The Samuel Goldwyn Company

{{Infobox company

| logo = File:The Samuel Goldwyn Company logo.png

| logo_caption = Logo used from 1979 to 1997

| name = G2 Films

| former_name = The Samuel Goldwyn Company (1978-1991)
Samuel Goldwyn Entertainment (1991-1996)
Goldwyn Entertainment Company (1996-1997)
Goldwyn Films (1997-1999)

| type = Subsidiary

| fate = Absorbed into United Artists

| successor = Studio:
Samuel Goldwyn Films
Library:
Amazon MGM Studios

| founder = Samuel Goldwyn Jr.

| defunct = {{End date and age|1999|7}}

| predecessor = Samuel Goldwyn Productions

| founded = {{Start date and age|1978|06|16}}

| owner =

| parent = Metromedia (1996–1997)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (1997–1999)

| divisions = Samuel Goldwyn Television
Samuel Goldwyn Home Entertainment
Heritage Entertainment, Inc.

}}

The Samuel Goldwyn Company, later known as Samuel Goldwyn Entertainment, Goldwyn Entertainment Company, Goldwyn Films, and G2 Films, was an American independent film company founded by Samuel Goldwyn Jr., the son of the famous Hollywood mogul, Samuel Goldwyn, in 1978.

History

The company originally distributed and acquired art-house films from around the world to U.S. audiences; they soon added original productions to their roster as well, starting with The Golden Seal in 1983.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085608/|title=The Golden Seal (1983)|website=IMDb|access-date=2016-07-28|archive-date=2021-06-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210622224940/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085608/|url-status=live}}

In succeeding years, the Goldwyn company was able to obtain (from Samuel Sr.'s estate) the rights to all films produced under the elder Goldwyn's supervision, including the original Bulldog Drummond (1929), Arrowsmith (1931), and Guys and Dolls (1955). The company also acquired some distribution rights to several films and television programs that were independently produced but released by other companies, including Sayonara, the Hal Roach–produced Laurel & Hardy–starring vehicle Babes in Toyland (1934), the Flipper television series produced by MGM Television, the Academy Award–winning Tom Jones (1963), and the Rodgers and Hammerstein film productions of South Pacific (1958) and Oklahoma! (1955), as well as the CBS Television adaptation of Cinderella (1965).

Animated films include Swan Lake, Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, The Care Bears Movie, The Chipmunk Adventure and Rock-a-Doodle. Among the television programs in the Goldwyn company's library are the television series American Gladiators, Gladiators, Gladiators, Gladiators: Train 2 Win, and Steve Krantz's miniseries Dadah Is Death.

In 1991, after a merger with Heritage Entertainment, Inc., the company went public as Samuel Goldwyn Entertainment. Heritage and Goldwyn attempted to merge during late 1990, but the plans fell apart while Heritage went through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy.{{cite journal |last=Glover |first=Karen |title=Goldwyn, Heritage Entertainment merging (Samuel Goldwyn Co.) |date=September 23, 1991 |journal=Los Angeles Business Journal |volume=13 |number=38 |page=50}} The merger also allowed Goldwyn to inherit the Landmark Theatres chain, which was a unit of Heritage.

That company and its library were acquired by Metromedia on July 2, 1996, for US$125 million.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/05/business/rich-82-and-starting-over.html?pagewanted=all |last=Landler |first=Mark |title=Rich, 82, and Starting Over |date=January 5, 1997 |access-date=July 2, 2011 |work=The New York Times |archive-date=December 10, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181210125149/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/05/business/rich-82-and-starting-over.html?pagewanted=all |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/39547/0000950142-96-000302.txt |title=Archived copy |access-date=2016-05-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810031518/https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/39547/0000950142-96-000302.txt |archive-date=2016-08-10 |url-status=dead}} To coincide with the purchase, the Samuel Goldwyn Company was renamed Goldwyn Entertainment Company, and was reconstituted as a subsidiary of Metromedia's Orion Pictures unit. That year, Orion and Goldwyn became part of the Metromedia Entertainment Group (MEG). Goldwyn became the specialty films unit of MEG, though they would seek out films with crossover appeal. While Orion and Goldwyn would share the overhead costs, the production/acquisition operations would operate independently from each other.{{cite web |author=Andrew Hindes |url=https://variety.com/1997/scene/news/hegeman-hops-to-live-1116680104/ |title=Hegeman hops to Live |publisher=Variety |date=1997-12-10 |access-date=2016-07-28 |archive-date=2022-04-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220427040107/https://variety.com/1997/scene/news/hegeman-hops-to-live-1116680104/ |url-status=live}}

