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Goldwyn
Samuel Goldwyn was the premier dream-maker of his era, and in this lavishly-praised biography, the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author of Lindbergh and Max Editor of Genius offers a life story as rich with drama as anything found on the silver screen...
579 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
October 16, 2018
Samuel Goldwyn was one of the Founding Fathers of Hollywood. The Hollywood we know today would not have existed without men like Sam Goldwyn.
Sam Goldwyn born Schmuel Gelbfisz in Warsaw, Poland. Sam is the embodiment of "The American Dream". He was a penniless immigrant who came to America and through hardheadedness and hard work made something of his self. He had to hide or downplay his Jewishness for his whole life.
There is a lot to admire about Sam Goldwyn but there is even more to despise about him. Goldwyn was a petty, selfish, sexist, miserable bastard. Goldwyn was a grievance collector. I don't think Sam Goldwyn had one happy day in his whole life. No amount of money, power or success made him happy. He treated his wives and children like garbage. He had no real friends because he was jealous of even minor successes of so called friends.
A. Scott Berg did a great job of painting a full picture of not only Sam Goldwyn but early Hollywood. Goldwyn is well researched and highly readable. While I didn't like Sam Goldwyn, I did enjoy reading this biography.
A Must Read for lovers of Classic Hollywood.
Sam Goldwyn born Schmuel Gelbfisz in Warsaw, Poland. Sam is the embodiment of "The American Dream". He was a penniless immigrant who came to America and through hardheadedness and hard work made something of his self. He had to hide or downplay his Jewishness for his whole life.
There is a lot to admire about Sam Goldwyn but there is even more to despise about him. Goldwyn was a petty, selfish, sexist, miserable bastard. Goldwyn was a grievance collector. I don't think Sam Goldwyn had one happy day in his whole life. No amount of money, power or success made him happy. He treated his wives and children like garbage. He had no real friends because he was jealous of even minor successes of so called friends.
A. Scott Berg did a great job of painting a full picture of not only Sam Goldwyn but early Hollywood. Goldwyn is well researched and highly readable. While I didn't like Sam Goldwyn, I did enjoy reading this biography.
A Must Read for lovers of Classic Hollywood.
August 3, 2010
A. Scott Berg knows how to write a compelling story, and for that he should be commended. I don't know that I could have done such a fair job with telling the life story of Samuel Goldwyn, because as a reader I disliked him intensely throughout the narrative - I can't imagine how I would have felt if I'd been the one doing the research. I can honestly say I might have abandoned the project. Thank goodness he stuck with it, because it is a must-read for anyone interested in the beginnings of the Hollywood Machine, and in how the studios each landed where they did. The web is tangled almost beyond imagining, but Berg does better than most at separating the strands for us.
Goldwyn did indeed take risks, and offered quality productions, but in many cases (with exceptions, of course), good productions seemed to have happened in spite of him rather than because of him. Every day of production on his finest films consisted of screaming matches between Goldwyn and whatever patsy he chose for the day. An overgrown, petulant child, he ranted, raged and reneged his way through decades of Hollywood history. The man even stole the last half of his name from early business partners.
Given that this book was released in 1988, and the research started a long time before that, Berg got to speak with many of Goldwyn's contemporaries, and they offered very interesting takes on their dealings with him. Reading through the acknowledgements to these people, most of whom are now no longer with us, is like reading a who's who of film.
I stand in admiration of Goldwyn's children, Sam Jr. and Ruth, for reading what must have been a truly painful manuscript and not asking for it to be changed to make their father look like a nicer person.
The fact-checking here is not perfect. Berg writes that after Roscoe Arbuckle's scandal in 1921, he never appeared before a camera again before dying in obscurity in 1933. This is simply not true, and was easily determined even when Berg was doing his research back in the 1970s and 1980s. The unfortunate consequence of such a basic error is that I spent the rest of the book wondering what else was incorrect.
The bottom line? I love most Goldwyn films, and I always will. Up in Arms, Enchantment, The Best Years of Our Lives - so many favorites. Thanks to Scott Berg, I now have a better idea of the producer behind the films. I can't yet decide if that's a good thing or not, because it turns out that he's not someone I would have wanted to spend five minutes with in real life.
