Darryl F. Zanuck
- Known for
- Production
- Born
- September 5, 1902
- Died
- December 22, 1979 (aged 77)
- Birthplace
- Wahoo, Nebraska, USA
Biography
Darryl Francis Zanuck (September 5, 1902 – December 22, 1979) was an American film producer and studio executive; he earlier contributed stories for films starting in the silent era. He played a major part in the Hollywood studio system as one of its longest survivors (the length of his career was rivaled only by that of Adolph Zukor). He produced three films that won the Academy Award for Best Picture during his tenure. Zanuck was born in Wahoo, Nebraska, the son of Sarah Louise (née Torpin), who later married Charles Norton, and Frank Harvey Zanuck, who owned and operated a hotel in Wahoo. He had an older brother, Donald (1893–1903), who died in an accident when he was only 9 years old. Zanuck was of partial Swiss descent, and raised a Protestant. At age six, Zanuck and his mother moved to Los Angeles, where the better climate could improve her poor health. At age eight, he found his first movie job as an extra, but his disapproving father recalled him to Nebraska. In 1917, despite being 15, he deceived a recruiter, joined the United States Army, and served in France with the Nebraska National Guard during World War I. Upon returning to the US, he worked in many part-time jobs while seeking work as a writer. He found work producing movie plots, and sold his first story in 1922 to William Russell and his second to Irving Thalberg. Screenwriter Frederica Sagor Maas, story editor at Universal Pictures' New York office, stated that one of the stories Zanuck sent out to movie studios around this time was completely plagiarized from another author's work. Zanuck then worked for Mack Sennett and FBO (where he wrote the serials The Telephone Girl and The Leather Pushers) and took that experience to Warner Bros., where he wrote stories for Rin Tin Tin and under a number of pseudonyms wrote over 40 scripts from 1924 to 1929, including Red Hot Tires (1925) and Old San Francisco (1927). He moved into management in 1929, and became head of production in 1931. In 1933, Zanuck left Warner Bros. over a salary dispute with studio head Jack L. Warner. A few days later, he partnered with Joseph Schenck to form 20th Century Pictures, Inc. with financial help from Joseph's brother Nicholas Schenck and Louis B. Mayer, president and studio head of Loew's, Inc and its subsidiary Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, along with William Goetz and Raymond Griffith. 20th Century released its material through United Artists. During that short time (1933–1935), 20th Century became the most successful independent movie studio of its time, breaking box-office records with 18 of its 19 films, all profitable, including Clive of India, Les Miserables, and The House of Rothschild. After a dispute with United Artists over stock ownership, Schenck and Zanuck negotiated and used their studio to bring the bankrupt Fox studios in 1935 to create Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation. Zanuck was Vice President of Production of this new studio and took a hands-on approach, closely involving himself in scripts, film editing, and producing. ... Source: Article "Darryl F. Zanuck" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
Hung Up
Movie · Producer
Tora! Tora! Tora!
Movie · Executive Producer
The Agony and the Ecstasy
Movie · Executive Producer
The Visit
Movie · Producer
The Longest Day
Movie · Producer
The Chapman Report
Movie · Producer
The Big Gamble
Movie · Producer
Sanctuary
Movie · Producer
Crack in the Mirror
Movie · Producer
The Barbarian and the Geisha
Movie · Executive Producer
The Roots of Heaven
Movie · Producer
The Sun Also Rises
Movie · Producer
Island in the Sun
Movie · Producer
On the Threshold of Space
Movie · Executive Producer
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit
Movie · Producer
The King and I
Movie · Executive Producer
Seven Cities of Gold
Movie · Executive Producer
The View from Pompey's Head
Movie · Executive Producer
Good Morning, Miss Dove
Movie · Executive Producer
Broken Lance
Movie · Executive Producer
The Egyptian
Movie · Producer
Beneath the 12-Mile Reef
Movie · Executive Producer
Viva Zapata!
