Samuel Goldwyn

Samuel Goldwyn (born Samuel Gelbfisz, August 17, 1879 in Warsaw, Poland, died January 31, 1974) started producing movies in Hollywood in 1913, founded Goldwyn Pictures in 1916, with its “Leo the Lion” trademark, that merged into MGM, Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer, in 1924. In 1923 he founded Samuel Goldwyn Productions, produced many films directed by William Wyler: Dodsworth (1936) with Walter Huston, Wuthering Heights (1939) with Laurence Olivier, The Little Foxes (1941) with Bette Davis, and the Golden Globe Best Picture winner The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). Golden Globes also went to Guys and Dolls (1956), Porgy and Bess (1960). The HFPA named a Samuel Goldwyn International Film Award after him that was handed out from 1959 to 1964.