David O. Selznick

Personal Info

Known For Producer

Gender Male

Birthday 1902-05-10

Deathday 1965-06-22 (63 years old)

Place of Birth Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Also Known As Oliver Jeffries, David Selznick

David O. Selznick

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia David O. Selznick (May 10, 1902 – June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive. He is best known for producing Gone with the Wind (1939) and Rebecca (1940), both earning him an Academy Award for Best Picture. In 1926, Selznick moved to Hollywood, and with the help of his father's connections, he got a job as an assistant story editor at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He left MGM for Paramount Pictures in 1928, where he worked until 1931, when he joined RKO as Head of Production. His years at RKO were fruitful, and he worked on many films, including A Bill of Divorcement (1932), What Price Hollywood? (1932), Rockabye (1932), Bird of Paradise (1932), Our Betters (1933), and King Kong (1933). While at RKO, he also gave George Cukor his directing break. In 1933 he returned to MGM where his father-in-law, Louis B. Mayer, was studio CEO. Mayer established a second prestige production unit for David, parallel to that of powerful Irving Thalberg, who was in poor health. Selznick's unit output included the all star cast movie Dinner at Eight (1933), David Copperfield (1935), Anna Karenina (1935), and A Tale of Two Cities (1935). Selznick went on to make more films at MGM, Paramount and RKO, but he wanted more independence and formed Selznick International Pictures in 1935. Here he produced classics such as Gone with the Wind. Gone with the Wind overshadowed the rest of Selznick's career. Later, he was convinced that he had wasted his life trying to outdo it. The closest he came to matching the film was with Duel in the Sun (1946) featuring future wife Jennifer Jones in the role of the primary character Pearl. With a huge budget, the film is known for causing moral upheaval because of the then risqué script written by Selznick. And though it was a troublesome shoot with a number of directors, the film would be a major success. The film was the second highest-grossing film of 1947 and was the first movie that Martin Scorsese saw, inspiring Scorsese's own directorial career.

Known For

Producer

1957
A Farewell to Arms

as Producer

1953
Indiscretion of an American Wife

as Executive Producer

1950
Gone to Earth

as Producer

1949
The Third Man

as Executive Producer

1948
Portrait of Jennie

as Producer

1947
The Paradine Case

as Producer

1946
Duel in the Sun

as Producer

1945
Spellbound

as Producer

1944
1944
1940
Rebecca

as Producer

1939
Gone with the Wind

as Producer

1939
1939
1938
The Young in Heart

as Producer

1937
A Star Is Born

as Producer

1937
1937
Nothing Sacred

as Producer

1936
1936
1935
David Copperfield

as Producer

1935
1935
Reckless

as Producer

1935
Anna Karenina

as Producer

1934
Viva Villa!

as Producer

1934
1933
King Kong

as Executive Producer

1933
Christopher Strong

as Producer

1933
Our Betters

as Producer

1933
Dinner at Eight

as Producer

1933
Scarlet River

as Executive Producer

1933
The Cheyenne Kid

as Executive Producer

1933
Lucky Devils

as Executive Producer

1933
The Great Jasper

as Producer

1933
Topaze

as Producer

1933
Sweepings

as Producer

1933
The Past of Mary Holmes

as Executive Producer

1933
Cross Fire

as Producer

1933
Dancing Lady

as Executive Producer

1933
Night Flight

as Executive Producer

1933
Meet the Baron

as Producer

1932
The Age of Consent

as Executive Producer

1932
The Most Dangerous Game

as Executive Producer

1932
Symphony of Six Million

as Executive Producer

1932
The Half-Naked Truth

as Executive Producer

1932
Roar of the Dragon

as Executive Producer

1932
The Sport Parade

as Executive Producer

1932
Rockabye

as Executive Producer

1932
Young Bride

as Executive Producer

1932
The Roadhouse Murder

as Executive Producer

1932
The Conquerors

as Executive Producer

1932
The Phantom of Crestwood

as Executive Producer

1932
What Price Hollywood?

as Executive Producer

1932
Bird of Paradise

as Executive Producer

1932
The Lost Squadron

as Executive Producer

1932
The Animal Kingdom

as Producer

1932
Thirteen Women

as Executive Producer

1932
A Bill of Divorcement

as Executive Producer

1932
State's Attorney

as Executive Producer

1932
Is My Face Red?

as Executive Producer

1932
Hold 'Em Jail

as Executive Producer

1932
Hell's Highway

as Executive Producer

1932
Renegades of the West

as Executive Producer

1932
Penguin Pool Murder

as Executive Producer

1932
Westward Passage

as Executive Producer

1930
Street of Chance

as Producer

1929
Chinatown Nights

as Associate Producer

1929
The Dance of Life

as Associate Producer

1929
The Man I Love

as Producer

1929
The Four Feathers

as Associate Producer

1924
Roulette

as Producer

1919
The Glorious Lady

as Producer

Actor

2009
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

as Self (archive footage)

1999
1996
Ingrid Bergman Remembered

as Self (archive footage)

1988
1983
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

1972
Hollywood: The Dream Factory

as Self (archive footage)

1961
Hollywood: The Selznick Years

as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

1953
The Oscars

as Self

Writer

1947
The Paradine Case

as Screenplay

1946
Duel in the Sun

as Screenplay

1944
Since You Went Away

as Screenplay

1937
A Star Is Born

as Writer

1935
Reckless

as Story

Editor

1928
Forgotten Faces

as Editor

Crew

1944
Gaslight

as Thanks