Samuel Goldwyn Productions
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motion picture production |
| Founded | 1923 |
| Founder | Samuel Goldwyn |
| Defunct | 1959 |
| Fate | Ceased operations |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Motion pictures |
Samuel Goldwyn Productions was an American motion picture production company established by Samuel Goldwyn in 1923, operating until 1959. With Goldwyn's direct leadership and an emphasis on filmmaking rather than film distribution, it emerged as the most profitable and critically acclaimed independent studio during the Golden Age of Hollywood.
History
Following the sale of his earlier enterprise, Goldwyn Pictures, Samuel Goldwyn initiated his new production company in February 1923, initially collaborating with director George Fitzmaurice. Although the studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was created in 1924 and included his name, Goldwyn himself did not produce films there. The company’s debut release, Potash and Perlmutter, had a successful premiere in Baltimore on September 6, 1923.
In its early years, some productions were credited under "Howard Productions," named after Goldwyn's wife, Frances Howard, whom he wed in 1925. During the 1920s, Goldwyn’s films were distributed through Associated First National, shifting to United Artists in the 1930s, and from 1941 onward primarily via RKO Radio Pictures.
Renowned for its superior production quality and partnerships with directors such as John Ford and Howard Hawks, Samuel Goldwyn Productions garnered numerous Academy Award for Best Picture nominations including Arrowsmith (1931), Dodsworth (1936), Dead End (1937), Wuthering Heights (1939), and The Little Foxes (1941). The studio secured the Best Picture Oscar in 1946 with The Best Years of Our Lives.
Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, many productions prominently featured star Danny Kaye. The company's final film was the 1959 version of Porgy and Bess.
The Academy Film Archive preserves elements from numerous films produced between 1929 and 1955 as part of the Samuel Goldwyn Collection.
Filmography
| Release date | Title | Distributor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 6, 1923 | Potash and Perlmutter | First National | |
| January 24, 1924 | Template:Sortname | ||
| April 3, 1924 | Cytherea | ||
| September 29, 1924 | In Hollywood with Potash and Perlmutter | ||
| May 3, 1925 | His Supreme Moment | ||
| June 18, 1925 | Template:Sortname | ||
| September 27, 1925 | Template:Sortname | ||
| November 16, 1925 | Stella Dallas | United Artists | |
| February 15, 1926 | Partners Again | ||
| October 14, 1926 | Template:Sortname | ||
| January 27, 1927 | Template:Sortname | ||
| September 18, 1927 | Template:Sortname | ||
| November 3, 1927 | Template:Sortname | ||
| March 23, 1928 | Two Lovers | ||
| November 17, 1928 | Template:Sortname | ||
| January 12, 1929 | Template:Sortname | ||
| May 2, 1929 | Bulldog Drummond | ||
| June 22, 1929 | This Is Heaven | ||
| November 3, 1929 | Condemned | ||
| July 24, 1930 | Raffles | ||
| October 5, 1930 | Whoopee! | ||
| December 20, 1930 | Template:Sortname | ||
| January 14, 1931 | One Heavenly Night | ||
| September 5, 1931 | Street Scene | ||
| October 3, 1931 | Palmy Days | ||
| October 28, 1931 | Template:Sortname |
Distribution
In 2012, the distribution rights for films produced by Samuel Goldwyn were assigned to Warner Bros., while Miramax took charge of global licensing responsibilities. Up until 2021, StudioCanal managed licensing under an agreement with Miramax. That year, ViacomCBS (currently known as Paramount Skydance Corporation), through Paramount Pictures, acquired a 49% ownership interest in Miramax along with worldwide distribution rights to its film library. The U.S. distribution rights for The Hurricane reverted back to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, now operating as part of Amazon MGM Studios. Due to failure to renew copyright, The North Star entered the public domain; its U.S. rights are currently overseen by Paramount Pictures, the successor entity to National Telefilm Associates, which released a re-edited version titled Armored Attack in 1957. The entire Samuel Goldwyn film collection, including The Hurricane, is distributed on home video by Studio Distribution Services, LLC—a collaborative venture between Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment—under an arrangement with MGM Home Entertainment. Ownership of Street Scene remains with the estate of author Elmer Rice, having been transferred to Video-Cinema Films in 2004.
See also
- Goldwyn Pictures, operational from 1916 to 1924; merged with Metro Pictures and Louis B. Mayer Pictures to establish Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- Samuel Goldwyn Studio, commonly used name for the Pickford-Fairbanks Studios lot located in Hollywood
- The Samuel Goldwyn Company, established by Samuel Goldwyn Jr. in 1979 and active until 1997
- Samuel Goldwyn Films, founded by Goldwyn Jr. in 2000