Hollywood legend Samuel Goldwyn was born Schmuel Gelbfisz in 1879 in Warsaw, Poland. A devoted film producer with his own ideas, Samuel preferred to work on his own terms, which included the practice of hiring the finest writers, directors, actors, and cinematographers.

Orphaned as a child, Samuel trained as a glovemaker in Hamburg, Germany, and then traveled to England, where he was known as Samuel Goldfish. In 1898, he emigrated to Gloversville, New York, USA, and returned to the glove industry, sweeping floors in a factory. Working his way up, and with a talent for sales and marketing, Samuel became a successful glove salesman for the Elite Glove Company.

In 1913, Samuel partnered with his brother-in-law, vaudeville producer Jesse Lasky, to create the Jesse Lasky Feature Play Company. That year, they produced Hollywood’s first feature-length film with a then-unknown director by the name of Cecil B. DeMille, called The Squaw Man. Three years later, they merged with Adolph Zukor’s Famous Players Film Company to become the Famous Players–Lasky company, with Samuel serving as chairman of the board.

Samuel decided to go his own way in 1917. He formed the Goldwyn Pictures Company in partnership with Broadway producers Edgar and Archibald Selwyn. The company created the famous “Leo the Lion” trademark, which is still used by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) today.

  • 1879

    Born (Poland)

  • 1898

    Emigrates to Gloversville, New York, USA

  • 1902

    Becomes a naturalized U.S. citizen

  • 1917

    The Jesse Lasky Play Company merges with Adolph Zukor’s Famous Players Film Company to become the Famous Players–Lasky Company

  • 1924

    His company is purchased and becomes part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

  • 1946

    Receives the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (also known as the Oscars)

  • 1990

    Inducted into the Global Business Hall of Fame

“I think luck is the sense to recognize an opportunity and the ability to take advantage of it… The man who can smile at his breaks and grab his chances gets on.”
— Samuel Goldwyn

His reputation grew, and in 1924, Goldwyn Pictures Company was incorporated into Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Though “Goldwyn” was included in the new company name, Samuel never actually worked for MGM in either management or production. His name, however, was synonymous with great films, and so it remained.

The acquisition of his company didn’t launch Samuel into retirement, however. From 1924–1940, Samuel worked as an independent film producer through his new company, Samuel Goldwyn Productions. He focused exclusively on film production, leaving film distribution to United Artists Corporation and other companies. During this time, Samuel reigned as Hollywood’s most successful independent producer, culminating in a 1931 Best Picture Academy Award for Arrowsmith.

Samuel continued to produce films for several decades, including Dodsworth (1936), Wuthering Heights (1939), and The Little Foxes (1941). He was also known for creating purely cinematic films, including The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), and musicals such as Guys and Dolls (1955) and Porgy and Bess (1959). 

In 1946, Samuel received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , commonly known as the Oscars.

A Global Force for Good

Though Samuel Goldwyn played a vital role in the formation of two of the largest Hollywood studios in history—Paramount and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer—he was a advocate for independent producers. He fought hard to bring down studio monopolies, and set a high standard for independent productions. His Goldwyn model, in which a single creative producer oversees small units and only creates several top-quality films per year, resonated with many producers who went on to become big names, including David O. Selznick and Walt Disney, and remains in use in Hollywood today.