Samuel Goldwyn Jr., a champion of the independent film movement and son to one of the founding fathers of Hollywood cinema, has died. He was 88.
Goldwyn's son, Peter, told the Los Angeles Times his father died Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from congestive heart failure.
Goldwyn produced low-budget hits like "Mystic Pizza" starring Julia Roberts and "Cotton Comes to Harlem" in the 1970s and 1980s. His company was one of the largest indie film operations. As a producer, he was nominated for a best picture Academy Award in 2004 for "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World." His final production credit was for "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" in 2013.
Goldwyn's father was one of the founders of Paramount Studios and his production company became part of one Hollywood's largest studios, MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer). The Hollywood dynasty extends to the third generation: Goldwyn's son John was vice chairman of Paramount Pictures, and another son, actor Tony Goldwyn, stars in the ABC drama "Scandal."
In 1986, Goldwyn told the Times his goal was to appeal to sophisticated movie lovers.
"I was brought up in a tradition of patience," Goldwyn said. "My father never made films that were instantaneous hits. 'Wuthering Heights' was not a success the first time around. Neither was 'Best Years of Our Lives.' They had to be nursed .... Basically, he was always waiting."
Besides his Peter, John and Tony, he is survived by a fourth son, Francis; two daughters, Catherine Goldwyn and Elizabeth Goldwyn; and his third wife, Patricia Strawn.
