Overview (4)

Mini Bio (1)

Spouse (2)

Trivia (17)



When he emigrated to the US, an Immigration Service clerk changed his last name from "Gelbfisz" to what he thought was its English translation, "Goldfish". Sam changed it to Goldwyn when he went into partnership with producer Edgar Selwyn , combining the first syllable of "Goldfish" with the last syllable of "Selwyn". He originally wanted to do the opposite, until someone pointed out that it would result in his new name being "Selfish".



In 2002 he was portrayed on Broadway in "Alan King as Mr. Goldwyn" by actor/comedian/producer Alan King . Play focuses on Goldwyn in the early 1950s when he is making Hans Christian Andersen und die Tänzerin (1952).

His sayings, sometimes known as "Goldwynisms," were famous for their unintentional wit, which was partially as a result of his somewhat limited understanding of the English language that surfaced when he tried to comment on certain situations. There are many examples of this, such as "Include me out" or "a verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on.".





At one time he was scheduled to appear as the "Mystery Guest" on the TV game show What's My Line? (1950), in which panelists are blindfolded and have to guess who the Mystery Guest is. The show's rules required that panelists who found out the Mystery Guest's identity before he or she appeared on the show had to disqualify themselves. A few days before his scheduled appearance, Goldwyn ran into panelist Dorothy Kilgallen in a restaurant and said, "Guess what, Dorothy? I'm going to be on your show Sunday night!" She told him that since she now knew he would be the Mystery Guest, she'd have to disqualify herself. A few days later Goldwyn ran into Bennett Cerf , also a panelist on the show, and said, "Guess what, Bennett? I did a really dumb thing the other day and told Dorothy that I'm going to be on your show Sunday night!" Cerf also was forced to disqualify himself, resulting in the only double disqualification in the show's history.



In 1917 he merged his production company with All-Star Feature Films Corp., owned by brothers Edgar Selwyn and Archibald Selwyn , creating the Goldwyn Pictures Corp. The symbol of the new company was a reclining lion, surrounded by a banner made from a strip of celluloid film with the words "Ars Gratia Artis" ("Art for Art's Sake") at the top, which was designed by Howard Dietz . The trademark adorned the front gate of the studio's Culver City, CA, production facilities, which ranked with the finest in Hollywood (the inspiration for the original "Leo the Lion" likely were the stone lions at the New York Public Library on 44th St., which was across from the All-Star Feature Corp.'s offices). Goldfish liked the name of the new studio so much that he renamed himself Samuel Goldwyn. He was forced out of the company in 1922. It was merged with Loew's Inc.'s Metro Pictures in 1924 through a stock swap, creating Metro-Goldwyn, which subsequently merged with Louis B. Mayer Productions, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was born--even though Goldwyn himself had nothing to do with the company that bore his name (he tried legal action to prevent the new company from using it, but lost). Goldwyn, who had also been ousted from an earlier company he had owned, did not get along well with partners and remained an independent producer for the rest of his career.



Was forced out of Famous Players-Lasky on 9/14/16, and incorporated Goldwyn Pictures with brothers Edgar Selwyn and Archibald Selwyn two months later on 11/19/16. At that point in his career he needed the highly respected Selwyns, who were successful Broadway producers and owned a library of filmable plays. The Selwyns went into business with him because he had Mabel Normand , the biggest star in the movies, under contract. He had signed her to a personal contract on 9/15/16, two days after resigning from Famous Players-Lasky. The contract was set to kick in after her contract with Mack Sennett expired in 1917. Normand had been voted the top movie comedienne in a July 1916 "Motion Pictures Magazine" readers' poll, and going into business with him gave the Selwyns access to her; without her, he would probably not have been able to convince them to go into business with him. By partnering with him, they gained access to some of the finest production facilities in Hollywood and one of the top female stars.

Formed Goldwyn Distributing Corp., 1917.



Formed Goldwyn Pictures Corp., 1917.



Formed Goldwyn Producing Corp., 1916.





Wife Frances Howard would often travel to New York City scouting Broadway productions, looking for talent in both the production's acting areas and the creative teams. On a trip to see "Lady in The Dark" she discovered Danny Kaye , and upon returning to Hollywood insisted to her husband that he put Kaye under contract. After Kaye arrived in Hollywood, several screen tests were made to determine the best possible path for his future in the film business. The major problem with his physical look was his natural brown hair. Frances, upon seeing these test screenings, dictated to her husband that "they had to change his hair color!" and said to change him to a redhead. Goldwyn's press agent, however, always insisted that Kaye's strawberry-red hair was his natural color.