In 1997, Metromedia sold its entertainment group to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) for $573 million, making that company's film library the largest at the time.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/29/business/metromedia-to-sell-film-units-to-mgm-for-573-million.html |title=Metromedia to Sell Film Units to MGM for $573 Million |date=April 29, 1997 |access-date=July 2, 2011 |work=The New York Times |archive-date=November 7, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141107004306/http://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/29/business/metromedia-to-sell-film-units-to-mgm-for-573-million.html |url-status=live}} The Landmark Theatres group, which Metromedia did not sell to MGM, was taken over by Silver Cinemas, Inc. on April 27, 1998.{{cite web |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Metromedia+International+Group+Completes+the+Sale+of+Landmark+Theatre...-a020526619 |title=Metromedia International Group Completes the Sale of Landmark Theatre to Silver Cinemas |website=Thefreelibrary.com |access-date=2016-07-28 |archive-date=2016-07-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701183317/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Metromedia+International+Group+Completes+the+Sale+of+Landmark+Theatre...-a020526619 |url-status=live}}

In September 1997, the company was renamed Goldwyn Films and operated as MGM's specialty films unit. A month later, Samuel Goldwyn Jr. sued MGM and Metromedia, claiming that he was abruptly let go of the company despite promises that he would continue to run it under different ownership. Another concern in the lawsuit was the use of the Goldwyn name, with the defendants being accused of "palming off specialized films produced or acquired by" the unit as though the plaintiff was still involved in its management.{{cite news|last1=Bates|first1=James|title=Goldwyn Suing Metromedia, MGM Over Firing, Contract|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-oct-30-fi-48264-story.html|access-date=July 21, 2017|work=Los Angeles Times|date=30 October 1997|archive-date=14 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220614030608/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-oct-30-fi-48264-story.html|url-status=live}} Goldwyn Films changed its name to G2 Films in January 1999 as part of the settlement.{{cite news |last=Higgins |first=Bill |url=https://variety.com/1999/more/news/g2-films-emerges-as-goldwyn-mgm-settle-1117490041/ |title=G2 Films emerges as Goldwyn, MGM settle |date=January 10, 1999 |work=Variety |access-date=December 7, 2017 |archive-date=April 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220427040110/https://variety.com/1999/biz/news/g2-films-emerges-as-goldwyn-mgm-settle-1117490041/ |url-status=live}}

In July 1999, G2 Films was folded into United Artists.{{cite web |author= |url=https://money.cnn.com/1999/06/07/bizbuzz/mgm/ |title=United Artists restructuring by MGM - Jun. 7, 1999 |publisher=Money.cnn.com |access-date=2015-02-05 |archive-date=2021-09-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210907024545/https://money.cnn.com/1999/06/07/bizbuzz/mgm/ |url-status=live}} As well as all that, UA became an arthouse film producer/distributor. The younger Goldwyn has since gone on to found Samuel Goldwyn Films. This successor company has continued to release independent films such as What the Bleep Do We Know!? and the Academy Award–nominated The Squid and the Whale. The company has since been dormant.

Since the new Goldwyn company was formed, MGM currently holds much of the original Goldwyn Company's holdings (including, with few exceptions, the non-Goldwyn-produced properties) that would end up with the library of Orion Pictures, now an MGM division. However, the Goldwyn Productions library is controlled by the Goldwyn family & licensed to Warner Bros.,{{Cite web|url=https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=8459|title = Warner Brothers Acquires Rights to Films from the Samuel Goldwyn Library}} except for The Hurricane, whose ownership returned to its original distributor, United Artists (also an MGM division).

