Born in Pittsburgh, PA; son of Russian immigrant and silent movie director Lewis J. Selznick (1870-1933). As the flamboyant director-producers of the early days of American cinema (Griffith, von Stroheim, Neilan) were squeezed out by the emerging studio system, the focus of power shifted to the studio production supervisor, whose main responsiblity was to grind out formulaic product to exhibit in studio-owned theaters. These producers were often paint-by-the-numbers administrators who saw efficiency and profitability as their main objectives. David O. Selznick was one of the few who broke this mold; he considered himself a creative producer concerned with the most minute details of film production. He also thought himself something of a maverick -- a tub-thumping independent turning out prestigious, quality motion pictures smack in the middle of the omnipotent Hollywood studio system. In fact, Selznick produced some of Hollywood's most renowned productions (GONE WITH THE WIND, 1939; REBECCA, 1940) and, for all his talk of independence, these films are now considered exemplars of the Golden Age of the studio system. Selznick made his reputation as a perceptive story analyst and a top-notch studio efficiency expert. He began his career in his teens, working for his father, independent film distributor Lewis Selznick, in publicity and as a story analyst. In 1926, young Selznick joined the newly born MGM as a script reader and shortly rose to the head of the scenario department and then to production supervisor. But after a disagreement with Irving Thalberg, who prefered another supervisor to Selznick on WHITE SHADOWS IN THE SOUTH SEAS (1928), Selznick was fired. This was during the advent of sound films, when the studios were consolidating their power and seeking economic and efficient ways of adapting to the new technology. Producers like Selznick were in great demand and B.P. Schulberg of Paramount Pictures hired him in 1927 to supervise the story department and writing staff. Before long, Selznick was promoted to supervising the routine Paramount productions. But Selznick chafed at Paramount's strict regimentation and, when he was asked to take a heavy salary cut during the depths of the Depression in 1931, he resigned. Selznick's next stop was RKO, where he instituted a unit production scheme in which he would oversee the studio's top productions while the more routine features were supervised by a staff of seven assistant producers. At RKO Selznick displayed his predilection for glossily produced stories about self-sufficient females. When Thalberg fell ill at MGM and Louis B. Mayer sought Selznick as a unit producer, Selznick readily accepted. Back at MGM Selznick once again promoted strong production values and a strong storyline -- which usually meant an adaptation of a classic novel or popular play. Selznick left MGM in 1936 to form his own, independent company, Selznick International Pictures. His intention was to produce only a few, prestige films each year, allowing him to meticulously follow the progress of every project -- from selecting the properties to overseeing the shooting and supervising the editing and retakes -- and thus to achieve a perfectionism unattainable in a studio environment. Without studio front office restrictions, however, Selznick's perfectionist ways went unchecked and the films emerged at a sluggish pace. When they were released, however, they were not merely films; they were major events. A STAR IS BORN was the first film released through S.I.P.; it was soon followed by such critical and popular successes as NOTHING SACRED (1937), THE PRISONER OF ZENDA (1937) and REBECCA. Selznick's ultimate triumph was GONE WITH THE WIND, on which he enlisted the services of six directors (George Cukor, Sam Wood, William Cameron Menzies, King Vidor, Victor Fleming and himself) and countless screenwriters. But the film was such a hit that in 1940 S.I.P. was the top money-making studio in Hollywood, even with only three pictures -- GONE WITH THE WIND, REBECCA, and INTERMEZZO (1939) -- in release. S.I.P.'s astounding success ironically spelled the end of the company. Without a major studio set up to back him, Selznick had no place to re-invest his tremendous profits and thus faced a huge tax burden. In August 1940, the stockholders voted to dissolve Selznick International Pictures. Selznick immediately formed David Selznick Productions but, understandably exhausted after the strain of GONE WITH THE WIND, was unable to match his earlier success. The company soon became more a glorified talent agency than a production outfit; Selznick spent less time on making movies and more on making loan-out deals for the talent he had under contract (which included Alfred Hitchcock, Joan Fontaine, Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman), as well as preparing story/director/actor packages for sale to other studios. When he did return to feature production, the resulting films were either mawkishly sentimental (SINCE YOU WENT AWAY, 1944, or his last picture -- A FAREWELL TO ARMS, 1957) or overblown and operatic (DUEL IN THE SUN, 1946). Selznick played a significant role in creating the mystique and glamour of the classical Hollywood film. Moreover, he showed that it was possible, however briefly, to work outside the studio system and still produce films of technical polish and timeless appeal. He was married to actress Jennifer Jones from 1949 until his death in 1965.  Nominated for Best Picture 1934: VIVA VILLA! - Producer at MGM  Nominated for Best Picture 1935: DAVID COPPERFIELD - Producer at MGM  Nominated for Best Picture 1936: A TALE OF TWO CITIES - Producer at MGM  Nominated for Best Picture 1937: A STAR IS BORN - Producer at Selznick Int'l.  Best Picture 1939: GONE WITH THE WIND - Producer at Selznick Int'l.  Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award 1939  Best Picture 1940: REBECCA - Producer at Selznick Int'l.  Nominated for Best Picture 1944: SINCE YOU WENT AWAY - Producer at Selznick Int'l.  Nominated for Best Picture 1945: SPELLBOUND - Producer at Selznick Int'l. 8 nominations, 2 Awards, 1 Honorary Award