Wikipedia

Lewis J. Selznick

Lewis J. Selznick(May 2, 1870 or 1869[1]– January 25, 1933) was an Americanproducerin the early years of thefilm industry.After initial involvement withWorld FilmatFort Lee, New Jersey,he establishedSelznick Picturesin California.

Lewis J. Selznick
Born
Lewis Zeleznick

(1869-05-02)May 2, 1869 or 1870
Anyksciai,Kovno Governorate,Russian Empire
Died(1933-01-25)January 25, 1933 (aged 62 or 63)
Los Angeles,California
Occupation(s)Motion picture producerand distributor
Years active1913–1923
Spouse
Florence Sachs
​
(m.1896)​
ChildrenMyron Selznick
David O. Selznick
AwardsWalk of Fame- Motion Picture
6412 Hollywood Blvd

Biography

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Selznick was born in 1870 inAnyksciai,[2]Kovno Governorate,Russian Empire(now inLithuania),[3]to Ida (Ringer) and Joseph Zeleznick of a poorJewishfamily. Later in his life he claimed that he was born inKyiv(now inUkraine).[3]

Selznick arrived in the United States in 1888 and became a naturalized citizen on September 29, 1894.[2]: 5 He settled inPittsburghand built up a successful jewelry retail business. In 1896,[4]he married Florence "Flossie" Sachs.[2]: 6–7 They had three sons: Howard Selznick (1897–1980), who suffered some undiagnosed mental disability;[2]: 7 Myron Selznick(1898–1944), who worked as a producer and studio executive before establishing atalent agency;andDavid O. Selznick(1902–1965), a Hollywood filmmaker who producedGone with the Wind(1939). A daughter, Ruth, was born in 1904 but died before the age of one.[2]: 8 

Retaining his jewelry stores in the Pittsburgh area, Selznick moved his family toBrooklynin 1903.[2]: 8–9 He opened a large jewelry store,[3]the Knickerbocker, at Sixth Avenue and 23rd Street inManhattan,but by 1907 he had left the business. The family surname changed from Seleznick to Selznick sometime in 1908 or 1909. During this period, the family resided at 530 44th Street, a 1908 limestone/brownstone-cladRenaissance Revivalrow house in Brooklyn'sSunset Parkdistrict.[5]In the year 1910 or 1911, the family moved to Manhattan, where Selznick worked as a patent promoter and sold electrical supplies.[2]: 10–11 

Through an old acquaintance from Pittsburgh, Selznick became involved with theUniversal Film Manufacturing Companyin 1913[2]: 13 but was soon dismissed byCarl Laemmle.[6]In February 1914,[7]he and Chicagomail-order magnateArthur Spiegelorganized theWorld Film Corporation,[8]a distributor of independently produced films[9]located inFort Lee, New Jersey,[10][11][12]with general offices in New York City.[7]Company directors includedJules Brulatour,Briton N. Busch (secretary and treasurer), Van Horn Ely (president),Lee Shubert,and Selznick (vice president and general manager). Film historianDavid Thomsondescribes World Film as "a loose gathering of companies and interests engaged in producing films, with a nationwide system of exchanges and theaters where they could be shown". Within a year the company showed a profit of $329,000[2]: 15 — more than $7.7 million today.[13]

Selznick had been dabbling in theatrical production, and his company put popular plays on film.[2]: 15 World Films releases in 1915 includedOld DutchfeaturingLew Fields,The BossstarringAlice BradyandHolbrook Blinn,TrilbystarringWilton Lackayeand Clara Kimball Young, andWildfirestarringLillian RussellandLionel Barrymore.[8]

Selznick's company soon merged with thePeerless PicturesStudios and theShubert Brothers' Shubert Pictures Co., and became very successful, in 1915 hiringSidney Olcottaway fromKalem Studiosplus the French directorMaurice Tourneuraway from the American arm of the giant,Pathé.By 1916, personality conflicts with his partners saw him ousted from the firm by the board of directors.[6]

Selznick took with him World Film Corporation's biggest star,Clara Kimball Young,and became president and general manager of the newly formed Clara Kimball Young Film Corporation. Selznick and Young began a much-publicized affair, which resulted in her husbandJames Youngdivorcing her.

