Ernst Goldschmidt, the former head of international sales at United Artists and co-founder of Orion Pictures, has died aged 92.
Goldschmidt’s career in the film industry spanned over 50 years. He started in 1957 as a salesman with MGM in Zurich before joining United Artists (UA) in 1958 as general manager of its Swiss office, before taking the reins at UA/Germany.
He was promoted to European sales manager in Paris in 1968 and then named president of UA Europe two years later. UA relocated him to New York in 1975 as vice president of international sales.
During his 22 year tenure at UA Goldschmidt oversaw international distribution on the James Bond franchise, the Beatles movies, The Graduate, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Rocky and Annie Hall.
In 1979 Goldschmidt was part of the UA senior management group which left to found independent studio Orion Pictures.
Goldschmidt was chairman of international, releasing films such as 10, Excalibur, Arthur, Amadeus, Terminator and Platoon, and winning four Best Pictures Academy Awards.
Other notable films handled by his division included Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Quest for Fire, Desperately Seeking Susan and Woman in Red.
Goldschmidt left Orion Pictures in 1988 to form his own production and distribution company Sovereign Pictures achieving success with films such as Cinema Paradiso, My Left Foot, Reversal of Fortune, The Commitments and Hamlet, winning four Oscars in its first two years of operation.
Finally, he returned to Europe, joining Pandora Cinema in Paris as president of international and during his tenure oversaw distribution of the multi-Oscar winning Shine and international feature Oscar winner Kolya.
Goldschmidt passed away on December 2 from heart failure in his hometown of Badenweller in Germany. He is survived by his wife Marie Therese, as well as his first wife Rennee and their two children Patrick and Deborah and several grandchildren.
No comments yet