl Bailey and others
...and around 110 others.
First published in 1989
Thanks for watching!
Thoughts, oppinions, lists, favorites, gossip or anything Samuel Goldwyn ar very welcome!
Unique among the independent producers, none of his movies has fallen into public domain, even if he ceased making movies in 1959, his comapny didn't stop functioning.
Famed for his relentless ambition, bad temper and genius for publicity, Samuel Goldwyn became Hollywood's leading "independent" producer, largely because none of his partners could tolerate him for long.
On 26 November 1898, Gelbfisz left Hamburg for Birmingham, England, where he remained with relatives for six weeks under the name Samuel Goldfish. On January 4, he sailed from Liverpool, arrived in Baltimore on 19 January 1899 and then came to New York in late January 1899. He found work in upstate Gloversville, New York in the bustling garment business.
Soon his innate marketing skills made him a very successful salesman at the Elite Glove Company.
In 1913, Goldish, along with his brother-in-law Jesse L. Lasky, Cecil B. DeMille, and Arthur Friend formed a partnership, The Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company, to produce feature-length motion pictures. Film rights for a stage play, The Squaw Man, were purchased for $4,000 and Dustin Farnum was hired for the leading role. Shooting for the first feature film made in Hollywood began on December 29, 1913.
In 1916, Goldfish partnered with Broadway producers Edgar and Archibald Selwyn, using a combination of both names to call their film-making enterprise Goldwyn Pictures. Seeing an opportunity, he 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).
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.
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 a 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 1946.
Throughout the 1930s, he 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. aged 94. His funeral was attended by many who "wanted to make sure that he was dead" (something that's been said about Harry Cohn's funeral too).
As of 2012, the distribution rights of Samuel Goldwyn films from the library were transferred to Warner Bros, with the exception of The Hurricane, which is now back with its original distributor, United Artists.
Here are some examples of the movies he produced:
The Dark Angel 1925, directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring Ronald Colman, Vilma Bánky, Wyndham Standing, Frank Elliott and others
Bulldog Drummond 1929, directed by F. Richard Jones and starring Ronald Colman, Claud Allister, Lawrence Grant, Montagu Love and others
Street Scene 1931, directed by King Vidor and starring Sylvia Sidney, William Collier Jr., Estelle Taylor, Beulah Bondi and others
Arrowsmith 1931 directed by John Ford and starring Ronald Colman, Helen Hayes, Richard Bennett, A.E. Anson and others
The Kid from Spain 1932, directed by Leo McCarey and starring Eddie Cantor, Lyda Roberti, Robert Young, Ruth Hall and others
These Three 1936, directed by William Wyler and starring Miriam Hopkins, Merle Oberon, Joel McCrea, Catherine Doucet and others
Dodsworth 1936, directed by William Wyler and starring Walter Huston, Ruth Chatterton, Paul Lukas, Mary Astor
and others
Stella Dallas 1937, directed by King Vidor and starring Barbara Stanwyck, John Boles, Anne Shirley, Barbara O'Neil and others
Dead End 1937, directed by William Wyler and starring Sylvia Sidney, Joel McCrea, Humphrey Bogart, Wendy Barrie
and others
The Hurricane 1937, directed by John Ford and starring Dorothy Lamour, Jon Hall, Mary Astor, C. Aubrey Smith and others
Wuthering Heights 1939, directed by William Wyler and starring Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier, David Niven, Flora Robson and others
The Westerner 1940, directed by William Wyler and starring Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan, Doris Davenport, Fred Stone and others
The Little Foxes 1941, directed by William Wyler and starring Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, Teresa Wright, Richard Carlson and others
Ball of Fire 1941, directed by Howard Hawks and starring Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Oskar Homolka, Henry Travers
and others
The Pride of the Yankees 1942, directed by Sam Wood and starring Gary Cooper, Teresa Wright, Babe Ruth, Walter Brennan and others
The Princess and the Pirate 1944, directed by David Butler and Sidney Lanfield and starring Bob Hope, Virginia Mayo, Walter Brennan, Walter Slezak and others
The Best Years of Our Lives 1946, directed by William Wyler and starring Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Fredric March, Teresa Wright and others
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty 1947, directed by Norman Z. McLeod and starring Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, Boris Karloff, Fay Bainter and others
The Bishop's Wife 1947, directed by Henry Koster and starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven, Monty Woolley and others
Enchantment 1948, directed by Irving Reis and starring David Niven, Teresa Wright, Evelyn Keyes, Farley Granger and others
My Foolish Heart 1949, directed by Mark Robson and starring Dana Andrews, Susan Hayward, Kent Smith, Lois Wheeler and others
Guys and Dolls 1955, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and starring Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra, Vivian Blaine and others
Porgy and Bess 1959, directed by Otto Preminger and starring Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge, Sammy Davis Jr., Pearl Bailey and others
...and around 110 others.
First published in 1989
Thanks for watching!
Thoughts, oppinions, lists, favorites, gossip or anything Samuel Goldwyn ar very welcome!
