Daniel Selznick, TV Producer and Hollywood Scion, Dies at 88

Daniel Selznick, the producer behind “The Making of a Legend: ‘Gone with the Wind'” and “Blood Feud,” has passed away at the age of 88. Selznick died of natural causes on Thursday at the Motion Picture Country Home in Woodland Hills, California, where he had resided for many years.

Selznick came from a storied Hollywood lineage, being the younger son of renowned “Gone With the Wind” producer David O. Selznick and theatrical producer Irene Mayer Selznick. His grandfather, Louis B. Mayer, co-founded MGM studios.

Born on May 18, 1936, Selznick grew up in Beverly Hills and attended Harvard University. He also studied at the University of Geneva and did graduate work at Brandeis University.

Following in his family’s footsteps, Selznick pursued a career in entertainment. He worked as a production executive at Universal Studios for four years. Together with his older brother Jeffrey Selznick, he produced the 1988 documentary “The Making of a Legend: ‘Gone with the Wind,” which won a Peabody Award. The documentary chronicled the making of their father’s iconic 1939 film, “Gone with the Wind.”

Selznick’s father, David O. Selznick, was responsible for numerous classic films, including “Rebecca,” “The Prisoner of Zenda,” “A Star Is Born,” “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” “Spellbound,” and “Duel in the Sun.” His mother, Irene Mayer Selznick, produced the original Broadway production of “A Streetcar Named Desire” and was nominated for a Tony Award for producing “The Chalk Garden” in 1995.

Among Selznick’s other notable productions are the TV movies “Blood Feud” and “Night Drive,” as well as “Reagan’s Way: Pathway to the Presidency,” which he also directed. He produced the 1987 miniseries “Hoover vs. the Kennedys: The Second Civil War.”

Selznick also served as the director of the nonprofit Louis B. Mayer Foundation and found success in theatrical production. He produced the play “The Man with the Perfect Wife,” which starred his stepmother, Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Jones.

During his time at the Motion Picture Country Home, Selznick wrote a memoir about his Hollywood experiences, titled “Walking With Kings.” The memoir is set to be published next year by Alfred Knopf.

While Selznick was married three times, he has no immediate survivors according to his obituary.

Source: Fox News