Movie · Producer
The Snows of Kilimanjaro
Movie · Producer
People Will Talk
Movie · Producer
David and Bathsheba
Movie · Producer
All About Eve
Movie · Producer
Night and the City
Movie · Executive Producer
A Ticket to Tomahawk
Movie · Executive Producer
Under My Skin
Movie · Executive Producer
The Gunfighter
Movie · Executive Producer
No Way Out
Movie · Producer
Pinky
Movie · Producer
Everybody Does It
Movie · Executive Producer
The Forbidden Street
Movie · Executive Producer
The Fan
Movie · Executive Producer
It Happens Every Spring
Movie · Executive Producer
Sand
Movie · Executive Producer
Slattery's Hurricane
Movie · Executive Producer
Father Was a Fullback
Movie · Executive Producer
Twelve O'Clock High
Movie · Producer
You're My Everything
Movie · Executive Producer
The Snake Pit
Movie · Executive Producer
The Walls of Jericho
Movie · Executive Producer
Call Northside 777
Movie · Executive Producer
Fury at Furnace Creek
Movie · Executive Producer
Give My Regards to Broadway
Movie · Executive Producer
Road House
Movie · Executive Producer
Cry of the City
Movie · Executive Producer
Apartment for Peggy
Movie · Executive Producer
That Wonderful Urge
Movie · Executive Producer
Boomerang!
Movie · Executive Producer
The Shocking Miss Pilgrim
Movie · Executive Producer
Carnival in Costa Rica
Movie · Executive Producer
The Homestretch
Movie · Executive Producer
Moss Rose
Movie · Executive Producer
The Foxes of Harrow
Movie · Executive Producer
Nightmare Alley
Movie · Executive Producer
Forever Amber
Movie · Executive Producer
Gentleman's Agreement
Movie · Producer
Captain from Castile
Movie · Executive Producer
Claudia and David
Movie · Executive Producer
Dragonwyck
Movie · Producer
Strange Triangle
Movie · Executive Producer
Somewhere in the Night
Movie · Executive Producer
Centennial Summer
Movie · Executive Producer
The Razor's Edge
Movie · Producer
Leave Her to Heaven
Movie · Executive Producer
The Purple Heart
Movie · Producer
Buffalo Bill
Movie · Executive Producer
Wilson
Movie · Producer
Winged Victory
Movie · Producer
Lifeboat
Movie · Executive Producer
Crash Dive
Movie · Executive Producer
Wintertime
Movie · Executive Producer
Sex Hygiene
Movie · Producer
Song of the Islands
Movie · Executive Producer
To the Shores of Tripoli
Movie · Producer
This Above All
Movie · Producer
Thunder Birds
Movie · Executive Producer
The Black Swan
Movie · Executive Producer
China Girl
Movie · Producer
The Pied Piper
Movie · Executive Producer
Moontide
Movie · Executive Producer
How Green Was My Valley
Movie · Producer
Know For Sure
Movie · Producer
Western Union
Movie · Executive Producer
Tobacco Road
Movie · Producer
That Night in Rio
Movie · Producer
The Great American Broadcast
Movie · Producer
Blood and Sand
Movie · Producer
Man Hunt
Movie · Executive Producer
Moon Over Miami
Movie · Executive Producer
Wild Geese Calling
Movie · Executive Producer
Sun Valley Serenade
Movie · Executive Producer
A Yank in the R.A.F.
Movie · Producer
Week-End in Havana
Movie · Executive Producer
Tall, Dark and Handsome
Movie · Executive Producer
The Grapes of Wrath
Movie · Producer
The Blue Bird
Movie · Producer
Brigham Young
Movie · Producer
Hudson's Bay
Movie · Producer
Little Old New York
Movie · Producer
Maryland
Movie · Producer
Star Dust
Movie · Producer
Lillian Russell
Movie · Producer
Four Sons
Movie · Producer
The Man I Married
Movie · Producer
The Return of Frank James
Movie · Producer
The Great Profile
Movie · Producer
Public Deb No. 1
Movie · Producer
Down Argentine Way
Movie · Producer
The Mark of Zorro
Movie · Executive Producer
Chad Hanna
Movie · Producer
Young Mr. Lincoln
Movie · Producer
Drums Along the Mohawk
Movie · Producer
Here I Am a Stranger
Movie · Producer
Hollywood Cavalcade
Movie · Producer
Jesse James
Movie · Producer
Tail Spin
Movie · Producer
Wife, Husband and Friend
Movie · Producer
The Hound of the Baskervilles
Movie · Executive Producer
The Story of Alexander Graham Bell
Movie · Producer
Rose of Washington Square
Movie · Producer
Susannah of the Mounties
Movie · Executive Producer
Second Fiddle
Movie · Executive Producer
Stanley and Livingstone
Movie · Producer
Hotel for Women
Movie · Producer
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Movie · Producer
The Rains Came
Movie · Producer
Too Busy to Work
Movie · Producer
Swanee River
Movie · Producer
The Gorilla
Movie · Executive In Charge Of Production
Just Around the Corner
Movie · Producer
International Settlement
Movie · Producer
Submarine Patrol
Movie · Producer
Always Goodbye
Movie · Producer
I'll Give a Million
Movie · Producer
In Old Chicago
Movie · Producer
Happy Landing
Movie · Producer
Sally, Irene and Mary
Movie · Executive Producer
Kentucky Moonshine
Movie · Producer
Josette
Movie · Executive Producer
Three Blind Mice
Movie · Producer
Little Miss Broadway
Movie · Producer
Gateway
Movie · Producer
My Lucky Star
Movie · Producer
Kentucky
Movie · Executive Producer
Suez
Movie · Producer
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
Movie · Executive In Charge Of Production
Heidi
Movie · Producer
On the Avenue
Movie · Producer
Nancy Steele Is Missing!
