Irene Mayer Selznick | |
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| Born | Irene Gladys Mayer (1907-04-02)April 2, 1907 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | October 10, 1990(1990-10-10) (aged 83) New York City, U.S. |
| Resting place | Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery |
| Education | Hollywood School for Girls |
| Occupation | Theatrical producer |
| Years active | 1949–1961 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | Louis B. Mayer Margaret Shenberg Mayer |
Irene Gladys Selznick (néeMayer; April 2, 1907 – October 10, 1990) was an Americansocialite andtheatrical producer.
Irene Gladys Mayer was born in Brooklyn, the younger of two daughters born to film producerLouis B. Mayer and his first wife, Margaret Shenberg Mayer.
Her sister, Edith (1905–1987), was nicknamed "Edie."[1] In March, 1930, Edith marriedWilliam Goetz, who became the vice president of20th Century Fox in 1941 and later became the head of production atUniversal-International.[2][3]
Selznick's paternal and maternal grandparents wereBelarusian Jews who immigrated toCanada in the 1880s fromVilnius andKaunas (then territories belonging to theRussian Empire).[4][5]
The Mayer family initially lived inHaverhill, Massachusetts, and then moved toHollywood in 1918. It was there that her father establishedMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer, one of the more successful film studios of its time.[4] She attendedHollywood School for Girls, a private school in Los Angeles.[6] She and her sister Edith both studied singing withEstelle Liebling, the voice teacher ofBeverly Sills.[7]
Irene married producerDavid O. Selznick in 1930. Her husband came from an extremely dysfunctional but talentedfamily, and he was one of the few men who stimulated her intellect. During the marriage, she acted as a hostess to the couple's Hollywood parties. The couple frequently socialized with Hollywood stars, includingIngrid Bergman,Janet Gaynor, andKatharine Hepburn.[8] Selznick was also an executive at her husband's production company.[4] Irene Selznick also did volunteer and charity work and worked as a probation officer for juveniles for Los Angeles County during World War II.[9]
After separating from her husband in 1945, Irene Selznick moved to New York City, where she pursued her love of the theatre.[6] In 1947, she worked with playwrightTennessee Williams and directorElia Kazan and produced her first play,A Streetcar Named Desire, which gaveMarlon Brando his break-out role. The play's success brought her a great deal of respect, and she produced four more plays, among them 1955'sThe Chalk Garden for which she received aTony Award nomination. She retired in 1961.[9]
Considered by her peers within the entertainment industry as one of the foremost historians of Hollywood and Broadway, Selznick published her autobiography,A Private View, in 1983.[8]
Mayer and Selznick had two sons, Lewis Jeffrey (1932–1997) and Daniel Selznick (1936-2024),[10] both of whom became film producers.[11] Daniel married Susan Warms Dryfoos, daughter ofOrvil E. Dryfoos.[12]
However, David O. Selznick's constant philandering and frequent financial problems as a result of a gambling addiction led to their growing apart, which resulted in her leaving Selznick in 1945.[6][13] Their divorce became final on January 22, 1949.[14]
She was a close friend of Katharine Hepburn for several decades, but distanced herself from her late in life.[15]
Irene Mayer Selznick died on October 10, 1990, from complications from breast cancer at her apartment atThe Pierre in Manhattan.[9] Her remains were returned to California, where she was interred next to her mother in the Mausoleum, Hall of Graciousness,Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery inCulver City, California.[16]
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