Samuel Goldwyn Jr.

Samuel Goldwyn Jr.
Name	Samuel Goldwyn Jr.
Birth name	Samuel John Goldwyn
Birth date	7 September 1926
Birth place	Los Angeles
Death date	9 January 2015
Death place	Beverly Hills
Occupation	Film producer
Years active	1946–2015
Parents	Samuel Goldwyn and Frances Howard
Children	Tony Goldwyn, John Goldwyn, Peter Goldwyn

Samuel Goldwyn Jr. was an American film producer and studio executive whose career spanned the late Golden Age of Hollywood into the 21st century. He founded independent production companies and produced films distributed by major studios while maintaining links to families and institutions central to American cinema. Goldwyn Jr. was part of a dynastic film family and contributed to projects involving prominent directors, actors, and studios across decades.

Early life and education

Born in Los Angeles to producer Samuel Goldwyn and actress Frances Howard, Goldwyn Jr. grew up amid the Studio system and social circles including Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Samuel Goldwyn Productions, United Artists, RKO Radio Pictures, and personalities like Harpo Marx, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks. He attended John Burroughs High School before studying at University of Virginia and later at military academies connected to World War II veterans networks. His education placed him near institutions such as Harvard University alumni events, Yale University theatrical circles, and University of Southern California film studies alumni.

Career

Goldwyn Jr. launched his career in the postwar era working with companies associated with RKO Radio Pictures and distribution partners like Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and Universal Pictures. He founded The Samuel Goldwyn Company, producing films that were financed through independent investors and distributed by Orion Pictures, Miramax, Columbia Pictures, and MGM. His productions involved collaborations with directors such as John Huston, Elia Kazan, Sidney Lumet, Alan J. Pakula, and Richard Attenborough. Goldwyn Jr. negotiated rights and deals with studios and talent represented by agencies like Creative Artists Agency, William Morris Agency, and ICM Partners, and worked with producers and executives including David O. Selznick, Lew Wasserman, Sidney Poitier, and Robert Evans.

His companies acquired literary properties from publishers such as Simon & Schuster, Random House, and Penguin Books and adapted works by authors like Graham Greene, Tennessee Williams, Gore Vidal, and John Steinbeck. Goldwyn Jr. produced films featuring actors including Meryl Streep, Dustin Hoffman, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, Jodie Foster, and Cate Blanchett. He navigated changing distribution landscapes involving Netflix, Hulu, and theatrical chains like AMC Theatres while engaging with film festivals such as Cannes Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, and Toronto International Film Festival.

Filmography

Goldwyn Jr.'s credits span genres and decades, with releases distributed by major and independent companies including United Artists, Orion Pictures, Miramax, and Sony Pictures Classics. Notable productions and associated collaborators include: - Films produced with directors John Schlesinger, Sydney Pollack, Daniel Petrie, and Norman Jewison, featuring performers like Paul Scofield and Glenda Jackson. - Adaptations of works by Christopher Isherwood and Graham Greene, with screenplays by writers such as William Goldman and Harold Pinter. - Releases that premiered at Cannes Film Festival and won awards at the Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and BAFTA Awards honoring contributors like Federico Fellini and Akira Kurosawa. (For a complete filmography, consult studio catalogs and archival holdings at institutions including the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Library of Congress.)

Personal life

Goldwyn Jr. married and raised a family connected to film and television: his children include actor-producer Tony Goldwyn, studio executive John Goldwyn, and producer Peter Goldwyn. He was part of a network including relatives and acquaintances such as Samuel Goldwyn Sr.'s peers Samuel Bronston, David O. Selznick, and social figures like Carol Lombard and Greta Garbo. Goldwyn Jr. maintained residences in Beverly Hills, engaged with cultural institutions like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and supported theaters such as Geffen Playhouse and Ahmanson Theatre.

Philanthropy and legacy

Goldwyn Jr. and his family contributed to philanthropic and cultural organizations including the Samuel Goldwyn Foundation, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, American Film Institute, Film Society of Lincoln Center, and educational institutions such as University of California, Los Angeles and University of Southern California. His legacy is preserved through archives at the Academy Film Archive, donations to the Library of Congress, and endowments supporting programs at Harvard University and the Juilliard School. Tributes and retrospectives of his work have been organized by institutions like Film at Lincoln Center and the British Film Institute.

Death and tributes

Goldwyn Jr. died in Beverly Hills in January 2015. His passing prompted obituaries and tributes from media outlets and organizations including the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, American Film Institute, Cannes Film Festival, Sundance Institute, and peers such as Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, and Clint Eastwood. Memorial services were attended by family and colleagues from studios and agencies including Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Category:American film producers Category:1926 births Category:2015 deaths