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Samuel Goldwyn

Samuel Goldwyn

Producer · Died January 31, 1974, aged 94 · Warsaw, Poland

Samuel Goldwyn (born Szmul Gelbfisz), also known as Samuel Goldfish, was a Polish American film producer. He was most well known for being the founding contributor and executive of several motion picture studios in Hollywood. In 1916, Goldwyn partnered with Broadway producers Edgar and Archibald Selwyn, using a combination of both names to call their movie-making enterprise Goldwyn Pictures. Seeing an opportunity, Samuel Gelbfisz then had his name legally changed to Samuel Goldwyn, which he used for the rest of his life. Goldwyn Pictures proved successful but it is their Leo the Lion trademark for which the organization is most famous. On April 10, 1924, Goldwyn Pictures was acquired by Marcus Loew and merged into his Metro Pictures Corporation. Despite the inclusion of his name, Goldwyn had no role in the management or production at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Before the sale and merger of Goldwyn Pictures in April 1924, Goldwyn had established Samuel Goldwyn Productions in 1923 as a production-only operation (with no distribution arm). Their first feature was Potash and Perlmutter, released in September 1923 through First National Pictures. Some of the early productions bear the name Howard Productions, named for Goldwyn's wife Frances Howard. For 35 years, Goldwyn built a reputation in filmmaking and developed an eye for finding the talent for making films. William Wyler directed many of his most celebrated productions, and he hired writers such as Ben Hecht, Sidney Howard, Dorothy Parker, and Lillian Hellman. (According to legend, at a heated story conference Goldwyn scolded someone —in most accounts Mrs. Parker, who recalled he had once been a glove maker— with the retort: “Don't you point that finger at me. I knew it when it had a thimble on it!” During that time, Goldwyn made numerous films and reigned as the most successful independent producer in the US. Many of his films were forgettable; his collaboration with John Ford, however, resulted in Best Picture Oscar nomination for Arrowsmith (1931). William Wyler was responsible for most of Goldwyn's highly lauded films, with Best Picture Oscar nominations for Dodsworth (1936), Dead End (1937), Wuthering Heights (1939), The Little Foxes (1941) and The Best Years of Our Lives (1948). The leading actors in several of Goldwyn films, especially those directed by William Wyler, were also Oscar-nominated for their performances. Throughout the 1930s, Goldwyn released all his films through United Artists, but beginning in 1941, and continuing almost through the end of his career, Goldwyn released his films through RKO Radio Pictures. Goldwyn died at his home in Los Angeles in 1974 from natural causes, at the probable age of 94. He was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California. In the 1980s, Samuel Goldwyn Studio was sold to Warner Bros. There is a theater named after him in Beverly Hills and he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1631 Vine Street.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 17, 1879
Died
January 31, 1974 (aged 94)
From
Warsaw, Poland
Works as
Producer
Titles
48 on Motif · 147 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Up 13% in 30 days

What are Samuel Goldwyn's films like?

Across their 47 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy17 titlesTypical Motif score: 66th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama16 titlesTypical Motif score: 81st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure5 titlesTypical Motif score: 59th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Motif score: 66th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Action3 titlesTypical Motif score: 82nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Motif score: 83rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies

Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Motif score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
32%
Morality
26%
Self
23%
Power
11%
Survival
5%
Society
3%
Ideas
1%
Romantic love24 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity8 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice6 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption7 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 47 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 24 · Serious 10 · Dark 13

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 19 · Stylized 23 · Heightened 5

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 17 · Charged 22 · Intense 8

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 28 · Shifting 17 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 23 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 15

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 24 · Even-paced 22 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 32 · Engaged 15 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 43 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
19
Tense
17
Romantic
21
Melancholic
18
Absurd
10
Other
40

How their films linger

Feel-good24 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun23 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy24
  • Bittersweet20
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Samuel Goldwyn's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 46 of their 48 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (39).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Samuel Goldwyn's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Motif score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

147 credits, 48 with a Motif page; 9 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Porgy and Bess (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1959)

    Producer

  • Guys and Dolls(1955)

    Producer

    Motif score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Brooba (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1955)

    Production Consultant

  • Hans Christian Andersen(1952)

    Producer

    Motif score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • I Want You (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1951)

    Producer

  • Edge of Doom(1950)

    Producer

    Motif score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Our Very Own (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1950)

    Presenter · Producer

  • My Foolish Heart(1949)

    Producer

    Motif score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Roseanna McCoy (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1949)

    Producer

  • Enchantment(1948)

    Producer

    Motif score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • A Song Is Born(1948)