Filmography

= 1970s =

Release date ! Title
class="wikitable sortable"
style="text-align:right;"\| June 1978	Zero to Sixty
style="text-align:right;"\| June 15, 1979	The Water Babies
style="text-align:right;"\| October 1979	The Last Word

= 1980s =

Release date ! Title ! Notes
class="wikitable sortable"
style="text-align:right;"\| February 8, 1981	Spetters	North American distribution only
style="text-align:right;"\| June 19, 1981	Stevie
style="text-align:right;"\| July 23, 1981	Swan Lake	North American distribution only; produced by Toei Company, Ltd. and Toei Animation Company, Ltd.
style="text-align:right;"\| March 21, 1982	Forbidden Zone
style="text-align:right;"\| May 26, 1982	Gregory's Girl	U.S. distribution rights currently owned by Film Movement
style="text-align:right;"\| August 17, 1982	Aladdin and the Magic Lamp	North American distribution only; produced by Toei Company, Ltd. and Toei Animation Company, Ltd.
style="text-align:right;"\| November 1982	Don't Cry, It's Only Thunder
style="text-align:right;"\| November 1982	Time Walker
style="text-align:right;"\| February 27, 1983	Bankers Also Have Souls
style="text-align:right;"\| August 12, 1983	The Golden Seal
style="text-align:right;"\| September 4, 1983	Lonely Hearts
style="text-align:right;"\| November 4, 1983	Experience Preferred... But Not Essential
style="text-align:right;"\| January 1984	Goodbye Pork Pie
style="text-align:right;"\| February 15, 1984	That Sinking Feeling
style="text-align:right;"\| May 1984	Another Time, Another Place
style="text-align:right;"\| August 17, 1984	Secrets
style="text-align:right;"\| September 12, 1984	A Joke of Destiny
style="text-align:right;"\| October 1, 1984	Stranger Than Paradise	Inducted into the National Film Registry in 2002
style="text-align:right;"\| October 19, 1984	The Ploughman's Lunch
style="text-align:right;"\| November 1, 1984	Not for Publication
style="text-align:right;"\| January 25, 1985	The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik-Yak
style="text-align:right;"\| March 29, 1985	The Care Bears Movie	produced by Nelvana
style="text-align:right;"\| April 19, 1985	Petit Con
style="text-align:right;"\| May 17, 1985	Silver City
style="text-align:right;"\| June 2, 1985	The Holy Innocents
style="text-align:right;"\| August 9, 1985	Dance with a Stranger	North American distribution only
style="text-align:right;"\| October 4, 1985	Always
style="text-align:right;"\| November 8, 1985	Bring On the Night
style="text-align:right;"\| November 18, 1985	Once Bitten
style="text-align:right;"\| February 14, 1986	Turtle Diary
style="text-align:right;"\| February 21, 1986	Getting Even
style="text-align:right;"\| March 7, 1986	Desert Hearts	currently owned by DD Productions with U.S. distribution rights currently licensed to Janus Films and The Criterion Collection
style="text-align:right;"\| April 25, 1986	Three Men and a Cradle
style="text-align:right;"\| July 7, 1986	The Girl in the Picture
style="text-align:right;"\| November 7, 1986	Sid and Nancy
style="text-align:right;"\| January 30, 1987	Malandro
style="text-align:right;"\| March 13, 1987	Witchboard	international distribution only
style="text-align:right;"\| March 20, 1987	Hollywood Shuffle
style="text-align:right;"\| May 8, 1987	Prick Up Your Ears
style="text-align:right;"\| May 22, 1987	The Chipmunk Adventure	produced by Bagdasarian Productions
style="text-align:right;"\| July 17, 1987	Ping Pong
style="text-align:right;"\| August 27, 1987	Backlash
style="text-align:right;"\| August 28, 1987	The Rosary Murders
style="text-align:right;"\| September 11, 1987	A Prayer for the Dying
style="text-align:right;"\| November 13, 1987	Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II
style="text-align:right;"\| April 13, 1988	Beatrice
style="text-align:right;"\| April 22, 1988	Two Moon Junction	international distribution only
style="text-align:right;"\| July 22, 1988	Mr. North
style="text-align:right;"\| October 9, 1988	Hôtel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie
style="text-align:right;"\| October 21, 1988	Mystic Pizza
style="text-align:right;"\| March 3, 1989	Heart of Midnight
style="text-align:right;"\| October 13, 1989	Breaking In
style="text-align:right;"\| November 8, 1989	Henry V
style="text-align:right;"\| December 8, 1989	Fear, Anxiety & Depression

