Samuel Goldwyn

Born in Warsaw in July 1879 as Szmuel Gelbfisz, he emigrated first to London and then to the United States, where he worked in the glove business before moving into the young film industry. After changing his name to Samuel Goldwyn, he became one of the key figures in American moviemaking.

Goldwyn played a part in the creation of Goldwyn Pictures, and his name lived on in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, even though he was no longer with the company by the time MGM was formed. He later became famous as an independent producer, backing films that combined prestige with popular appeal and helping establish the idea that a producer could be a star in his own right.

Over the course of his long career, he was associated with acclaimed films including Wuthering Heights, The Little Foxes, and The Best Years of Our Lives. He died on January 31, 1974, in Los Angeles, leaving behind a legacy closely tied to the rise of Hollywood itself.