David Oliver Selznick (May 10, 1902 - June 22, 1965), was an influential Hollywood producer, best know for producing the epic blockbuster Gone With the Wind, (1939) which earned him an Oscar. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of silent movie director Lewis J. Selznick. He studied at Columbia University until his father lost the family fortune, then became a script reader at MGM.
Following Gone With the Wind, Selznick spent the rest of his life trying to top that achievement. His work with Alfred Hitchcock produced Rebecca in 1940, but The Paradine Case in 1947 was a low point of his career. Hitchcock reported feeling stifled by Selznick and did not work with him any further after his contract with him was fulfilled by The Paradine Case. Selznick struggled with his ego and his dwindling influence in Hollywood, gambling extensively.
He first married Irene Gladys Mayer, daughter of MGM mogul, Louis B. Mayer. Their son, Daniel Selznick, is a theatre producer, director and critic.
Seznick bucked heads with director King Vidor over Duel in the Sun, 1946, a vehicle for actress Jennifer Jones, whom Selznick soon married (they stayed married until his death). His last feature, A Farewell to Arms, (1957), received modest reviews.
On his death in 1965, David O. Selznick was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, in Glendale, California.
Academy Awards and Nominations
