David O. Selznick (1902–1965) was an American motion picture producer whose work consists of three short subjects, 67 feature films, and one television production made between 1923 and 1957. He was the producer of the 1939 epic Gone with the Wind.[1] Selznick was born in Pittsburgh and educated in public schools in Brooklyn and Manhattan.[2] He began working in the film industry in New York while in his teens as an assistant to his father, jeweler-turned-film producer Lewis J. Selznick.[3] In 1923, he began producing films himself, starting with two documentary shorts and then a minor feature, Roulette (1924).[4] Moving to Hollywood in 1926, Selznick became employed at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), where he produced two films before switching to Paramount in early 1928.[5] After helping to guide Paramount into the sound era, Selznick moved to RKO Radio in 1931 where he served as the studio's executive producer. During his time at RKO he oversaw the production of King Kong (1933) and helped to develop Katharine Hepburn and Myrna Loy into major film stars.[6]
Selznick liquidated his corporation in the early 1940s but returned to independent producing in 1943. His work from this period included two more Hitchcock films, Spellbound (1945) and The Paradine Case (1948) and several films starring Jennifer Jones, among them Since You Went Away (1944), Duel in the Sun (1946) and Portrait of Jennie (1948). Selznick ceased his independent productions in 1948. Beginning with Carol Reed's The Third Man (1949), he entered into a period of co-producing motion pictures with other filmmakers. In 1954, he made his sole venture into television with the production Light's Diamond Jubilee.[8] Selznick retired from filmmaking after producing an adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms (1957).
Selznick's productions were the recipients of numerous Academy Award nominations. Two of his films—Gone With the Wind and Rebecca—won Academy Awards for Best Picture.[9][10] Six other films that he produced—Viva Villa! (1934), David Copperfield (1935), A Tale of Two Cities (1935), A Star is Born (1937), Since You Went Away (1944), and Spellbound (1945)—were nominated for Best Picture.[10][11][12][13][14][15] As of 2013, four of the films Selznick produced have been added to the National Film Registry: King Kong (1933), The Prisoner of Zenda (1937), Gone With the Wind (1939), and The Third Man (1949).[16] For his work in motion pictures, Selznick received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[17]
"There are only two kinds of class: First class and no class."
The release dates, titles, and names of the directors for Selznick's films are derived from the filmographies presented in the books Memo From David O. Selznick by Rudy Behlmer and David O. Selznick's Hollywood by Ronald Haver. The quotes are derived from Behlmer's book.[19][20]
Early shorts
Selznick began working in the film industry while in his early teens. He was employed—after school hours—by his father, film producer Lewis J. Selznick, initially as head of publicity and advertising and later as a newsreelfilm editor. When the elder Selznick went bankrupt in 1923, young David took a job as a promoter for a two-reel short about prizefighterLuis Firpo. Afterwards he convinced the Mineralava Beauty Clay Company to produce a two-reel film of a beauty contest they were sponsoring with actor Rudolph Valentino as the judge.[3]
I become manager of the writer's department, then head of the writer's department, then assistant story editor, then associate story editor, then assistant stooge to Harry Rapf, and then finally was given my chance to make a Tim McCoy Western … I decided that … it would be just as easy to make two of them at a time as one.
In response to my question as to what will happen to Schulberg, he [Lasky] said, in effect, that they would be kicking him upstairs. … One of my rows with Paramount … was my insistence that no one man could possibly personally produce more than a few pictures per year.
In early 1928 Selznick accepted the position of assistant to producer B. P. Schulberg at Paramount Studios. The professional relationship between the two, however, eventually deteriorated after Schulberg went to Europe for several months in 1929. During his absence, studio head Jesse L. Lasky placed Selznick into Schulberg's position and decided to keep him there. Selznick remained with Paramount until his resignation in June 1931.
Selznick worked in a variety of jobs (i.e. supervisor, producer, associate producer, executive producer, or substantial contributor). The 13 films listed below were those whose production he was known to be heavily involved in.[24] Except where noted these films are all-talking.
I sold him [David Sarnoff, President of RCA, parent company at the time to RKO Radio and RKO Pathé] the idea of putting me in charge not only of production at RKO, but also his rival production unit, Pathé. In October 1931, I signed a contract to take over both and to merge them.[6] I stayed at RKO until my contract expired in 1933. My new contract … was about to be signed when "Deac" Aylesworth became head of the company. Aylesworth insisted upon the new but still unsigned contract being changed to the extent of giving him approval of everything connected with production. I refused to accept this.
