Meyer Gottlieb, who headed Samuel Goldwyn Films and produced films including “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” died Monday in Los Angeles. He was 86.
Tom Rothman, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, said in a statement, “Meyer was a gentleman of the old school. I was fortunate to work for him when he ran the Samuel Goldwyn Company, in the heyday of independent film. I learned an enormous amount from him — most importantly, that it is possible to make a life in Hollywood without sacrificing integrity and honesty, both of which he embodied entirely, along with smarts, wisdom, and kindness. I send my sincere condolences to his loving family during this difficult time.”
Born in Poland just before the Germans invaded, Gottlieb was a Holocaust survivor who lived in Ukraine labor camps during the war and then in a displaced person’s camp in Germany. After a great aunt brought him to Los Angeles, he learned English at school and eventually graduated from UCLA.
He became president and COO of the Samuel Goldwyn Co. in 1988 after helped Samuel Goldwyn Jr. revive the company in 1978 with classic films from Goldwyn’s father’s library.
Among the other films he produced for Goldwyn were “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” remake, starring Ben Stiller. As a top Goldwyn executive, he shepherded releases including the received Michael Apted film “Amazing Grace,” “Mystic Pizza,” “Eat, Drink, Man, Woman,” “Super Size Me” and “The Squid and the Whale.”
He is survived by his wife Pattikay, two daughters and two grandchildren.
