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.
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The harder I work, the luckier I get.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Work, Luck
When someone does something good, applaud! You will make two people happy.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Happiness, Praise
Never make forecasts, especially about the future.
—Samuel Goldwyn
Topics: Future
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
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
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: Opportunity, Attitude, Opportunities, Luck
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