Born to aJewish family,[2] Zimbalist began his career at 16 as an office boy toMetro Studios presidentRichard A. Rowland. He began to do some editing in his spare time when films needed to be trimmed to meet censorship requirements.[1]
He became friendly with actressAlla Nazimova, who was under contract to Metro and told her of his desire to be a full editor. She invited him out to Hollywood in 1920 to become second assistant editor on her films. In 1923 when Nazimova's contract with Metro ended, he returned with her to New York and became her assistant stage manager on Broadway.[1][3]
In 1924 Zimbalist returned to Los Angeles seeking film work. Metro pictures had merged with Sam Goldwyn's company to become MGM. Zimbalist went to work for them as an assistant editor and soon worked his way up to full editor. He edited the 1925 version ofThe Wizard of Oz. Among the films he edited at MGM wereLon Chaney'sWhile the City Sleeps (1928),Alias Jimmy Valentine, the studio's first sound film, andThe Broadway Melody (1929), the first sound musical.[1][3]
He produced films includingThirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944), the story of theDoolittle Raiders,King Solomon's Mines (1950) andQuo Vadis (1951). The latter two both receivedAcademy Award nominations forBest Picture.Quo Vadis was MGM's second-highest-grossing film at the time behindGone with the Wind and MGM's most profitable film of the era with worldwide rentals of $23 million on a cost of $7 million.[5]
Based on the success ofQuo Vadis, he was made producer of MGM's most elaborate production until that time, the 1959 epicBen-Hur.[5][6]
He received aposthumousOscar for the film, and remains the only person to ever posthumously receive a Best Picture award.[7] His Oscar was accepted by his wife Mary Zimbalist, who made a speech in honor of her late husband.Ben-Hur was even more profitable thanQuo Vadis becoming MGM's second-highest-grossing film at the time (again, behindGone With the Wind) making Zimbalist the producer of the second- and third-highest-grossing films at the studio.
^ab"SAM ZIMBALIST, 57, FILM-MAKER, DEAD".The New York Times. November 5, 1958. p. 39.
^ab"SAM ZIMBALIST, FILM CHIEF, DIES: Noted Producer, 57, Suffers Heart Attack on Supercolossal 'Ben-Hur' Set in Rome".Los Angeles Times. November 5, 1958. p. 4.
