Goldwyn, Samuel

US film producer. He founded the Goldwyn Pictures Corporation in 1917, which merged into Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in 1924, although he was not part of the deal. He remained an independent producer for many years, making classics such as Wuthering Heights (1939), The Little Foxes (1941), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), and Guys and Dolls (1955).

Goldwyn was born in Warsaw, which was then part of Russia, the eldest of six children of a struggling furniture maker. He emigrated first to England in 1895, where his relatives anglicised his name to Goldfish, and reached the USA a year later. Attending evening classes to further his education, he also worked in a glove factory, becoming a top salesman and a partner in the business. He became a naturalized citizen in 1902.