Goldwyn did indeed take risks, and offered quality productions, but in many cases (with exceptions, of course), good productions seemed to have happened in spite of him rather than because of him. Every day of production on his finest films consisted of screaming matches between Goldwyn and whatever patsy he chose for the day. An overgrown, petulant child, he ranted, raged and reneged his way through decades of Hollywood history. The man even stole the last half of his name from early business partners.
Given that this book was released in 1988, and the research started a long time before that, Berg got to speak with many of Goldwyn's contemporaries, and they offered very interesting takes on their dealings with him. Reading through the acknowledgements to these people, most of whom are now no longer with us, is like reading a who's who of film.
I stand in admiration of Goldwyn's children, Sam Jr. and Ruth, for reading what must have been a truly painful manuscript and not asking for it to be changed to make their father look like a nicer person.
The fact-checking here is not perfect. Berg writes that after Roscoe Arbuckle's scandal in 1921, he never appeared before a camera again before dying in obscurity in 1933. This is simply not true, and was easily determined even when Berg was doing his research back in the 1970s and 1980s. The unfortunate consequence of such a basic error is that I spent the rest of the book wondering what else was incorrect.
The bottom line? I love most Goldwyn films, and I always will. Up in Arms, Enchantment, The Best Years of Our Lives - so many favorites. Thanks to Scott Berg, I now have a better idea of the producer behind the films. I can't yet decide if that's a good thing or not, because it turns out that he's not someone I would have wanted to spend five minutes with in real life.
November 14, 2009
A well written biography of one of Hollywood's biggest moguls. A practically illiterate immigrant who was hard edged, rude and single minded, Samuel Goldwyn shaped the history of film and loved taking all the credit for his place in history. You can't help but be fond of this blustering bully as he fought the odds to make it in a dog-eat-dog world.
Berg does an excellent job of presenting his well researched material. He avoids sentimentality and gives us an unvarnished, straightforward picture of one of Hollywood's great movers and shakers. Recommended.
Berg does an excellent job of presenting his well researched material. He avoids sentimentality and gives us an unvarnished, straightforward picture of one of Hollywood's great movers and shakers. Recommended.
December 21, 2011
This book is puffed by Katharine Hepburn and Billy Wilder, no less, and is a great piece of writing about the Hollywood system in its heyday as much as a biography of Goldwyn himself. Born in Poland, Goldwyn came to America as a teenager, with no English, and worked his way up via the glove trade, before becoming one of the leading independent producers in Hollywood, famous for the 'Goldwyn touch'. After setting up Goldwyn Pictures in the early days, Goldwyn was ousted by Louis B. Mayer (who then used the Goldwyn name in his company MGM), and then went on to be an outrider in the studio system. Famous for his malapropisms (the most repeated of which is the immortal 'include me out!'), Goldwyn is described here as a classic monster producer, tormenting his directors and stars alike, and cold towards his children, but never less than dedicated to his desire to produce quality movies, which reached its zenith with Oscar-laden The Best Days of our Lives. Like many of his fellow producers, Goldwyn was uneducated but easily impressed by so-called 'high culture' (he produced 'Wuthering Heights' with Olivier hamming, and always called it 'Withering Heights', which was perhaps more apposite), and was blessed with great negotiating and decision-making skills. A great biography of an interesting character, of a type that no longer exists.
October 23, 2021
A. Scott Berg does wonderful job on this comprehensive biography of producer Samuel Goldwyn originally known as Schmuel Gelbfiz who flees from Poland in 1895, walking as he makes his way to America doing odd jobs. He eventually gets hooked up with Jesse Lansky and Cecil B DeMille to make his first motion picture and becomes one of the most powerful men in film.
May 21, 2018
Well researched and nicely written, not to mention it includes a fascinating story of Sam Goodwyn senior and Hollywood history of the golden era. Highly recommended.