In 1931 Selznick and director Lewis Milestone attempted to form their own production company. After several months, however, the two were unsuccessful in achieving financial backing. Milestone eventually accepted an offer to because head of production at United Artists while Selznick accepted a similar position at RKO Radio.[6]
As Vice-president in Charge of Production, Selznick was personally involved in the 22 RKO films listed here.[24]
After refusing to sign a new contract with RKO, Selznick returned to MGM in 1933, this time in the position as vice-president in charge of his own unit.[27] During the next two years he personally produced 11 features for the studio before departing to form his own production company.[28]
I simply had to fulfill my ambitions of starting my own company. It had always been an obsession of mine … that there be no interference with our work; that we must have authority.
In 1935 Selznick left MGM to form his own production company, Selznick International Pictures.[31] He also took over the operation of Pioneer Pictures, a production company designed to produce films in Technicolor and formed by his friend and ex-associate (at RKO) Merian C. Cooper.[30] Selznick International produced a total of 11 features, of which all but one were distributed by United Artists.[32]Gone with the Wind was released by MGM as part of a deal with Selznick in exchange for the loan of Clark Gable in the role of Rhett Butler.[33]
Following the highly successful releases of Gone With the Wind and Rebecca, Selznick began a three-year liquidation of Selznick International Pictures in order to draw profits for himself and his outside investors.[36] He developed and sold film projects to other producers and studios, and arranged loan outs of his contracted artists. Without outside backers he formed David O. Selznick Productions, Inc., which in 1941 became owner of one-fourth of United Artists.[37]
Selznick established a film production company, Vanguard Films (1943–1951).[38] The first three features for his new company were distributed by United Artists.[39] In 1946 Selznick broke with UA over the distribution of Duel in the Sun,[40] and founded his own distribution company, Selznick Releasing Organization.[41]
Final reeltinted and final shot in Technicolor Released by Selznick Releasing Organization
Final productions
I was tired … Additionally, it was crystal clear that the motion picture business was in for a terrible beating from television … My company financed itself with bank loans; and these loans, with interest, had been extended to a total of about $12,000,000 … as part of the plans for the liquidation of my company and its debts, we devised what has since become known as coproduction.
In 1949 Selznick closed down his production facilities and he greatly reduced the staff of Selznick Releasing Organization. He and Jennifer Jones began traveling in Europe and were married in July 1949.[45] For the remainder of his career he collaborated with other film producers and also made his sole venture into television.
U.S. release February 2, 1950 A British film co-produced by Selznick and Alexander Korda and distributed in the U.S. by Selznick Releasing Organization. Selznick also provided some minor re-editing for the U.S. release.[48]
U.S. release May 28, 1952 U.K. title Gone to Earth A British Lion production made in England, co-produced with Alexander Korda. Selznick supervised reshooting (by Rouben Mamoulian) of nearly one-third of the film for its U.S. release by RKO Radio under the title The Wild Heart.[49][50]
A two-hour television special celebrating the 75th anniversary of Thomas Edison's invention of the incandescent lamp; aired simultaneously on the ABC, CBS, DuMont, and NBC television networks
Of the 68 features that Selznick produced 22 received a total of 82 Academy Award nominations with 21 wins.[20] In addition to these Selznick himself was twice nominated for the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. He won the second of these two nominations.[53]
Notes: ^I For the Third Academy Awards no certificates of nomination were given out in this category, only the titles of the nominated films and their companies were listed. When the winners were revealed, only the names of the individuals involved with the winning achievements were announced.[54] ^II Named in third place.[53] ^III "For the color cinematography of the Selznick International Production, The Garden of Allah."[53] ^IV "For the color photography of A Star Is Born." (This award was recommended by a committee of leading cinematographers after viewing all the color pictures made during the year.)[53] ^V This is the only year that nominations were announced for the Thalberg award.[53] ^VI This was not an official nomination. The title was on a preliminary list of submissions/nominees from the studios from which the two official nominees (Stagecoach and Wuthering Heights) would be selected.[53] ^VII Awarded posthumously[53] ^VIII "For outstanding achievement in the use of color for the enhancement of dramatic mood in the production of Gone with the Wind."[53] ^VIX "For important contributions in cooperative development of new improved process Projection Equipment: F. R. Abbott, Haller Belt, Alan Cook and The Bausch & Lomb Optical Company For Faster Projection Lenses; The Mitchell Camera Company for a new type process Projection Head; Mole-Richardson Company for a new type automatically controlled projection arc lamp; Charles Handley, David Joy and the National Carbon Company for improved and more stable high-intensity carbons; Winton C. Hoch and the Technicolor Motion Picture Corp. for an auxiliary optical system; Don Musgrave and Selznick International Pictures, Inc. for pioneering in the use of coordinated equipment in the production, Gone with the Wind."[53]