    Producer

    Motif score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Bishop's Wife(1947)

    Producer

    Motif score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Secret Life of Walter Mitty(1947)

    Producer

    Motif score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Best Years of Our Lives(1946)

    Producer

    Motif score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Kid from Brooklyn(1946)

    Producer

    Motif score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Wonder Man(1945)

    Producer

    Motif score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Princess and the Pirate(1944)

    Producer

    Motif score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Up in Arms(1944)

    Producer

    Motif score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • The North Star(1943)

    Producer

    Motif score: 41st percentile of all films

  • They Got Me Covered(1943)

    Producer

    Motif score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Pride of the Yankees(1942)

    Producer

    Motif score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Ball of Fire(1941)

    Presenter · Producer

    Motif score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Little Foxes(1941)

    Producer

    Motif score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Westerner(1940)

    Presenter · Producer

    Motif score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Raffles(1939)

    Producer

    Motif score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Real Glory(1939)

    Presenter · Producer

    Motif score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • They Shall Have Music(1939)

    Producer

    Motif score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Wuthering Heights(1939)

    Producer

    Motif score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Cowboy and the Lady(1938)

    Presenter · Producer

    Motif score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Adventures of Marco Polo(1938)

    Producer

    Motif score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • The Goldwyn Follies (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1938)

    Producer

  • The Hurricane(1937)

    Presenter · Producer

    Motif score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Dead End(1937)

    Presenter · Producer

    Motif score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Stella Dallas(1937)

    Producer

    Motif score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Woman Chases Man(1937)

    Producer

    Motif score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Beloved Enemy(1936)

    Producer

    Motif score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Come and Get It(1936)

    Producer

    Motif score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Dodsworth(1936)

    Producer

    Motif score: 95th percentile of all films

  • These Three(1936)

    Producer

    Motif score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Strike Me Pink (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1936)

    Producer

  • Splendor (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1935)

    Producer

  • Barbary Coast(1935)

    Producer

    Motif score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Dark Angel (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1935)

    Producer

  • The Wedding Night(1935)

    Producer

    Motif score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Kid Millions(1934)

    Producer

    Motif score: 66th percentile of all films

  • We Live Again(1934)

    Producer

    Motif score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Nana (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1934)

    Producer

  • Roman Scandals(1933)

    Producer

    Motif score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Masquerader (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1933)

    Producer

  • Cynara (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1932)

    Producer

  • The Kid from Spain (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1932)

    Producer

  • Arsène Lupin(1932)

    Producer

    Motif score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Greeks Had a Word for Them(1932)

    Producer

    Motif score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Arrowsmith(1931)

    Presenter · Producer

    Motif score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Unholy Garden (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1931)

    Producer

  • Palmy Days (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1931)

    Producer

  • Street Scene (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1931)

    Producer

  • Tonight or Never(1931)

    Producer

    Motif score: 67th percentile of all films

  • One Heavenly Night (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1930)

    Producer

  • The Devil to Pay!(1930)

    Producer

    Motif score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Whoopee!(1930)

    Producer

    Motif score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Raffles(1930)

    Producer

    Motif score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Condemned! (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1929)

    Producer

  • This Is Heaven (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1929)

    Producer

  • Bulldog Drummond(1929)

    Producer

    Motif score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Rescue (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1929)

    Executive Producer

  • The Awakening (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1928)

    Producer

  • Two Lovers (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1928)

    Producer

  • The Devil Dancer (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1927)

    Producer

  • The Magic Flame (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1927)

    Producer

  • The Night of Love (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1927)

    Producer

  • The Winning of Barbara Worth(1926)

    Producer

    Motif score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Partners Again (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1926)

    Producer

  • Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ(1925)

    Producer · as Chariot Race Spectator (uncredited)

    Motif score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Stella Dallas (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1925)

    Producer

  • A Thief in Paradise (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1925)

    Producer

  • In Hollywood with Potash and Perlmutter (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1924)

    Producer

  • Cytherea (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1924)

    Producer

  • True As Steel (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1924)

    Executive Producer

  • Nellie, the Beautiful Cloak Model (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1924)

    Executive Producer

  • Three Weeks (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1924)

    Executive Producer

  • Name the Man (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1924)

    Executive Producer

  • The Eternal City (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1923)

    Producer

  • Unseeing Eyes (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1923)

    Producer

  • The Day of Faith (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1923)

    Producer

  • Slave of Desire (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1923)

    Producer

  • The Eternal Three (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1923)

    Producer

  • Potash and Perlmutter (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1923)

    Producer

  • Lost and Found on a South Sea Island (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1923)