July 6, 2022
Samuel Goldwyn, as a young man, really a boy, immigrated to the United States in the late 1890's, settling for while in Gloversville, NY (home of the American fine glove making industry), but soon moved to New York City, where he turned his successes with gloves into a passion for the movies. He began working in the movie industry, working his way up as he learned. Eventually, he moved to Hollywood, where he soon was able to change from a successful run of making silent films to talking, and later to color, eventually making a successful, if reluctant move to television. Meanwhile, he had become, perhaps, the most successful independent maker of high concept, audience friendly films, which often leColin Powell's journey from being the son of immigrant parents from Jamaica and growing up in a working class environment in Queens, New York, New York stands as a shining example of the possibilities for ambitious, upwardly mobile people. A graduate of Queens College and ROTC, he rose to become the highest ranking officer in the American armed forces as well as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Serving under mostly Republican Presidents (Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush) he maintained, in the best manner of an American soldier a neutral political stance while striving go serve each administration in which he worked with the best advice he could, while leading four often competing military services. His story is filled with with, wisdom, and insight. Until the end of the book, he expresses no political philosophy. At the end, he outlines a moderate governmental viewpoint, which would be a model for us, today, to seek to follow. He turned down an offer from President Bill Clinton to run as his Vice-Presidential running mate, and refused to run for President after retiring from the Army in favor of going home to his wife a family.
Colin Powell emerges as likable yet determined to create change in the armed services where necessary and to effect American foreign policy where action, often wished for by the men he served under, would have cost American lives for no good purpose than to meet political goals.
My American Journey provides exceptionally interesting insights into our problems today while still relevant and meaning, despite having been published a dozen years ago. Highly recommended d the industry in major innovations and great movies.
A. Scott Berg's biography is quite long, but never founders or bores as it explores the development of the industry, its intense rivalries, and domination for generations by top executives, like Sam Goldwyn, who were also Jewish immigrants from central and eastern Europe, predominantly Germany and Poland. It is also the story of the innovations great writers, camera operators, and film scientists made in the quality and ability to deliver quantity. Names of stars and films any film buff will recognize appear on every page, as well as great stories about their constant battles with the industry moguls who controlled their professional lives, despite the amount of money they made.
Written with great insight into a very complicated and needy man, A. Scott Berg's "Goldwyn" is a Must Read book for anyone who loves movies and their history.
Colin Powell emerges as likable yet determined to create change in the armed services where necessary and to effect American foreign policy where action, often wished for by the men he served under, would have cost American lives for no good purpose than to meet political goals.
My American Journey provides exceptionally interesting insights into our problems today while still relevant and meaning, despite having been published a dozen years ago. Highly recommended d the industry in major innovations and great movies.
A. Scott Berg's biography is quite long, but never founders or bores as it explores the development of the industry, its intense rivalries, and domination for generations by top executives, like Sam Goldwyn, who were also Jewish immigrants from central and eastern Europe, predominantly Germany and Poland. It is also the story of the innovations great writers, camera operators, and film scientists made in the quality and ability to deliver quantity. Names of stars and films any film buff will recognize appear on every page, as well as great stories about their constant battles with the industry moguls who controlled their professional lives, despite the amount of money they made.
Written with great insight into a very complicated and needy man, A. Scott Berg's "Goldwyn" is a Must Read book for anyone who loves movies and their history.
December 31, 2008
Fun stuff, thoroughly researched and wonderfully written. This really altered my perception of Goldwyn. Sure, he was a hard-nosed business man, but he was always concerned with presenting a quality product, and always strove to find a market for innovative films. He was never afraid to take a chance (and, in the event of failure, to complain openly of having done so). You don't always admire the moaning optimist presented in these pages, but most of the time you have no other choice. This is must reading for anyone interested in Hollywood movie-making, and offers some fine insight into the financial wheeling and dealing that made Hollywood what it was.
October 2, 2022
Exhaustive biography of perhaps the leading independent producer in Hollywood -- responsible for 80 films. Quite interesting, but sad -- Goldwyn seems unlikeable.
12-6-21 Reading Garson Kanin’s memoir, containing much on Goldwyn, the man seems to have a side that can generate affection — but you would need to be tough!
12.12.21: After reading Kanin's book I reviewed this bio again. Read the sections that involved Kanin, the acknowledgements and sources, some other parts that interested me, and looked at all the photos again. Decided not to reread the whole thing. Think I'll raise my rating to 3.49 stars.
12-6-21 Reading Garson Kanin’s memoir, containing much on Goldwyn, the man seems to have a side that can generate affection — but you would need to be tough!
