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David O. Selznick 1902 - 1965

David O. Selznick of California United States was born on May 10, 1902 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, PA, and died at age 63 years old in June 1965 at Hollywood in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA. David Selznick was buried at Forest Lawn 1712 S Glendale Ave, in Glendale.

David O. Selznick

California United States

May 10, 1902

Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States

June 1965

Hollywood in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States

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David O. Selznick David Selznick (1902 - 1965)

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David O. Selznick's History: 1902 - 1965

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Introduction

David O. Selznick was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive. He is best known for producing Gone with the Wind and Rebecca, both earned him an Academy Award for Best Picture. Born: May 10, 1902, Pittsburgh, PA Died: June 22, 1965, Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA Books: Memo from David O. Selznick: The Creation of "Gone with the Wind" and Other Motion Picture Classics, as Revealed in the Producer's Private Letters, Telegrams, Memorandums, and Autobiographical Remarks. Children: Mary Jennifer Selznick, Daniel Selznick, Geoffrey Selznick Parents: Lewis J. Selznick, Florence Sachs Siblings: Myron Selznick, Howard Selznick
05/10

1902

Birthday

May 10, 1902

Birthdate

Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania United States

Birthplace

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Professional Career

Producer: Gone with the Wind and Rebecca.
Personal Life & Family

David O. Selznick Born May 10, 1902 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Died June 22, 1965 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA (heart attack) Birth Name David Selznick Height 6' 1" David O. Selznick was a son of the silent movie producer Lewis J. Selznick. David studied at Columbia University until his father lost his fortune in the 1920s. David started work as an MGM script reader, shortly followed by becoming an assistant to Harry Rapf. He left MGM to work at Paramount then RKO. He was back at MGM in 1933 after marrying Irene Mayer Selznick the daughter of Louis B. Mayer. In 1936, he finally set up his own production company, Selznick International. Three directors and fifteen scriptwriters later, Gone with the Wind (1939) was released. Family (2) Spouse Jennifer Jones (13 July 1949 - 22 June 1965) (his death) (1 child) Irene Mayer Selznick (29 April 1930 - 21 January 1949) (divorced) (2 children) Trade Mark His ubiquitous memos. Son of producer Lewis J. Selznick. Younger brother of agent Myron Selznick. David and Irene Mayer Selznick had two sons, L. Jeffrey Selznick and Daniel Selznick. On May 11, 1976, Selznick's 22-year-old daughter Mary Jennifer (by his second wife Jennifer Jones) killed herself by jumping from the tallest building in Westwood (Los Angeles) while her psychotherapist was away on vacation. It was two days after Mother's Day and one day after what would have been her father's 74th birthday. Jennifer Jones subsequently became a therapist herself. He abandoned his career at MGM after marrying Irene Mayer Selznick, the daughter of MGM studio chief Louis B. Mayer, and moved to RKO. He eventually returned to MGM after that studio's loss of production genius Irving Thalberg. This led to the famous observation that "The son-in-law also rises", a play on words of the Ernest Hemingway novel "The Sun Also Rises". Despite being considerably taller and bulkier than director George Cukor, Selznick bore a striking resemblance to him. He would later collaborate with Cukor on Gone with the Wind (1939), from which Cukor was eventually fired by Selznick. Nevertheless, the two remained friends for the rest of their lives. In order to fulfill his picture obligation to United Artists, Selznick brought over Alfred Hitchcock from Europe to produce/direct Selznick's UA projects while he devoted the bulk of his time to Gone with the Wind (1939). Responsible for casting four actresses in roles that made them stars: Katharine Hepburn in A Bill of Divorcement (1932), Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind (1939), Joan Fontaine in Rebecca (1940), Jennifer Jones in The Song of Bernadette (1943). According to the book "Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Legend of Louis B. Mayer" (2005) by Scott Eyman, Selznick sold his interest in Gone with the Wind (1939) to former Selnick International chairman John Hay Whitney ("Jock") for a mere $200,000. This was undoubtedly the worst deal Selznick ever made, as the classic film has and will continue to generate enormous revenue through theatrical reissues, television broadcasts, and home video release. Selznick was famed for his long, detailed and incredibly involved (and, to many of the people who received them, maddening) memos sent to many different people during the production of a film--not just the director or writer but cameramen, editors, and pretty much anyone who had anything to do with the picture. A publicist on one of his films once got a Western Union telegram from Selznick that ended up being more than 30 feet long and finished up with, "I have just received a phone call that pretty much clears up this matter. Therefore you can disregard this wire." These famed memos are the subject of an entire