Darryl F. Zanuck

Darryl Francis Zanuck (September 5, 1902 – December 22, 1979) was an American film producer and studio executive; he earlier contributed stories for films starting in the silent era. He played a major part in the Hollywood studio system as one of its longest survivors (the length of his career was rivaled only by that of Adolph Zukor). He earned three Academy Awards as producer for Best Picture during his tenure but was responsible for many more.

Zanuck was a writing and producing partner at Warner Bros. in the 1920s and later became the studio's head of film production in 1931. He left in 1933 and would go on to co-found 20th Century Pictures, which then became 20th Century Fox in 1935.