David O. Selznick

David O. Selznick was a son of the silent movie producer Lewis J. Selznick. David studied at Columbia University until his father lost his fortune in the 1920s. David started work as an MGM script reader, shortly followed by becoming an assistant to Harry Rapf. He left MGM to work at Paramount then RKO. He was back at MGM in 1933 after marrying Irene Mayer Selznick the daughter of Louis B. Mayer. In 1936, he finally set up his own production company, Selznick International. Three directors and fifteen scriptwriters later, Gone with the Wind (1939) was released.After a basic introduction to the industry helping his father, Lewis, one of the early pioneers, his first real break came in 1926 when he secured a position at the grandest of the studios, MGM.. His initial brief was to read scripts and report on them, Hollywood at that time was ruled over by the 'moguls', the all powerful studio heads who ran the industry. Of them all none was more powerful and the highest paid than the head... [Details Intro]