Sam Zimbalist was a Russian-born American film producer and film editor.
16 Facts About Sam Zimbalist
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Sam Zimbalist began his career at 16 as an office boy to Metro Studios president Richard A Rowland.
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Sam Zimbalist began to do some editing in his spare time when films needed to be trimmed to meet censorship requirements.
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Sam Zimbalist became friendly with actress Alla Nazimova, who was under contract to Metro and told her of his desire to be a full editor.
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Sam Zimbalist invited him out to Hollywood in 1920 to become second assistant editor on her films.
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In 1924 Sam Zimbalist returned to Los Angeles seeking film work.
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Sam Zimbalist went to work for them as an assistant editor and soon worked his way up to full editor.
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Sam Zimbalist edited the 1925 version of The Wizard of Oz.
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Sam Zimbalist was promoted to assistant producer in 1929 working for Hunt Stromberg and became a producer on his own in 1936 with Married Before Breakfast.
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Sam Zimbalist produced films including Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, the story of the Doolittle Raiders, King Solomon's Mines and Quo Vadis.
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Sam Zimbalist received a posthumous Oscar for the film, and remains the only person to ever posthumously receive a Best Picture award.
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Sam Zimbalist's Oscar was accepted by his wife Mary Zimbalist, who made a speech in honor of her late husband.
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Sam Zimbalist then married Mary Taylor, a former fashion model and actress, in 1952.
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Sam Zimbalist collapsed suddenly of a heart attack on set in Rome, Italy, during filming of Ben-Hur.
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Sam Zimbalist was taken to his villa where he died.
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Sam Zimbalist was buried at the Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City, California, and left an estate of $500,000.