Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Darryl F. Zanuck

Role / Field:

Pioneering American film producer and studio executive, co-founder of 20th Century Fox.

Born:

1902-09-05

Died:

1979-12-22

Century / Era:

1902s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Darryl Francis Zanuck ( ZAN-ək; September 5, 1902 – December 22, 1979) was an American film producer and studio executive; he earlier contributed stories for films starting in the silent era. Best known as a co-founder of 20th Century Fox, he played a major part in the Hollywood studio system as one of its longest survivors (the length of his career was rivaled only by that of Adolph Zukor). Zanuck produced three films that won the Academy Award for Best Picture and won the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award three times, the only person to receive more than one.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Zanuck was born in Wahoo, Nebraska, the son of Sarah Louise (née Torpin), who later married Charles Norton, and Frank Harvey Zanuck, who owned and operated a hotel in Wahoo. He had an older brother, Donald (1893–1903), who died from pneumonia when he was only nine years old. Zanuck was of partial Swiss descent, and raised as a Protestant. At the age of six, Zanuck and his mother moved to Los Angeles, where the better climate could improve her poor health. When he was eight years old, he found his first movie job as an extra, but his disapproving father recalled him to Nebraska.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In 1917, despite being 15, he deceived...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• 1902 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1902
• September 5 (09-05) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on September 5
• 1979 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1979
• December 22 (12-22) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on December 22

Frequently Asked Questions about Darryl F. Zanuck