Samuel Goldwyn Jr dies

Master And Commander producer was 88

by Amber Wilkinson

Filmmakers have paid tribute to Master And Commander producer Samuel Goldwyn Jr, who died on Friday in Los Angeles, aged 88.

His Son John Goldwyn told the New York Times he died from congestive heart failure.

Goldwyn Jr's final producing credit was on Fox's The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty - a remake of one of his father's hits - which was released in December 2013. His other credits included Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World, Mystic Pizza and A Prayer For The Dying. He also twice produced the Academy Awards ceremony.

Goldwyn Jr began his career in documentary films and built a reputation for supporting independent and foreign films, largely through his indie company Samuel Goldwyn Company, which he founded in 1979. Films distributed by his company include Wild At Heart, Gregory's Girl, Prick Up Your Ears and Stranger Than Paradise.

He relaunched his company as Samuel Goldwyn Films in the early 2000s, with indie successes there including Robot And Frank and The Squid And The Whale.

Documentarian Alex Gibney was among those paying tribute to the producer on Twitter. He wrote: "Sam Goldwyn Jr. RIP. Lovely man. Will miss him. He gave me first job after film school. Became an editor at his shop."

Goldwyn Jr had six children, from his marriages to writer Peggy Elliott and actress Jennifer Howard. He is survived by his third wife, Patricia Strawn, three sons, John, Tony and Peter, who is senior vice-president of Samuel Goldwyn Films, and three daughters Catherine, Frances and Elizabeth.

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