| Darryl F. Zanuck Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 6 in |
| Weight | 66 kg |
| Date of Birth | September 5, 1902 |
| Zodiac Sign | Virgo |
| Date of Death | December 22, 1979 |
Darryl F. Zanuck was an American film producer and studio executive who gained widespread prominence as the head of Twentieth Century Fox and was instrumental in developing the Hollywood studio system. He produced numerous classic films, among which are All About Eve (1950), Twelve O’Clock High (1949), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), How Green Was My Valley (1941), Les Miserables (1935), The House of Rothschild (1934), Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), and The Longest Day (1962).
Born Name
Darryl Francis Zanuck
Nick Name
Mark Canfield
Age
He was born on September 5, 1902.
Died
On December 22, 1979, he passed away from pneumonia in Palm Springs at the age of 77 years.
Sun Sign
Virgo
Born Place
Wahoo, Nebraska, United States
Nationality
Occupation
Film Producer, Studio Executive
Family
- Father – Frank Harvey Zanuck
- Mother – Sarah Louise Torpin
- Siblings – Donald Zanuck (Older Brother) (Died in an accident in 1903)
Build
Slim
Height
5 ft 6 in or 167.5 cm
Weight
66 kg or 145.5 lbs
Girlfriend / Boyfriend / Spouse
Darryl F. Zanuck had dated –
- Alice Faye
- Gene Tierney
- Tyrone Power
- Capucine
- Virginia Fox (1924-1979) – He got married to the silent film actress Virginia Fox on January 12, 1924. The couple had raised 3 children together, daughters Darrilyn Zanuck and Susan Marie Zanuck as well as son Richard Zanuck (b. December 13, 1934). Owing to Zanuck’s numerous liaisons, they decided to separate in 1956. However, the duo never formalized their divorce.
- Merle Oberon (1934)
- Carole Landis (1940-1941)
- Marilyn Monroe (1946)
- Anne Baxter (1950)
- Gloria Talbott (1950)
- Corinne Calvet (1950–1951)
- Bella Darvi (1954-1957)
- James Dean (1955)
- Lise Bourdin (1956)
- Juliette Gréco (1959)
- Irina Demick (1963)
- Geneviève Gilles (1965-1973)
Race / Ethnicity
White
Hair Color
Dark Brown
However, his hair had turned ‘Gray’ by the time of his death owing to his advanced age.
Eye Color
Blue
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- He sported a mustache.
- Short height
- He chain-smoked oversized cigars.
- High s**ual drive
Darryl F. Zanuck Facts
- In 1917, he enlisted in the United States Army at the young age of 15 years (by deceiving his recruiter) and fought in World War I.
- Zanuck played a significant role in normalizing the casting couch culture in film studios and would reportedly greet young wannabe actresses during auditions wearing his dressing gown with nothing underneath. In fact, he would conduct these so-called auditions in his 20th Century Fox office every day between 4:00 and 4:30 pm.
- He has been portrayed in various films by different actors such as Peter Maloney in This Year’s Blonde (1980), Sandy McPeak in Marilyn and Me (1991), William Atherton in Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999), etc.
- Zanuck produced/executive produced 3 films that won the ‘Best Picture’ Oscar: How Green Was My Valley (1941), Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), and All About Eve (1950).
- Many of his films addressed pressing social issues of its time like anti-semitism in Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), racism in Pinky (1949), destitution in The Grapes of Wrath (1940) and Tobacco Road (1941), labor exploitation and the environment’s destruction in How Green Was My Valley (1941), and mistreatment of the mentally ill in institutions in The Snake Pit (1948).
- To celebrate his invaluable contribution to the motion picture industry, Zanuck was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6336 Hollywood Boulevard on February 8, 1960.
- He co-produced Steven Spielberg‘s first feature film, The Sugarland Express (1974).
Featured Image by Unknown Author / Wikimedia / Public Domain