12.12.21: After reading Kanin's book I reviewed this bio again. Read the sections that involved Kanin, the acknowledgements and sources, some other parts that interested me, and looked at all the photos again. Decided not to reread the whole thing. Think I'll raise my rating to 3.49 stars.
July 28, 2021
Outstanding narrative of one of the "lions" of Hollywood. Mr. Berg is an excellent author. I read this book because he did a superlative job writing about Lindbergh. Plus, great pictures!
January 1, 2023
A fabulous, often uproariously funny bio by one of our most gifted biographers. Quite fun to read passages aloud to a receptive listener.
April 3, 2025
Empty bio of a man whose legacy is his work.
There is a yawning gap (or two) in this biography of possibly the greatest ever independent film producer. While we learn about (or have validated) all of his supposed character quirks, and of his background and of the origin connections he shared with other moguls of the era, there doesn’t seem to have been any attempt to try to understand or explain the key thing that makes his life of interest, I.e. that he all but invented the role of the independent producer and was supremely successful at it.
We don’t even learn what the Producer really does.
There’s a short allusion to the fact that he (Sam) made thousands of key decisions about all his movies, but this is undermined by a more concerted attempt to paint him as uncultured and uncreative. Roddy McDowell reads well enough but chooses to impersonate what I suspect is a reasonable approximation of Goldwyn’s actual voice (because Roddy would probably have known it and there seems no other reason to fashion such a curious timbre) but it’s very distracting and feels like the action of playground bullies (to exaggerate an aspect of a persons speech to ridicule them).
There are few if any stories about the genesis of his movies, and with the exception of Stella Dallas and Best Years of Our Lives, no insight into the process of movie making at all, much less the specific contributions of The Producer.
An interesting question is posed about ‘what is the signature of a Sam Goldwyn movie’, but the apparent absence of an obvious trope or stylistic quirk, is then used to suggest he brought nothing to his own films and perhaps they are just a collection of other peoples successes (Directors).
I say this, see his very long list of wonderful films and make your own mind up about him from those, what’s in here is rather petty and small. Imagine hearing all the kids who knew Churchill as a ten year old complaining about his personality traits and being asked to judge the man, knowing he led Britain through WW2 to victory, but being given no clue as to how he did it.
I’m still watching and enjoying many his films, as are many millions of people, and I say that’s enough.
There is a yawning gap (or two) in this biography of possibly the greatest ever independent film producer. While we learn about (or have validated) all of his supposed character quirks, and of his background and of the origin connections he shared with other moguls of the era, there doesn’t seem to have been any attempt to try to understand or explain the key thing that makes his life of interest, I.e. that he all but invented the role of the independent producer and was supremely successful at it.
We don’t even learn what the Producer really does.
There’s a short allusion to the fact that he (Sam) made thousands of key decisions about all his movies, but this is undermined by a more concerted attempt to paint him as uncultured and uncreative. Roddy McDowell reads well enough but chooses to impersonate what I suspect is a reasonable approximation of Goldwyn’s actual voice (because Roddy would probably have known it and there seems no other reason to fashion such a curious timbre) but it’s very distracting and feels like the action of playground bullies (to exaggerate an aspect of a persons speech to ridicule them).
There are few if any stories about the genesis of his movies, and with the exception of Stella Dallas and Best Years of Our Lives, no insight into the process of movie making at all, much less the specific contributions of The Producer.
An interesting question is posed about ‘what is the signature of a Sam Goldwyn movie’, but the apparent absence of an obvious trope or stylistic quirk, is then used to suggest he brought nothing to his own films and perhaps they are just a collection of other peoples successes (Directors).
I say this, see his very long list of wonderful films and make your own mind up about him from those, what’s in here is rather petty and small. Imagine hearing all the kids who knew Churchill as a ten year old complaining about his personality traits and being asked to judge the man, knowing he led Britain through WW2 to victory, but being given no clue as to how he did it.
I’m still watching and enjoying many his films, as are many millions of people, and I say that’s enough.
