Lewis J. Selznick (born Lewis Zeleznick; May 2, 1870 or 1869 – January 25, 1933) was an American producer in the early years of the film industry. After initial involvement with World Film at Fort Lee, New Jersey, he established Selznick Pictures in California.
Biography
Selznick was born in 1870 in Anyksciai,
Selznick arrived in the United States in 1888 and became a naturalized citizen on September 29, 1894. He settled in Pittsburgh and built up a successful jewelry retail business. In 1896, he married Florence "Flossie" Sachs. In the year 1910 or 1911, the family moved to Manhattan, where Selznick worked as a patent promoter and sold electrical supplies. he and Chicago mail-order magnate Arthur Spiegel organized the World Film Corporation, a distributor of independently produced films located in Fort Lee, New Jersey, with general offices in New York City.
Selznick had been dabbling in theatrical production, and his company put popular plays on film.
Selznick took with him World Film Corporation's biggest star, Clara Kimball Young, and became president and general manager of the newly formed Clara Kimball Young Film Corporation. Selznick and Young began a much-publicized affair, which resulted in her husband James Young divorcing her.
He then launched the film career of Nazimova with her first film War Brides, which was a success. and Adolph Zukor purportedly offered him a salary of $5,000 a week for life to go to China and stay there.
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File:War-Brides-1916.jpg|Poster for War Brides (1916)
File:By Right of Purchase (1918) - Ad 1.jpg|Advertisement for By Right of Purchase (1918)
File:The Spite Bride (1919) - 1.jpg|Robert Ellis and Olive Thomas in The Spite Bride (1919)
File:Country-Cousin-1919.jpg|Poster for The Country Cousin (1919)
File:Upstairs and Down (1919) - 3.jpg|Olive Thomas in Upstairs and Down (1919)
File:The Woman God Sent 1920.jpg|Lobby card for The Woman God Sent (1920)
File:Everybody's-Sweetheart-1920-LC-1.jpg|Lobby card for Everybody's Sweetheart (1920)
File:Miracle-of-Manhattan-1921.jpg|Poster for The Miracle of Manhattan (1921)
File:Lobbygow-1923.jpg|Poster for Lobbygow (1923)
File:Rupert-of-Hentzau-1923-LC-1.jpg|Lobby card for Rupert of Hentzau (1923)
File:Your Girl and Mine ad 1.jpg|Your Girl and Mine advertisement in 1914
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