    Producer

  • The Christian (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1923)

    Executive Producer

  • A Blind Bargain (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1922)

    Producer

  • Hungry Hearts (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1922)

    Producer

  • Remembrance (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1922)

    Producer

  • Mr. Barnes of New York (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1922)

    Producer

  • His Back Against the Wall (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1922)

    Producer

  • Head Over Heels (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1922)

    Executive Producer

  • Sherlock Holmes (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1922)

    Executive Producer

  • Watch Your Step (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1922)

    Executive Producer

  • Doubling for Romeo (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1921)

    Producer

  • The Ace of Hearts (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1921)

    Producer

  • Oh Mary Be Careful (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1921)

    Producer

  • Don't Neglect Your Wife (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1921)

    Producer

  • Boys Will Be Boys (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1921)

    Producer

  • A Tale of Two Worlds (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1921)

    Producer

  • Guile of Women (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1921)

    Producer

  • What Happened To Rosa (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1920)

    Producer

  • The Great Lover (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1920)

    Producer

  • Officer 666 (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1920)

    Executive Producer

  • The North Wind's Malice (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1920)

    Presenter

  • Honest Hutch (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1920)

    Producer

  • The Truth (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1920)

    Producer

  • The Penalty (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1920)

    Presenter · Producer

  • Cupid the Cowpuncher (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1920)

    Producer

  • The Slim Princess (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1920)

    Producer

  • A Double-Dyed Deceiver (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1920)

    Presenter

  • Jes' Call Me Jim (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1920)

    Producer

  • Partners of the Night (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1920)

    Producer

  • The Paliser Case (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1920)

    Executive Producer

  • Water, Water, Everywhere (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1920)

    Producer

  • Pinto (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1920)

    Producer

  • Jubilo (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Producer

  • The Loves of Letty (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Presenter

  • Almost a Husband (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Executive Producer

  • The World and Its Woman (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Executive Producer

  • Lord and Lady Algy (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Producer

  • Upstairs (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Producer

  • Through the Wrong Door (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Presenter

  • Leave It to Susan (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Presenter

  • The Stronger Vow (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Executive Producer

  • Sis Hopkins (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Producer

  • The Woman on the Index (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)

    Presenter

  • The Racing Strain (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1918)

    Producer

  • A Perfect Lady (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1918)

    Producer

  • The Hell Cat (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1918)

    Executive Producer

  • A Perfect 36 (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1918)

    Producer

  • Thirty a Week (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1918)

    Producer

  • Laughing Bill Hyde (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1918)

    Producer

  • Peck's Bad Girl (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1918)

    Producer

  • The Turn of the Wheel (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1918)

    Producer

  • All Woman (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1918)

    Executive Producer

  • The Face in the Dark (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1918)

    Producer

  • The Floor Below (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1918)

    Producer

  • The Beloved Traitor (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1918)

    Producer

  • The Cinderella Man (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1917)

    Executive Producer

  • The Spreading Dawn (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1917)

    Producer

  • Fighting Odds (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1917)

    Producer

  • Polly of the Circus (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1917)

    Executive Producer

Career shape

A full career of 147 titles from 1917 to 1959.

Biggest box office

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

$24M worldwide

Highest rated

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

Motif 98th

Most popular right now

The Bishop's Wife (1947)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 147: 0 only acting, 1 with another roleProducing140 of 147: 130 only producing, 10 with another role · typical Motif score73rdOther crew16 of 147: 7 only other crew, 9 with another role · typical Motif score82nd

147 titles, 10 with more than one role — producing and other crew overlap on 9 of them.

By decade

1910s27 · crew1920s58 · 1 acting · 58 crew1930s38 · crew1940s16 · crew1950s8 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Motif score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored.

How do Samuel Goldwyn's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 73rd percentile, the median of all 48; across their 47 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 68th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 47

Approval · how many liked their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 47

Reach · how many have seen their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 47

Motif score across 48 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up21
  • 50th to 74th22
  • 25th to 49th5

Shape of the crowd

33 of their 48 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved9
  • Crowd Pleaser33
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · producer

Whoopee! (1930)

59th percentile spread · 12% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · producer

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

Motif 98th · 86% liked

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Motif score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Samuel Goldwyn's work okay for kids?

Across up to 6 Motif titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity and frightening / intense run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles9–27 · median 24 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles2–31 · median 9 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 31
Profanity5 titles3–12 · median 8 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 35
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles28–43 · median 29 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles9–28 · median 17 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Samuel Goldwyn work with?

People who share at least 2 of Samuel Goldwyn's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Gregg Toland shares the most, 25.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers