Goldwyn, Samuel (1882-1974), was one of the first and most successful American motion-picture producers. Such stars as Gary Cooper, Danny Kaye, Merle Oberon, and Lucille Ball gained fame in Goldwyn movies. His best-known films include Dead End (1937), Wuthering Heights (1939), The Little Foxes (1941), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), and Guys and Dolls (1955).
Goldwyn was born in Warsaw, Poland. His given and family name was Samuel Goldfish. At 13, he traveled alone to the United States. He helped produce Hollywood’s first full-length film, The Squaw Man, in 1913. In 1917, he and the Selwyn brothers, two Broadway producers, formed Goldwyn Pictures. He soon changed his name to Goldwyn. In 1922, the company merged with Metro Pictures to form Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Goldwyn left MGM, and in 1923, formed Samuel Goldwyn Productions.