Movie · Producer
Seventh Heaven
Movie · Producer
Angel's Holiday
Movie · Producer
Slave Ship
Movie · Producer
Wee Willie Winkie
Movie · Producer
Wake Up and Live
Movie · Producer
Thin Ice
Movie · Producer
Wife, Doctor and Nurse
Movie · Producer
Lancer Spy
Movie · Executive Producer
This Is My Affair
Movie · Production Manager
Love Is News
Movie · Executive In Charge Of Production
Love and Hisses
Movie · Producer
Private Number
Movie · Production Manager
The Prisoner of Shark Island
Movie · Producer
It Had to Happen
Movie · Producer
A Message to Garcia
Movie · Producer
The Country Beyond
Movie · Producer
Under Two Flags
Movie · Producer
Half Angel
Movie · Producer
The Road to Glory
Movie · Producer
Poor Little Rich Girl
Movie · Producer
White Fang
Movie · Producer
To Mary - with Love
Movie · Producer
Sing, Baby, Sing
Movie · Producer
Ramona
Movie · Executive Producer
Pigskin Parade
Movie · Producer
Reunion
Movie · Executive Producer
White Hunter
Movie · Producer
Banjo on My Knee
Movie · Executive Producer
Ladies in Love
Movie · Executive In Charge Of Production
Lloyd's of London
Movie · Production Manager
Clive of India
Movie · Producer
Show Them No Mercy!
Movie · Producer
Metropolitan
Movie · Producer
Cardinal Richelieu
Movie · Producer
Folies Bergère de Paris
Movie · Producer
Les Misérables
Movie · Producer
Call of the Wild
Movie · Producer
Thanks a Million
Movie · Producer
The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo
Movie · Producer
Professional Soldier
Movie · Producer
The Littlest Rebel
Movie · Production Manager
Moulin Rouge
Movie · Producer
Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back
Movie · Producer
Looking for Trouble
Movie · Producer
The Last Gentleman
Movie · Producer
The Affairs of Cellini
Movie · Producer
The Mighty Barnum
Movie · Producer
Born to Be Bad
Movie · Producer
The House of Rothschild
Movie · Producer
Advice to the Lovelorn
Movie · Producer
Blood Money
Movie · Producer
The Bowery
Movie · Producer
Parachute Jumper
Movie · Producer
The Working Man
Movie · Producer
Ex-Lady
Movie · Producer
Gallant Lady
Movie · Producer
42nd Street
Movie · Producer
Doctor X
Movie · Executive Producer
The Man Who Played God
Movie · Producer
The Rich Are Always with Us
Movie · Producer
The Dark Horse
Movie · Producer
Life Begins
Movie · Executive Producer
The Cabin in the Cotton
Movie · Producer
Three on a Match
Movie · Producer
20,000 Years in Sing Sing
Movie · Producer
The Public Enemy
Movie · Producer
Little Caesar
Movie · Producer
Illicit
Movie · Producer
Blonde Crazy
Movie · Executive Producer
Three Faces East
Movie · Producer
The Doorway to Hell
Movie · Executive Producer
The Show of Shows
Movie · Producer
On With the Show!
Movie · Producer
Disraeli
Movie · Producer
Tenderloin
Movie · Producer
Noah's Ark
Movie · Associate Producer
Lights of New York
Movie · Production Supervisor
The Singing Fool
Movie · Producer
The Terror
Movie · Producer
The First Auto
Movie · Producer
Old San Francisco
Movie · Producer
The Desired Woman
Movie · Associate Producer
So This Is Paris
Movie · Producer
Lady Windermere's Fan
Movie · Producer
Eve's Lover
Movie · Producer