Inducted into the United States Croquet Hall of Fame in 1979.



Personal Quotes (70)

Pictures are for entertainment, messages should be delivered by Western Union.



A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on.



In two words: im-possible.



My wife's hands are very beautiful. I'm going to have a bust made of them.



Include me out.



Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist should have his head examined.



When you're a star, you have to take the bitter with the sour.



If you can't give me your word of honor, will you give me your promise?



What we need now is some new, fresh clichés.





[on his longtime friend and partner, Louis B. Mayer ] The reason so many people turned up at his funeral is this: they wanted to make sure he was dead.

Every director bites the hand that lays the golden egg.



Too caustic? To hell with the costs, we'll make the picture anyway.



A wide screen just makes a bad film twice as bad.



Flashbacks are a thing of the past.



A hospital is no place to be sick.



I don't care if my pictures never make a dime, so long as everyone keeps coming to see them.



I'll give you a definite maybe.



I read part of it all the way through.



This new atom bomb is dynamite.



You've got to take the bull by the teeth.



Don't talk to me while I'm interrupting.



Our comedies are not to be laughed at.



Tell me, how did you love my picture?



I never liked you, and I always will.



Don't pay any attention to the critics; don't even ignore them.



If I could drop dead right now, I'd be the happiest man alive!



I never put on a pair of shoes until I've worn them five years.



The scene is dull. Tell him to put more life into his dying.



I was always an independent producer, even when I had partners.



Go see it and see for yourself why you shouldn't see it.



I'd hire the devil himself if he'd write me a good story.



A producer shouldn't get ulcers; he should give them.



For your information, I would like to ask a question.



I may not be always right, but I'm never wrong.



This makes me so sore it gets my dandruff up.



When I want your opinion, I'll give it to you.



A bachelor's life is no life for a single man.



It's more than magnificent; it's mediocre.





[on Fredric March ] I'm overpaying him, but he's worth it.

Color television! Bah, I won't believe it until I see it in black and white.



When everybody's happy with the rushes, the picture's always a stinker.



We'd do anything for each other; we'd even cut each other's throats for each other.



We want a story that starts out with an earthquake and works its way up to a climax.



Why should people go out and pay to see bad movies when they can stay at home and see bad television for nothing?





[upon visiting the set of Sackgasse (1937), a film about life amid the grinding poverty of a New York City slum] Why do directors always try to make slums so dirty? Clean it up.

. . . We've all passed a lot of water since then.



Never make forecasts, especially about the future.



I don't think anyone should write his autobiography until after he's dead.





[on William Wyler 's films] I made them -- Willy only directed then.



[on Mary Pickford ] It took longer to make one of Mary's contracts than it did to make one of Mary's pictures.



[on Charles Chaplin ] Charlie Chaplin is a great artist. I don't agree with many of the things he says and does, but he's the greatest artist our motion picture business has ever had and I'd make a picture with him tomorrow if he wanted to.

[when told by a director that the character Goldwyn wanted to cut out of a picture to save money was actually the main villain, and without him there would be no story] Well, it's a great man who can say he's always wrong.



Motion pictures should never embarrass a man when he brings his wife to the theatre.



The picture makers will inherit the earth.



In this business it's dog eat dog, and nobody's going to eat me.



I am a rebel. I make a picture to please me. If it pleases me, there is a chance it will please others. But it has to please me first.



Actors think with their hearts. That's why so many of them die broke.



It's a mistake to remake a great picture because you can never make it better. Better you should find a picture that was done badly and see what can be done to improve it.



When someone does something good, applaud! You will make two people happy.



I don't want any yes-men around me. I want everyone to tell me the truth - even though it costs him his job.



]when asked by his secretary if she should destroy all files that were over ten years old] Yes, but keep copies.



Let's have some new clichés.



We have that Indian scene. We can get the Indians from the reservoir.



[on the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans] Even if they had it in the streets, I wouldn't go.



True, I've been a long time making up my mind, but now I'm giving you a definite answer. I won't say yes, and I won't say no -- but I'm giving you a definite maybe.



I want to make a picture about the Russian secret police--the GOP.



Modern dancing is old fashioned.



Keep a stiff upper chin.



The trouble with this business is the dearth of bad pictures.



Don't worry about the war. It's all over but the shooting.