January 11, 2024
Very transportive! I listened to the audiobook via Audible and it was a very guiding, glimmering and revealing look at early American film history through the lens of one our first giants. Not the greatest guy in the world, but it was wonderfully written in the way that they gave you details, reactions, and clues to come up with your own conclusions about the man instead of offering direct, harsh statements like “and he was a CHEAT!”, “such infidelity!”, “jipped even his greatest friends of money!” The way it’s written, the details unfold, you discover items along the way, and then come up with your own conclusions which I liked, along with it’s easily readability (or listen-ability, in this case). The voice actor who voiced Samuel Goldfish/Goldwyn was a real hoot.
This was an excellent refresher on the early days of the motion picture industry via skanky Nicolodeans that reeked of ‘peanuts and perspiration’, the transformation of the silent film era in the states, the changing hands of those in charge and origin stories of multiple studios, shifts in history, war, and culture around, and the development of key organizations like the Hollywood foreign press (cool to know that they, initially, named the best international picture award in Samuel Goldwyn name). Learned a lot while listening to this book and it was a pleasure.
This was an excellent refresher on the early days of the motion picture industry via skanky Nicolodeans that reeked of ‘peanuts and perspiration’, the transformation of the silent film era in the states, the changing hands of those in charge and origin stories of multiple studios, shifts in history, war, and culture around, and the development of key organizations like the Hollywood foreign press (cool to know that they, initially, named the best international picture award in Samuel Goldwyn name). Learned a lot while listening to this book and it was a pleasure.
October 31, 2018
An exhaustively researched, and terrifically readable, a-to-z biography of the legendary producer. Berg doesn't speculate - there's no pop psychology or academic theorizing - and he uses his mountain of primary sources and countless hours of interviews to paint the picture of an ambitious, unpleasant man, whose genius was for self-promotion far more than movie-making (one of the most interesting things to me was how constantly wrong Goldwyn was about who would be a star and what would be a hit, forcing him to chase the trends of other studios or remake his earlier successes over and over - and then blame everyone else for his lack of foresight). There are areas I wish Berg had expanded on, even in a book this big; and Goldwyn's near-constant bullying and betrayals (followed by tearful claims of victimhood) gets a little wearying, but this is still a great read and a fantastic biography, compelling, informative, and honest.
May 2, 2022
Samuel Goldwyn was a Hollywood giant: independent producer; pioneer; innovator; and icon. He was also a bully, difficult, a poor father, and a disloyal husband. Later in his career he installed a croquet green on his property and on page 475/6, it is stated, “Nobody ever wanted to be Goldwyn’s partner, because he neither listened nor improved. Goldwyn just wanted to win - to hit his ball through the wickets and smash his opponents’ balls to kingdom come. He cheated by moving his ball whenever he thought nobody was looking, and often he made up house rules that were to his immediate advantage.” This quote summarises the entire life and career of Samuel Goldwyn. This book is a very dense and detailed exploration of Goldwyn’s life, well written and comprehensive, but overwhelming in its level of detail. The book is made even more difficult by Goldwyn being such an unlikeable character.
October 23, 2017
A big book about a big man in films, and the big changes he saw in his lifetime. A. Scott Berg is an excellent biographer who doesn't pull any punches in describing the wheeling and dealing, the fights and lawsuits, and the famous (sometimes apocryphal) malapropisms of this self-made man. It's also the inside scoop on the golden years of Hollywood, the stars, the publicity machine, the glamorous premieres and the not-so-glamorous failures in Tinseltown. It even has a romantic sub-plot, the undying love and friendship of Goldwyn's wife Frances for George Cukor, the gay and therefore unattainable love of her life. (Get a hanky for the ending.) Packed with details, yet eminently readable, it's proof that fact is sometimes stranger than fiction.
Read
January 11, 2024First, the audio production--the worst I've heard. Sounds like an ancient long lost recording, which could be overlooked, but then the narrator puts on this weird voice cracking Kermit the Frog thing every time he quotes Goldwyn (which, since it's a biography, is a lot). Just laughably bad at first then gets annoying as the hours go on. Makes sense that the actor's only other credits are L. Ron Hubbard books.
But the book itself is great. Goldwyn's life story is fascinating, so this is a must-read for anyone serious about film. I didn't mind reading the abridged version either--even though his life's story interests me, I feel I can get the gist in a few hours instead of spending 600 pages on the man.
