Zanuck began submitting stories to film studios in the early 1920s and was a staff screenwriter for Warner Bros. by 1924. He had a knack for catchy, crafty narratives, including a series of Rin Tin Tin vehicles; more importantly, he displayed energy and a talent for administration which led to his being named production chief in 1929. In this position, Zanuck oversaw the transition to sound (which made Warner Bros. a major studio overnight) and put into production the cycle of gangster movies, bitter social melodramas and musicals for which the studio became renowned.
Zanuck formed 20th Century Pictures with Joseph Schenck in 1933; a year later, the company merged with Fox, with Zanuck positioned as head of production. A shrewd leader, with the ablity to inspire awe and respect from those around him, Zanuck would guide the studio to many a commercial bonanza.
At 20th Century-Fox, Zanuck concentrated first on profit and entertainment and second on ethical or artistic concerns. As he had done at Warner Bros., Zanuck gave audiences what they wanted when they wanted it, from the simple morale-boosting of Shirley Temple vehicles to the superior, war-time Americana of John Ford (THE GRAPES OF WRATH, 1940) and Henry King (WILSON, 1944) to post-war "problem" films like GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT (1947) and NO WAY OUT (1950).
Zanuck went independent in 1956 and suffered a string of flops before scoring a huge success with the WW II epic THE LONGEST DAY (1962). In the same year, he was called back by 20th Century-Fox to save the company from the impending financial disaster brought on by CLEOPATRA (1963). Zanuck took over as president and named his son, Richard D. Zanuck, executive vice president of production. In 1969 he became chairman and CEO and elevated his son to president, only to fire him a year later due to continuing fiscal problems. Zanuck himself resigned in 1971.
See the Internet Movie Database for a complete list of Zanuck's producing, writing and production manager credits.
Nominated for Best Picture 1929-30: DISRAELI - Producer
Nominated for Best Picture 1932-33: 42nd STREET - Producer
Nominated for Best Picture 1934: HOUSE OF ROTHSCHILD - Producer
Nominated for Best Picture 1935: LES MISERABLES - Producer
Nominated for Writing (Original Story) 1936: G-MEN (as Gregory Rogers uncredited) NOTE: THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL NOMINATION. Write-in candidate.
Nominated for Best Picture 1937: IN OLD CHICAGO - Producer
Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award 1937
Nominated for Best Picture 1938: ALEXANDER'S RAGTIME BAND - Producer
Nominated for Best Picture 1940: THE GRAPES OF WRATH - Producer
Best Picture 1941: HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY - Producer
Nominated for Best Picture 1944: WILSON - Producer
Irving G. Thalberg Memoral Award 1944
Nominated for Best Picture 1946: THE RAZOR'S EDGE - Producer
Best Picture 1947: GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT - Producer
Nominated for Best Picture 1949: TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH - Producer
Best Picture 1950: ALL ABOUT EVE - Producer
Irving G. Thalberg Memoral Award 1950
Nominated for Best Picture 1962: THE LONGEST DAY - Producer
14 nominations, 1 write-in nomination, 3 Awards, 3 Honorary Awards