= 1990s =

Release date ! Title ! Notes
class="wikitable sortable"
style="text-align:right;"\| February 2, 1990	Stella	international distribution outside the U.K. and Ireland only; co-production with Touchstone Pictures
style="text-align:right;"\| May 11, 1990	Longtime Companion
style="text-align:right;"\| June 12, 1990	The Misadventures of Mr. Wilt
style="text-align:right;"\| August 17, 1990	Wild at Heart
style="text-align:right;"\| October 12, 1990	To Sleep with Anger	owned by Sony Pictures
style="text-align:right;"\| November 2, 1990	C'est la vie
style="text-align:right;"\| March 1, 1991	My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
style="text-align:right;"\| March 8, 1991	La Femme Nikita	U.S. distribution rights currently owned by Sony Pictures Classics
style="text-align:right;"\| May 22, 1991	Straight Out of Brooklyn
style="text-align:right;"\| May 24, 1991	Truly, Madly, Deeply
style="text-align:right;"\| September 20, 1991	Livin' Large
style="text-align:right;"\| October 4, 1991	Black Robe	U.S. distribution only; produced by Alliance Atlantis and Hoyts
style="text-align:right;"\| October 11, 1991	City of Hope	owned by Sony Pictures
style="text-align:right;"\| December 25, 1991	Madame Bovary
style="text-align:right;"\| February 5, 1992	Mississippi Masala	Owned by Mirabai Films, with U.S. distribution rights currently licensed to Janus Films and The Criterion Collection
style="text-align:right;"\| April 3, 1992	Rock-a-Doodle	North American distribution only; produced by Goldcrest and Sullivan Bluth Studios
style="text-align:right;"\| April 22, 1992	The Playboys
style="text-align:right;"\| May 13, 1992	The Waterdance	owned by Sony Pictures
style="text-align:right;"\| July 10, 1992	The Best Intentions
style="text-align:right;"\| November 11, 1992	Traces of Red
style="text-align:right;"\| November 14, 1992	Flirting
style="text-align:right;"\| December 25, 1992	Peter's Friends
style="text-align:right;"\| February 19, 1993	Mac	owned by Sony Pictures
style="text-align:right;"\| March 3, 1993	The Stolen Children
style="text-align:right;"\| May 7, 1993	Much Ado About Nothing	distribution outside the U.K. and Ireland only
style="text-align:right;"\| July 16, 1993	Road Scholar
style="text-align:right;"\| August 7, 1993	The Wedding Banquet	Inducted into the National Film Registry in 2023
style="text-align:right;" rowspan="2"\| September 24, 1993	Baraka
The Program	international distribution outside the U.K. and Ireland only; co-production with Touchstone Pictures
style="text-align:right;"\| October 15, 1993	Mr. Wonderful	international distribution only; distributed in North America by Warner Bros.
style="text-align:right;"\| November 5, 1993	Wild West
style="text-align:right;"\| November 26, 1993	Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould
style="text-align:right;"\| December 21, 1993	The Summer House
style="text-align:right;"\| January 28, 1994	Golden Gate
style="text-align:right;"\| March 18, 1994	Suture
style="text-align:right;"\| April 27, 1994	You So Crazy
style="text-align:right;"\| May 15, 1994	A Million to Juan
style="text-align:right;"\| June 3, 1994	Fear of a Black Hat
style="text-align:right;"\| June 10, 1994	Go Fish
style="text-align:right;"\| July 22, 1994	Just Like a Woman
style="text-align:right;"\| August 3, 1994	Eat Drink Man Woman
style="text-align:right;"\| September 9, 1994	What Happened Was	U.S. distribution rights currently owned by Oscilloscope Laboratories
style="text-align:right;"\| October 6, 1994	Ladybird, Ladybird
style="text-align:right;"\| November 4, 1994	Oleanna
