Joseph M. Schenck
Joseph M. Schenck | |
|---|---|
 Schenck in 1928 | |
| Born | Joseph Michael Schenck December 25, 1876 |
| Died | October 22, 1961(aged 84) |
| Resting place | Maimonides Cemetery,Brooklyn, New York |
| Other names | Ossip Schenker |
| Occupation | Film studio executive |
| Spouse | |
| Relatives | Nicholas Schenck(brother) |
Joseph Michael Schenck(/ˈskɛŋk/;December 25, 1876[1]– October 22, 1961) was a Russian-born American film studio executive.
Life and career
[edit]Schenck was born to aJewishfamily[2]inRybinsk,Yaroslavl Oblast,Russian Empire.He emigrated toNew York Cityon July 19, 1892, under the nameOssip Schenker;[3]and with his younger brotherNicholaseventually got into the entertainment business, operating concessions at New York'sFort George Amusement Park.Recognizing the potential, in 1909 the Schenck brothers purchasedPalisades Amusement Parkand afterward became participants in the fledgling motion picture industry in partnership withMarcus Loew,operating a chain of movie theaters.
In 1916, through his involvement in the film business, Joseph Schenck met and marriedNorma Talmadge,a top young star withVitagraph Studios.He would be the first of her three husbands, but she was his only wife. Schenck supervised, controlled and nurtured her career in alliance with her mother.[4]In 1917 the couple formed the Norma Talmadge Film Corporation, which became a lucrative enterprise. They divorced in 1934; Schenck then built a home inPalm Springs, California.[4][5]
After parting ways with his brother, Joseph Schenck moved to theWest Coastwhere the future of the film industry seemed to lie. Within a few years Schenck was made the second president of the newUnited Artists.[6]
The Political Graveyardreports that he was an alternate delegate from California to the1928 Republican National Convention.[citation needed]
In 1933 he partnered withDarryl F. Zanuckto formTwentieth Century Picturesto produce motion pictures forUnited Artists,until 20th Century merged withFox Filmin 1935. As chairman of the new20th Century Fox,he was one of the most powerful and influential people in the film business. Caught in a payoff scheme to buy peace with the militantunions,he was convicted of income tax evasion and spent time in prison before being granted apresidential pardon.Following his release, he returned to 20th Century Fox where he became infatuated with the then unknownMarilyn Monroe,and played a key role in launching her career.[7]
Honors
[edit]One of the founders of theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,in 1952 he was given a specialAcademy Awardin recognition of his contribution to the development of the film industry. He has a star on theHollywood Walk of Fameat 6757 Hollywood Blvd.
Death
[edit]Schenck retired in 1957 and shortly afterward suffered a stroke, from which he never fully recovered. He died in Los Angeles in 1961 at the age of 84, and was interred in Maimonides Cemetery inBrooklyn, New York.
References
[edit]- ^"All Citizenship & Naturalization Records results for Joseph Schenck".Ancestry.Archived fromthe originalon Jun 13, 2018.
- ^Brook, Vincent (December 15, 2016).From Shtetl to Stardom: Jews and Hollywood: Chapter 1: Still an Empire of Their Own: How Jews Remain Atop a Reinvented Hollywood.Purdue University Press. p. 17.ISBN9781557537638.Archivedfrom the original on Dec 14, 2020.
- ^"Ossip Scheincker".Ancestry.Archived fromthe originalon Jun 13, 2018.
- ^abBasinger, Jeanine (2000).Silent Stars.Wesleyan University Press. p.144.ISBN0-8195-6451-6.
- ^Meeks, Eric G. (2012).The Best Guide Ever to Palm Springs Celebrity Homes.Horatio Limburger Oglethorpe. p. 163.ISBN978-1479328598.
- ^Schickel, Richard.D.W. Griffith His Life and Work,1985.
- ^Pener, Degen (29 October 2011)."Drugs, Affairs and Secret Divorces: Inside the Scandalous History of the Holmby Hills Estate Once Owned by Tony Curtis, Cher and Sonny Bono".The Hollywood Reporter.Retrieved2020-01-18.
External links
[edit]
- 1876 births
- 1961 deaths
- American film studio executives
- Twentieth Century Pictures
- 20th Century Studios people
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences founders
- Academy Honorary Award recipients
- American amusement park businesspeople
- American businesspeople convicted of crimes
- American chief executives
- American people convicted of tax crimes
- American Jews
- American people of Russian-Jewish descent
- Businesspeople from Los Angeles
- Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States
- Businesspeople from Palm Springs, California
- People from Rybinsk
- Jews from the Russian Empire
- California Republicans
- United Artists people
- American film production company founders
- Film producers from California
- Deaths from cerebrovascular disease
- Prisoners and detainees of the United States federal government
- Recipients of American presidential pardons