Samuel Goldwyn (1879–1974) was a Polish-born American movie producer and Hollywood businessman. He was recognized worldwide as one of the most significant individuals in the history of the motion picture industry. He made such commercially successful films as Wuthering Heights (1939,) The Best Years of Our Lives (1946,) Guys and Dolls (1955,) and Porgy and Bess (1959.)
Born Schmuel Gelbfisz in Warsaw, he changed his name to Samuel Goldfish and then Goldwyn. Gelbfisz immigrated to America at the age of thirteen. He had some orthodox Jewish education in Poland, and one year of night school at the Gloversville Business College.
Goldwyn began his career as a glovemaker’s trainee and rose to become a salesperson. He got into the up-and-coming film business with his brother-in-law Jesse Lasky and director Cecil B. DeMille. Their first film, Squaw Man (1914,) was very successful, and numerous films followed.
In 1917, Goldwyn formed the Goldwyn Company with Edgar Selwyn and, in 1924, merged it with Louis B. Mayer’s Metro pictures to create the media conglomerate Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM.)
Goldwyn was a shrewd businessman and brought the best talents together in Hollywood. He discovered many stars, including Tallulah Bankhead, Robert Montgomery, Gary Cooper, Teresa Wright, Ronald Colman, Rudolph Valentino, and Eddie Cantor.
Goldwyn is also famous for introducing Goldwynisms—catchphrases such as “Include me out” and “A verbal contract isn’t worth the paper it’s written on” to the English language.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Samuel Goldwyn
Too caustic? To hell with the cost. If it’s a good picture, we’ll make it anyway.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Acting
Television has raised writing to a new low.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Television
You’ve got to take the bitter with the sour.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Pessimism
If I look confused it is because I am thinking.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Thinking, Thought, Thoughts
Pictures are for entertainment, messages should be delivered by Western Union.
—Samuel Goldwyn
I read part of it all the way through.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Reading, Books
That’s the kind of ad I like: facts, facts, facts.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Facts, Advertising
A Hospital is no place to be sick.
—Samuel Goldwyn
I want everyone to tell me the truth, even if it costs him his job.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Jobs, Truth
Include me out.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Unity
I hate a man who always says “yes” to me. When I say “no” I like a man who also says “no.”
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Hollywood
A verbal contract isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Agreement
I think luck is the sense to recognize an opportunity and the ability to take advantage of it. Everyone has bad breaks, but everyone also has opportunities. The man who can smile at his breaks and grab his chances gets on.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Attitude, Luck, Opportunity, Opportunities
Never make forecasts, especially about the future.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Future
Why should people go out and pay money to see bad films when they can stay at home and see bad television for nothing?
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Television
No person who is enthusiastic about his work has anything to fear from life. All the opportunities in the world are waiting to be grasped by people who are in love with what they’re doing.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Enthusiasm, Opportunity
The most important thing in acting is honesty. Once you’ve learned to fake that, you’re in.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Acting
I think luck is the sense to recognize an opportunity and the ability to take advantage of it. The man who can smile at his breaks and grab his chances gets on.
—Samuel Goldwyn
From success you get a lot of things, but not that great inside thing that love brings you.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Success, Success & Failure
I’ll take fifty percent efficiency to get one hundred percent loyalty.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Loyalty
I had a monumental idea this morning, but I didn’t like it.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Ideas
That’s the trouble with directors. Always biting the hand that lays the golden egg.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Ingratitude, Gratitude
God makes stars. I just produce them.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Fame, Stars
Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist should have his head examined.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Psychiatry
If I could drop dead right now, I’d be the happiest man alive.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Happiness
Don’t pay any attention to the critics. Don’t even ignore them.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Courage, Critics, Criticism, Attention
You’ve got to take the bull between your teeth.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Difficulties
I don’t want any yes-men” around me. I want everybody to tell me the truth even if it costs them their jobs.”
—Samuel Goldwyn
If I look confused it’s because I’m thinking.
—Samuel Goldwyn
A wide screen just makes a bad film twice as bad.
—Samuel Goldwyn
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