Samuel Goldwyn Jr. was born on August 12, 1926, in Los Angeles, California, the only child of Hollywood mogul Samuel Goldwyn and his wife, Frances. His parents divorced when he was four, and he was raised by his mother and her second husband, George Marshall. Goldwyn Jr. attended Stanford University, where he majored in English and edited the student newspaper. He left Stanford in his junior year to join the U.S. Army Air Forces, serving as a navigator during World War II.
After the war, Goldwyn Jr. returned to Hollywood and began working for his father’s studio, Goldwyn Pictures. He eventually became the studio’s vice president in charge of production. In 1955, Goldwyn Pictures was absorbed into Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), and Goldwyn Jr. became an MGM executive. He left MGM in 1959 to form his own production company, Samuel Goldwyn Productions.
Goldwyn Jr. produced a number of successful films, including “The Devil’s Brigade” (1968), “The Liberation of L.B. Jones” (1970), and “The Sunshine Boys” (1975). He also served as the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1967 to 1970. In 1984, Goldwyn Jr. was presented with the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award by the Academy.
Goldwyn Jr. married actress Jennifer Howard in 1950. The couple had three children: Tony, John, and Catherine. They divorced in 1968. Goldwyn Jr. married actress Peggy Lee in 1969. The couple had one child, Christopher, before divorcing in 1981. Goldwyn Jr.’s third wife was actress Barbara Hershey, with whom he had one child, Joshua, before they divorced in 1996.
Goldwyn Jr.’s net worth is estimated to be $50 million. He has been nominated for four Academy Awards and has won one Golden Globe Award.
General Info
Full Name
Samuel Goldwyn Jr.
Date Of Birth
September 7, 1926
Died
January 9, 2015, Los Angeles, California, United States
Profession
Television producer, Film producer, Film director, Businessperson
Education
University of Virginia
Nationality
American
Family
Spouse
Peggy Elliott, Jennifer Howard
Children
Tony Goldwyn, John Goldwyn, Francis Goldwyn
Parents
Samuel Goldwyn, Frances Howard
Siblings
Ruth Capps
Accomplishments
Nominations
Academy Award for Best Picture, BAFTA Award for Best Film, Producers Guild of America Award for Best Theatrical Motion Picture
Movies
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Cotton Comes to Harlem, The Young Lovers, The Preacher's Wife, Man with the Gun, The Sharkfighters, Come Back, Charleston Blue, The Proud Rebel, The Program, Fatal Beauty, Stella, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Wh...
[on the film business] I love it. If you don't love this business, don't go near it. Don't go near it to get rich. And just remember, if you're right 51 percent of the time in this business, you're a genius.
2
[on his father Samuel Goldwyn] With every picture he made, my father raised the money, paid back the bank, and kept control of the negative. He said, you be careful of these films: some people will tell you they're not worth anything, but don't you believe it.
Following military service, moved to England as associate producer for J.Arthur Rank. He rejoined the army in 1950, producing and directing documentaries for the staff of General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Subsequently worked for Edward R. Murrow at CBS News.
3
Attended the University of Virginia.
4
Launched his own production company, Formosa Productions, in 1955.
Half-brother of Ruth Capps, both the children of Samuel Goldwyn, Ruth from his first marriage to Blanche Lasky, Samuel Jr. from his second marriage to Frances Howard.
7
Member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Producers Branch) [1999-2002]
