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INSIDE HOLLYWOOD By Herb Stein HOLLYWOOD, Calif., May 10.— Off-The-Record-On: SAMUEL GOLDWYN Jr. — There are a number of SOPs Sons of Pioneers in the picture business youll probably never hear too mudh about. They carry an important name but little if any of the punch or ability to carbon the successful careers of their famed - fathers . . . One of the rare exceptions to this group is young 29 Sammy Goldwyn Jr. . . . Born into the movie . . . industry, Sammy has enormous respect for his father, is never shy about asking his opinion on picture matters. But so far as his career is concerned, Sammy is vigorously determined and well on his way to making it on his own ... As head of the recently formed Formosa Productions, Sammy is an independent producer. This independence is not happenstance. He could have gone to work for almost any major studio. But for young Goldwyn, "independent" means independence oh both the business and personal level in his energetic wish to make good solo. A A A GOLDWYN is currently completing production on a picture called "The Shark-fighters," starring Vic Mature and a new screen treat named Karen Steele . . . "Sharkf ighters" is Sammys second feature. His first, "The Man With the Gun," starred Bob Mitchum and fared very well for an initialer. Sammy had the story, the William Morris Agency had Mitchum available and United Artists had the cash to finance the package that launched young Goldwyn on his career. Pops dough never entered into it . . . Sammy is an athletic Gi", 185 pounds, an excellent swimmer and a helluva tennis player.. He finds time to keep in trim and remain an avid reader. Its nothing for him to read 10 books a week and- perhaps twice as many scripts. AAA SAMMY could have been a top-rate reporter. He has a perpetually probing and curious mind. In a town where people do so much talking, its a treat to find a guy like •Sammy wholl ask questions and LISTEN to the answers. When he talks, he has something to" say. His thoughts are well considered before he delivers them, are well received when expressed . . . He doesnt have, the luxury needs of other producers. During the location of "The Sharkf ighters" in Cuba, he skipped the plush Nacionale Hotel in Havana for the comfortable, family-type Victoria where he could be with most of the cast and crew. Mature stayed at the Nacionale. AAA A VISITOR to this particular location might have taken young Goldwyn Jor one of the grips on the picture. Being tense and nervous on occasion, he cant stand to be idle. The crew found him helping grips push heavy kleig lights into place, toting photog Phil Sterns camera equipment, generally pitching in all around. As a producer, of course, Sammys word was final, "but he never interrupted shooting, never told a director what to do, a cameraman how to line up a shot, or any actor how to deliver a line. Hed discuss any problems after the rushes; the rest of the time he was one of the boys . . . For the underwater test shots, at Caleta Grande off the Isle of Pines, Sammy donned an aqualung and shot the stuff himself/ learned later that natives dont swim there. Too many sharks. AAA SAMMY personally never directed any movie stars, but he once directed Dwight D. Eisenhower. Happened when Sammy was, a lieutenant in the Signal Corps and went to Europe for NATO to shoot "Alliance for Peace." While a group of staff officers were standing around for a* film sequence of Ike, the then general turned to young" Goldwyn and said, "Lieutenant, you tell me how YOU want it done." Sammy did and the sequence was completed in no time. AAA YOUNG GOLDWYN is happily married to Jennifer Howard, daughter of the late playwright, Sidney Howard. They have two children; a daughter, "Cricket," and a son who answers only to the name of "Butch" . . . Sammy is a strictly "Dont-Do-It-Yourself" man around the house. Jenny tells us he walks around in bare feet most of the time; shes forever finding his shoes and socks strewn all over the place . . . Sammy, giving parental advice to his good friend and publicity director Dave Golding whos wife expects the stork any minute : "The first requisite of being ahappy father and husband is NEVER learn to do anything around the house" . . . Jenny Goldwyn says the most she ever got Sammy to do at "home was put a bulb in a lamp socket. AAA UNLIKE MOST producers,, who demand private projection room screenings, Sammy likes to see movies in theatres. He doesnt mind paying fiis way in, either. He feels audience reaction to a picture is important knowledge to a producer and he feels he gains more knowledge with every picture he sees — even if its only to avoid pitfalls of the bad ones . . . Young Sam figures in our book to be a huge success. Itll take time. Itll take some, more pictures, of course. But Sammy looks odds-on to deliver about the best one-two entertainment punch around here.