He then launched the film career ofNazimovawith her first filmWar Brides,which was a success.[6]

Selznick's business practices such as special preview functions, putting his name up in lights, signing stars for big salaries, upset others in the industry[14]andAdolph Zukorpurportedly offered him a salary of $5,000 a week for life to go to China and stay there.[6]He later invented an advance deposit system whereby his productions were financed by selling the rights to exhibitors.[6]

Although he had annoyed other film industry people, he had a friendship withMarcus Loewwho helped him with loans. FollowingNorma Talmadge's marriage toJoseph Schenck,the booking manager for theLoew circuit,Talmadge signed for Selznick and the first film of hers he distributed,Panthea,set her on the road to becoming a star. Talmadge's sisterConstancealso signed for Selznick.[6]

In 1917, Zukor acquired a 50% interest in Selznick's Select Pictures; however, this led to Selznick's name no longer appearing in lights or on the screen. Constance Talmadge then asked for his name to be removed from her pictures.[6]

Following this, Selznick's son Myron signedOlive Thomasin December 1918, and put the Selznick name up in lights again. Selznick then bought out Zukor to take control of Select Pictures again.[6]

Selznick continued in film on theEast Coastuntil 1920 when he moved to Hollywood, where he teamed up with Zukor andJesse L. Lasky.However, within a few years his company, Lewis J. Selznick Productions, Inc., began to lose stars;[6]Selznick experienced severe financial difficulties, and went bankrupt in 1925. He re-entered the industry the following year, and managedAssociated Exhibitors[14]before retiring from the film business.

Selznick died at his home in Los Angeles on January 25, 1933, from a heart attack,[14]with his wife and sons at his bedside.[8]He is interred atForest Lawn Memorial Cemeteryin Glendale, California.

Legacy

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For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Lewis J. Selznick was inducted into theHollywood Walk of Fameon February 8, 1960. His star is located at 6412 Hollywood Blvd.[15]

References

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  1. ^Possible birth year."Ancestry.com".Ancestry.com.
  2. ^abcdefghijThomson, David(1992).Showman: The Life of David O. Selznick.New York:Alfred A. Knopf.ISBN0-394-56833-8.
  3. ^abcLambert, Gavin(1976) [1973].GWTW: The Making of Gone With the Wind(mass market paperback ed.). New York:Bantam Books.pp. 2–7.
  4. ^Marriage date."Ancestry.com".Ancestry.com.
  5. ^http://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/2625.pdf[bare URL PDF]
  6. ^abcdefghiRamsaye, Terry(January 1925)."The Romantic History of the Motion Picture".Photoplay.pp. 119–124.
  7. ^ab"Profit Sharing for Movies".The New York Times.December 14, 1914.RetrievedDecember 12,2015.
  8. ^abc"L. J. Selznick Dies; A Film Pioneer".The New York Times.January 26, 1933.Retrieved2015-12-12.
  9. ^Katz, Ephraim(1998).The Film Encyclopedia(3rd ed.). New York: HarperPerennial. p. 1237.ISBN0-06-273492-X.
  10. ^Koszarski, Richard (2004),Fort Lee: The Film Town,Rome: John Libbey Publishing -CIC srl,ISBN0-86196-653-8
  11. ^"Studios and Films".Fort Lee Film Commission. Archived fromthe originalon 2018-10-20.RetrievedMay 30,2011.
  12. ^Fort Lee Film Commission (2006),Fort Lee Birthplace of the Motion Picture Industry,Arcadia Publishing,ISBN0-7385-4501-5
  13. ^"Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Inflation Calculator".United States Department of Labor.RetrievedDecember 12,2015.
  14. ^abc"Lewis J. Selznick".Variety.January 31, 1933. p. 2.
  15. ^"Lewis J. Selznick".Hollywood Walk of Fame.Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.Retrieved2015-12-11.
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