style="text-align:right;"\| November 18, 1994	To Live
style="text-align:right;"\| December 28, 1994	The Madness of King George
style="text-align:right;"\| February 3, 1995	The Secret of Roan Inish	produced by First Look Pictures; U.S. distribution rights currently owned by Samuel Goldwyn Films
style="text-align:right;"\| March 8, 1995	The Sum of Us
style="text-align:right;"\| April 14, 1995	The Last Good Time
style="text-align:right;"\| May 12, 1995	The Perez Family
style="text-align:right;"\| May 19, 1995	Rampo
style="text-align:right;"\| June 9, 1995	Wigstock: The Movie
style="text-align:right;"\| November 17, 1995	Reckless
style="text-align:right;"\| January 26, 1996	Angels & Insects
style="text-align:right;"\| April 19, 1996	August
style="text-align:right;"\| May 1, 1996	I Shot Andy Warhol	co-production with BBC Arena; distributed in the U.S. by Orion Pictures
style="text-align:right;"\| May 10, 1996	Love Is All There Is
style="text-align:right;"\| August 23, 1996	Foxfire	North American theatrical distribution only; produced by Rysher Entertainment; distribution rights currently owned by Paramount Pictures
style="text-align:right;"\| September 13, 1996	American Buffalo
style="text-align:right;"\| September 20, 1996	Big Night	North American theatrical distribution only; produced by Rysher Entertainment; distribution rights currently owned by Paramount Pictures
style="text-align:right;"\| October 25, 1996	Palookaville
style="text-align:right;"\| December 16, 1996	The Preacher's Wife	co-production with Touchstone Pictures
style="text-align:right;"\| February 28, 1997	Hard Eight	credited in promotional material as Goldwyn Entertainment Company; North American theatrical distribution only; produced by Rysher Entertainment; distribution rights currently owned by Paramount Pictures
style="text-align:right;"\| April 11, 1997	Kissed	as Goldwyn Films
style="text-align:right;"\| May 30, 1997	Rough Magic	as Goldwyn Entertainment Company
style="text-align:right;"\| July 15, 1997	Paperback Romance	as Goldwyn Entertainment Company
style="text-align:right;"\| October 10, 1997	Napoleon	as Goldwyn Films
style="text-align:right;"\| November 7, 1997	The Hanging Garden	as Goldwyn Films
style="text-align:right;"\| November 26, 1997	Bent	as Goldwyn Entertainment Company; U.S. distribution rights currently owned by Film Movement
style="text-align:right;"\| January 16, 1998	Live Flesh	as Goldwyn Films; U.S. distribution rights currently owned by Sony Pictures Classics
style="text-align:right;"\| February 20, 1998	I Love You, Don't Touch Me!	as Goldwyn Films
style="text-align:right;"\| August 14, 1998	The Chambermaid on the Titanic
style="text-align:right;"\| September 25, 1998	Lolita	as Samuel Goldwyn Films; co-production with Pathé
style="text-align:right;"\| November 6, 1998	Velvet Goldmine	as Goldwyn Films; distributed in the U.S. by Miramax Films; U.S. distribution rights currently owned by Sony Pictures Classics
style="text-align:right;"\| November 13, 1998	Welcome to Woop Woop	as Goldwyn Entertainment Company
style="text-align:right;"\| November 27, 1998	Immortality	as Goldwyn Films; distributed in the U.S. by Miramax Films
style="text-align:right;"\| January 25, 1999	Tinseltown	as Samuel Goldwyn Films
style="text-align:right;"\| May 14, 1999	Tea with Mussolini	as G2 Films
style="text-align:right;"\| June 18, 1999	Desert Blue	as Samuel Goldwyn Films
style="text-align:right;"\| September 17, 1999	Splendor	as Samuel Goldwyn Films; co-production with Summit Entertainment and Newmarket Capital Group