January, 1920, Selznick Pictures was shipping film cans and finalizing play dates with mid-Atlantic exhibitors from this second story office at 523 13th Street NW, Washington, D.C. From the ground floor, just between Hepner's Hair Emporium and J.M. Stein & Co. "Young Men's Tailor, " a glass door led upstairs.
On the wall outside, above 13th Street, hung storied names of the 1920 screen: Eugene O'Brien, Owen Moore, Arthur Guy Empey, Elaine Hammerstein, Elise Janis, Olive Thomas (she poisoned herself that September in Paris). "Selznick Pictures Create Happy Hours" Selznick ads proclaimed.
Lewis J. Selznick—the father of David O. Selznick, the producer, and Myron Selznick, the agent— ran Selznick Pictures in January 1920 from a similar no-frills office at Seventh Avenue and 49th Street in Manhattan. Selznick's story varied little from the Hollywood mogul archetype.
Born in Kiev as Laiser Zeleznick and fled. Dubbed himself "Lewis J. Selznick" to Americanize himself. Thrived in Pittsburgh as jewelry merchant until he migrated to New York in 1910. Opened a diamond emporium and failed. Entered the movie business in 1914 in Fort Lee, New Jersey as prime mover of World Films. Distributed, produced, and otherwise created hundreds of shorts, features, and news reels (moving through successive corporate names as wind passes through morning).
In New York, Selznick played impresario to movie star Clara Kimbell Young (when she or her disgruntled husband and Selznick weren't suing each other). In Hollywood, Selznick was partner of Adolph Zukor (when the two of them weren't litigating each other). Operating then as Lewis J. Selznick Productions, Inc, Selznick filed for corporate bankruptcy in 1923. He was then 55. He retired.
Selznick's sons, Myron and David—who in 1920 at 22 and 18, respectively, had served as corporate director and corporate secretary of Lewis J. Selznick Films—stayed on in the movie business. Myron became a legendary talent agent. Among other films, David O. Selznick produced Gone With the Wind (1939).
