Samuel Goldwyn Jr.(1926-2015)
- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Director
Samuel Goldwyn Jr. was an accomplished American film producer and a foundational champion of the independent film movement. The son of legendary Hollywood mogul Samuel Goldwyn and actress Frances Howard, he chose to forge his own distinct path in the industry. After serving in the United States Army during World War II, he worked in theatrical production in London and CBS News in New York before diving fully into film production.
He founded several highly successful independent entities, including the Samuel Goldwyn Company and Samuel Goldwyn Films. Through these companies, he focused heavily on bringing sophisticated, low-budget, and independent art-house cinema to mainstream audiences. He famously gave Julia Roberts her major breakout role in the comedy-drama Mystic Pizza (1988) and introduced audiences to an early-career Jim Carrey in Once Bitten (1985).
Goldwyn Jr.’s extensive producing credits include the critically acclaimed The Madness of King George (1994) and the Oscar-nominated epic Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003). His final film project was the 2013 remake of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, a passionate nod to the original 1947 version produced by his father. He passed away in Los Angeles in January 2015, leaving behind a rich cinematic legacy carried on by his sons, actor Tony Goldwyn and studio executive John Goldwyn.
He founded several highly successful independent entities, including the Samuel Goldwyn Company and Samuel Goldwyn Films. Through these companies, he focused heavily on bringing sophisticated, low-budget, and independent art-house cinema to mainstream audiences. He famously gave Julia Roberts her major breakout role in the comedy-drama Mystic Pizza (1988) and introduced audiences to an early-career Jim Carrey in Once Bitten (1985).
Goldwyn Jr.’s extensive producing credits include the critically acclaimed The Madness of King George (1994) and the Oscar-nominated epic Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003). His final film project was the 2013 remake of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, a passionate nod to the original 1947 version produced by his father. He passed away in Los Angeles in January 2015, leaving behind a rich cinematic legacy carried on by his sons, actor Tony Goldwyn and studio executive John Goldwyn.