--
#20 on THR's 100 Greatest Film Books of All Time
But the book itself is great. Goldwyn's life story is fascinating, so this is a must-read for anyone serious about film. I didn't mind reading the abridged version either--even though his life's story interests me, I feel I can get the gist in a few hours instead of spending 600 pages on the man.
--
#20 on THR's 100 Greatest Film Books of All Time
July 27, 2017
An EXCELLENT biography of movie mogul Samuel Goldwyn. Berg writes in a familiar, accessible, yet smart-as-a-whip style, which is no small feat. Great reading for anyone interested in Classical Hollywood and how it was shaped by a group of penniless, barely literate Eastern European immigrants such as Goldwyn and how these men's brilliance, determination, vision, and, yes, occasional ruthlessness gave rise to the American film industry.
December 15, 2022
Very good
Well I researched biography of Samuel Goldwyn. He was quite a man. Not easy to like and dishonest at times, he knew what he wanted his movies to be and worked hard at producing them, not always successfully. The only things that marred this book for me were the many typos.
Well I researched biography of Samuel Goldwyn. He was quite a man. Not easy to like and dishonest at times, he knew what he wanted his movies to be and worked hard at producing them, not always successfully. The only things that marred this book for me were the many typos.
November 29, 2018
A very comprehensive look at the movie business from the silent era through Hollywood's golden age. Well written, but at times a bit tedious with the numerous actors involved in every picture. Overall, I enjoyed this look back into the industry.
July 1, 2019
Captivating biography that brings the original Hollywood mogul - and the era in which he lived - back to life in full colour.
The only drawback to this book is the length (500+ pages is a bit too long for my taste), but it’s never boring and it’s incredibly thorough.
The only drawback to this book is the length (500+ pages is a bit too long for my taste), but it’s never boring and it’s incredibly thorough.
June 19, 2021
Like all Berg’s biographies, deeply researched and full of insight.
Goldwyn, for me, remains an enigma. A purely self-invented character in his own story - combative, intuitive and present at the birth of movies and Hollywood.
Goldwyn, for me, remains an enigma. A purely self-invented character in his own story - combative, intuitive and present at the birth of movies and Hollywood.
April 11, 2024
Goldwyn, a king among giants, meant business and knew how to get his own way. No wonder he made many enemies in his life. Respect to him for financing so many wonderfully memorable movies. Well-written by A. Scott Berg, the 2nd bio of his I have read and enjoyed immensely, Lindberg being the other.
July 14, 2019
Very, very good! Well written, well researched and quite thorough.
February 23, 2022
Incredibly researched with insight. Access to all the family and business archives, warts and all.
February 13, 2023
Brilliant, if you ever wanted to know everything about Hollywood, this is the book to read. What a life, and now, well........
August 8, 2023
Fascinating history
January 3, 2024
Great Read
I don't know if I have read a better biography on anyone regardless of the era. Thank you Mr Berg for a wonderful read.
I don't know if I have read a better biography on anyone regardless of the era. Thank you Mr Berg for a wonderful read.
April 19, 2023
I thought I would include, before I forget, how I came upon this book. We watched a "based on a true story" about the editor Max somebody who was the editor for Thomas Wolfe, Hemingway and one other author. The book was by A. Scott Berg. I noticed he wrote about this movie mogul, Goldwyn. I love old movies and see his name often so I thought this would be fun to read.
I would suggest not listening to the book. Roddy McDowall reads the book. Whenever he was speaking or Gelfish (that was his birth name), RM would speak in this high-pitched voice. I thought,"Did he have that kind of voice?" Who knows? It was irritating listening to him.
Kind of amazing all the Jewish men who left Europe at the end of the 19th century and became the backbone of Hollywood.
I would suggest not listening to the book. Roddy McDowall reads the book. Whenever he was speaking or Gelfish (that was his birth name), RM would speak in this high-pitched voice. I thought,"Did he have that kind of voice?" Who knows? It was irritating listening to him.
Kind of amazing all the Jewish men who left Europe at the end of the 19th century and became the backbone of Hollywood.
December 29, 2017
Authoritative and comprehensive, and in the end just too much. My fault, because it's a wonderful history of American movies and is worth the time and energy I just didn't have.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews