Samuel Marx
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Bibliography
Biography
Marx moved from newspaper and trade journalism in New York to Hollywood in its 1930s heyday where, as story editor for MGM, he oversaw a stable of literary talents that included William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ben Hecht, Charles MacArthur, Dorothy Parker and Moss Hart. Marx was involved in the acquisition of such classic film properties as "Grand Hotel" (1932), "The Thin Man" (1934), "Mutiny on the Bounty" (1935) and "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" (1939), as well as writing several original screenplays including "A Night at the Opera" and "Only Eight Hours/Society Doctor" (both 1935).
After the death of Irving Thalberg in 1936, Marx shifted his focus to producing and was responsible for such MGM films as "The Longest Night" (1936), the first Andy Hardy film, "A Family Affair" (1937), and "Lassie Come Home" (1943). In the 1950s he began working in TV, serving as executive producer on several Desilu productions including "December Bride" as well as producing "General Electric Hour" and "Broken Arrow."
In the 70s Marx became a full-time chronicler of Hollywood with his insider profiles of the industry: "Mayer and Thalberg: The Make-Believe Saints" (1975), "Rodgers and Hart: Bewitched, Bothered and Bedeviled" (1977, with Jan Clayton), "A Gaudy Spree: The Literary Life of Hollywood in the 1930s" (1987), and "Deadly Illusions: Jean Harlow and the Murder of Paul Bern" (1990). Marx frequently assisted researchers of the golden age of Hollywood, appearing in the 1979 Kevin Brownlow-David Gill "Hollywood" series as well as the TNT special series "MGM: When the Lion Roars," broadcast the month of his death in 1992.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Life Events
1921
Found a job in Universal Pictures's export department in New York; became friends with Irving Thalberg, secretary to company boss Carl Laemmle
1923
First film as assistant director (to Jack Conway) "Quicksand"
1923
Joined the short-lived trade paper "Zit's"
1930
Chance meeting with Irving Thalberg (now head of production at MGM) resulted in Marx's moving to Hollywood to become story editor for MGM where he supervised a group of writers that included William Faulkner, F Scott Fitzgerald and Moss Hart
1934
First story made into film, "Student Tour"
1935
First screenplay credit, "A Night at the Opera"
1936
First credit as producer, "The Longest Night"
1937
Left MGM for a year when the B-picture unit he headed was dissolved; joined Samuel Goldwyn (date approximate)
1957
Hired by MGM as its first executive producer of TV on "The Thin Man" and "Northwest Passage"
1992
Served as consultant on TNT cable documentary, "M-G-M" When the Lions Roars", broadcast in March
Videos
Movie Clip
Trailer
Family
Companions
