Register

    Producer, indie film champion Samuel Goldwyn Jr. dies at 88

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments739 Views
    In this April 22, 1959, file photo, Samuel Goldwyn, Jr., poses outside the main gate at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ellis R. Bosworth, File)
    LOS ANGELES (AP) --

    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 died Friday night at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center said family friend A. Scott Berg, the author of a biography on Goldwyn's father.

    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 Los Angeles 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 John and Tony, he is survived by a two other sons, Peter and Francis; two daughters, Catherine Goldwyn and Elizabeth Goldwyn; and his third wife, Patricia Strawn.

    Tags:Samuel Goldwyn Jr.



    Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died

    Saturday, December 21, 2024
    Suchir Balaji poses for a photo in Hawaii in 2018. Balaji was a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who died in November 2024. (Balaji Ramamurthy via AP)

    Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26.

    Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products.

    "We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir's loved ones during this difficult time," said a statement from OpenAI.

    Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said "appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation." The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide.

    His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a "happy, smart and brave young man" who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends.

    Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT.

    "Suchir's contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn't have succeeded without him," said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what... Read More

    MySHOOT Profiles


    Add A Comment