Edgar Selwyn (October 20, 1875 – February 13, 1944) was a prominent figure in American theater and film in the first half of the 20th Century. He co-founded Goldwyn Pictures in 1916.Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Selwyn flourished in the Broadway theater as an actor, playwright, director, and producer from 1899 to 1942. With his brother Archibald Selwyn (November 3, 1877 - June 21, 1959) he founded the theatrical production company The Selwyns which produced plays on Broadway from 1919 to 1932. The Selwyns owned several theatres in the United States including the Park Square Theatre in Boston; the Hanna Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio; the Selwyn in Chicago; and the Selwyn, Apollo, and Times Square theatres in New York City.Selwyn also worked in Hollywood, producing and directing eight films between 1929 and 1942. Among these was The Sin of Madelon Claudet which Selwyn directed for MGM in 1931. The film starred Helen Hayes, who won an Academy Award for her performance. In addition, Selwyn wrote two screenplays and many more films were adapted from his original plays. He died in Los Angeles, California.In April 1912 Selwyn was one of several famous people who held tickets to New York on the RMS Titanic but did not make the trip as he had a prior engagement to hear the reading of a new play. Selwyn had plans to accompany Henry B. Harris and his wife Rene. Harris perished while Rene survived. His commitment to hearing the play, while others tried to goad him to board the ship, more than likely saved his life.
Edgar and Ruth Selwyn divorced before his death in 1944. They had one son, Russell (nicknamed "Rusty"), who was born during Ruth's previous marriage to a man surnamed Synder, and who was adopted by Edgar during their marriage.
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He became a movie producer with his brother Archibald Selwyn in 1912, eventually merging their All-Star Feature Films Corp. with Samuel Goldfish's (soon to change his name to Samuel Goldwyn) studio to create Goldwyn Pictures Corp. in 1916. He was hired by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1929 as a writer and director, eventually becoming a producer and serving as an editorial assistant to Louis B. Mayer while operating his own production unit.
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He was an actor-playwright in stock companies and on Broadway after the turn of the last century. His first play was the one-act "A Night in Havana" for a stock company. He adapted Gilbert Parker 's novel "Pierre and His People" as "Pierre of the Plains" and acted in it on Broadway in 1911. Also in that year he had his biggest success with his play "The Arab," in which he also starred.
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Before "going Hollywood", he was a successful playwright and producer on Broadway. In 1912 he produced the hit play "Within the Law," which netted approximately $1 million (appromximately $19 million in 2003 dollars) in those pre-income tax days. He was president of Selwyn & Company, Inc., a theatrical production company he owned with his younger brother Archibald Selwyn and Crosby Gaige, from 1914 to 1924.
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