David O. Selznick

Known For: Production
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: May 10, 1902
Day of Death: June 22, 1965 (63 years old)
Place of Birth: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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.
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Executive Producer
King Kong

Producer
Christopher Strong

Producer
Our Betters

Producer
Dinner at Eight

Executive Producer
Scarlet River

Executive Producer
The Cheyenne Kid

Executive Producer
Lucky Devils

Producer
The Great Jasper

Producer
Topaze

Producer
Sweepings

Executive Producer
The Past of Mary Holmes

Producer
Cross Fire

Executive Producer
Dancing Lady

Executive Producer
Night Flight

Producer
Meet the Baron
1932

Executive Producer
The Age of Consent

Executive Producer
The Most Dangerous Game

Executive Producer
Symphony of Six Million

Executive Producer
The Half-Naked Truth

Executive Producer
Roar of the Dragon

Executive Producer
The Sport Parade

Executive Producer
Rockabye

Executive Producer
Young Bride

Executive Producer
The Roadhouse Murder

Executive Producer
The Conquerors

Executive Producer
The Phantom of Crestwood

Executive Producer
What Price Hollywood?

Executive Producer
Bird of Paradise

Executive Producer
The Lost Squadron

Producer
The Animal Kingdom

Executive Producer
Thirteen Women

Executive Producer
A Bill of Divorcement

Executive Producer
State's Attorney

Executive Producer
Is My Face Red?

Executive Producer
Hold 'Em Jail

Executive Producer
Hell's Highway

Executive Producer
Renegades of the West

Executive Producer
The Penguin Pool Murder

Executive Producer
Westward Passage