book, "Memo From David Selznick" edited by Rudy Behlmer. Selznick dictated his every thought to secretaries from 1916-65 in memos that filled 2,000 file boxes. Is the only producer winner back-to-back of the Academy Award for Best Picture for Gone with the Wind (1939) and Rebecca (1940). The "O" in his middle name, though this has a period after this, does not stand for anything. He added this because he felt this gave flair to his name. Profiled in J.A. Aberdeen's "Hollywood Renegades: The Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers". Palos Verdes Estates, California: Cobblestone Entertainment. In 1935, Greta Garbo signed a contract with MGM, saying only Irving Thalberg and Selznick could supervise her pictures. After the surprise success of Anna Karenina (1935) with Garbo, Selznick announced that he was leaving MGM to start his own company. Garbo begged him to stay at MGM, saying he could solely produce her pictures. Selznick turned down her offer, saying he had bigger ambitions. It is interesting to note that she only acted in four other films after that: Camille (1936), Conquest (1937), Ninotchka (1939) and Two-Faced Woman (1941), and only two were box-office successes. MGM modified her contract after Thalberg's surprise death in 1936, and Garbo was reportedly furious by this decision. When Selznick announced he was starting his own production company, Irving Thalberg called him to ask If he had any financing yet. Selznick replied, "Not a nickel." Thalberg, usually quite careful with money, said, "Well, me and Norma [wife Norma Shearer] would like to give you $250,000 to get on your feet." Thalberg thus became the first financier of Selznick Enterprises. By the late 1940s, Selznick International was making very few movies and became a talent agency by default, deriving needed income by loaning out its contract stars to other studios. In 1936, he paid author Margaret Mitchell $50,000 for the movie rights to her novel "Gone With the Wind". Later, after Gone with the Wind (1939) became a blockbuster film, he realized he had underpaid Mitchell and gave her an additional $50,000. Hated the "baby doll" eyebrow look that was made popular by Max Factor and sported by the majority of Hollywood actresses during the 1930s. He insisted that his contract players Vivien Leigh and Ingrid Bergman sport a more natural look. Was responsible for bringing Ingrid Bergman to the United States from Sweden by signing her to a long-term contract to Selznick Pictures, Inc. Signed Gene Kelly to his first Hollywood contract after seeing him star in "Pal Joey" on Broadway. He sold Kelly's contract to MGM before he could find a suitable film role for him. The ultimate Hollywood producer, Selznick personally coined the job description of "executive producer". After World War II, Selznick negotiated partnership deals with producers Mark Hellinger, M.J. Siegel and Dore Schary for three pictures each. Hellinger and Siegel died unexpectedly, and Schary left to become production chief at RKO. The Kirk Douglas role in The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) is widely thought to be patterned after Selznick. He produced his first film, Will He Conquer Dempsey? (1923) when South American heavyweight Luis Firpo arrived in the United States in August 1923 for a title fight with champion Jack Dempsey. Selznick paid Firpo $1000--half of the film's $2000 budget--for one day's work. After World War II, broke out Selznick believed his independent Selznick-International would be at a distinct distribution disadvantage to the major studios, so he sold three projects that were in development complete with stars to 20th Century-Fox: Claudia (1943), Jane Eyre (1943) and The Keys of the Kingdom (1944). His only wartime feature was Since You Went Away (1944). He later sold packages to RKO, including Since You Went Away. After this was announced that Selznick intended to adapt Lev Tolstoy's "War and Peace" for the screen, both Mike Todd and Dino De Laurentiis announced they were going to film the novel also. Ultimately, Paramount distributed the De Laurentiis version, War and Peace (1956), directed by King Vidor, and the other two were never made. Founder of the Selznick Company (1923), a film production company. Ever-alert, for possible casting coups, producer David Selznick thought of casting the great stage actress Maud Adams in the role of Miss Fortune in "The Young in Heart". Miss Adams was brought to Hollywood and made a screen test; unfortunately she had no interest in reactivating her career, and politely declined Selznick's offer of a contract. The role was then given to Minnie Dupree. A portion of the screen test is seen in the documentary "Hollywood: The Selznick Years" (1967). Following his death, he was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. He was posthumously awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on October 26, 2004.
06/dd

1965

Death

June 1965

Death date

Heart Attack (Heavy Smoker)

Cause of death

Hollywood in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California United States
Death location

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Gravesite & Burial

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Funeral date
Forest Lawn 1712 S Glendale Ave, in Glendale, Los Angeles County, California 91205, United States
Burial location
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David O. Selznick lived 13 years shorter than the average family member when died at the age of 63.

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