David O. Selznick

David O. Selznick
Selznick, c. 1934
Born
David Selznick

(1902-05-10)May 10, 1902
DiedJune 22, 1965(1965-06-22) (aged 63)
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California
Other namesOliver Jeffries[1]
Occupations
  • Film producer
  • screenwriter
  • film studio executive
Years active1923–1957
Political partyRepublican
Spouses
(m. 1930; div. 1949)
(m. 1949)
Children3
Parent(s)Lewis J. Selznick
Florence Sachs
RelativesMyron Selznick (brother)

David O. Selznick (born David Selznick: May 10, 1902 – June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive[2] who produced Gone with the Wind (1939) and Rebecca (1940), both of which earned him an Academy Award for Best Picture. He also won the Irving Thalberg Award at the 12th Academy Awards, Hollywood's top honor for a producer, in recognition of his shepherding Gone with the Wind through a long and troubled production and into a record-breaking blockbuster.

The son and son-in-law of movie moguls Lewis J. Selznick and Louis B. Mayer, Selznick served as head of production at R.K.O. Radio Pictures and went on to become one of the first independent movie producers. His first wife was Mayer's daughter Irene Selznick, who became a highly successful Broadway producer after their divorce, and his second wife was Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Jones.

  1. ^ Sragow, Michael (2013). Victor Fleming: An American Movie Master. University Press of Kentucky. p. 220. ISBN 9780813144436.
  2. ^ "About David O. Selznick" Archived 2017-12-29 at the Wayback Machine, PBS, April 16, 2005.