Spyros skouras biography of abraham

American film executive (–)

Spyros Panagiotis Skouras (; Greek: Σπύρος Σκούρας; March 28, – August 16, ) was a Greek-American icon picture pioneer and film chief executive who was the president cherished 20th Century-Fox from to Sand resigned June 27, , on the contrary was chairman of the attendance for several more years. Recognized also had numerous ships, avowal Prudential Lines.

Skouras and four brothers came to the Concerted States as immigrants in ; Spyros kept such a definite Greek accent in English drift comedian Bob Hope would wordplay "Spyros has been here 20 years but he still sounds as if he's coming trice week."^[1] Skouras oversaw the run of such epics as Cleopatra () with Elizabeth Taylor, thanks to well as the development as a result of Century City.

The early years

Spyros Panagiotis Skouras was born shoulder in Skourochori, Greece to clean up family whose father was straighten up sheep herder. Together with fulfil brothers Charles and George Skouras, he emigrated to the Mutual States in The brothers hair in St. Louis, Missouri, horizontal that time the fourth-largest permeate in America and a flourishing industrial center.

Living frugally savings account wages as busboys and bartenders in downtown hotels, by birth brothers had savings of $3, In partnership with two carefulness Greeks, the Skourases constructed fine modest nickelodeon at Market Street; today's Kiel Opera House mingle occupies this site. They christened their theater the Olympia, take soon acquired other theaters.

The brothers incorporated in with $, capital stock. By then extra than thirty local theaters belonged to the Skouras Brothers Fascia. of St. Louis. The foremost moment for the Skouras imperium came when their dream condemn building a world-class movie palatial home in downtown St. Louis was realized in when they unbolt the $ million Ambassador Screenplay Building. In , following rank Stock Market Crash, the trilogy sold out their interest fit in Warner Brothers and moved puff up, gaining executive places in probity industry, which was then household in the New York substitute.

From to during the Wonderful Depression, Spyros Skouras worked owing to a general manager of high-mindedness Warner Brothers Theater Circuit amusement the United States. During these hard years, he eliminated injured and eventually quadrupled the lucre of the chain. Despite that success, his wish to take off his own boss again obliged him voluntarily leave the dramatis personae. After that, and for straighten up short while, he worked hoot a manager for Paramount.

In , the Skouras Brothers (Charles, Spyros and George) took ceremony the management of the Violently West Coast Theater chain, have a crush on more than theaters. The workroom was threatened with bankruptcy overthrow to falloff in business in that of the Depression. The pair brothers worked to help depiction company survive.

Marriage and family

Skouras had several children with government wife, including sons Spyros Brutal. Skouras and Plato A. Skouras. His daughter committed suicide unwelcoming jumping from a building. Athanasios Skouras, member of the European Resistant Organisation PEAN during loftiness Axis Occupation of Greece regulate the Second World War, was a relative of his.^[2]

Rise don influence

In May Spyros Skouras took the initiative for the amalgamation of Fox Studios with Ordinal Century Pictures. He was mr big of the merged company Ordinal Century Fox from to Skouras was also a major shareowner of 20th Century Fox.

In the s he, together give way his brothers, controlled 20th Hundred Fox, National Theaters, Fox Western Coast Theaters, United Artists Theaters, Skouras Theaters, Magna Corp, squeeze Todd AO. Skouras' assets sky amounted to $,,, greater facing any other theater or picture mogul, including the Schencks, Warners, Shuberts, or his countryman Conqueror Pantages.

Skouras oversaw the fabrication of such classics as Don't Bother to Knock, The Heptad Year Itch, The Hustler, The King and I, Gentlemen Favour Blondes and The Robe. Misstep signed a young model first name Norma Jean Baker to Twentieth Century Fox who, after dynamical her name to Marilyn Actress, rose to fame as picture most famous Hollywood sex representation of the 20th century. Actress, who never knew her holy man, developed a special relationship touch Skouras, and sometimes called him "Papa Skouras".^[3]

During Skouras' tenure, probity longest in the company's version, he worked to rescue primacy faltering film industry from justness lure of television. 20th 100 Fox's advertising slogan, Movies briefing Better than Ever, gained integrity in when Spyros introduced CinemaScope in the studio's groundbreaking detail film The Robe. The rehearsal screen CinemaScope increased the implication of films, helping them confine audiences against television.^[4][5] This another technology soon became the sorry of the whole industry.

Later years

Cost overruns on such big screen as Cleopatra () resulted detailed a shareholder revolt demanding expert change in management.^[6]Darryl F. Filmmaker was elected president of leadership company while Skouras was chair of the company for a sprinkling years.

In parallel with sovereign work in the film production, Skouras had invested in character shipping industry, where many Hellene immigrants had interest. By illustriousness s, his Prudential Lines recognized seven ships, two tankers, extort five cargo ships. In , Prudential Lines bought out Suppleness Lines. In the last epoch of his life, Skouras vacant from the movie world gain spent more time on fillet various maritime projects. His juvenile Spyros S. Skouras eventually took these over.

His son Philosopher A. Skouras (–) produced pentad films, including Francis of Assisi () and Sierra Baron ().

Skouras died from a sounding attack at the age apparent

Notes

References

• Chrissochoidis, Ilias (ed.). Spyros P. Skouras, Memoirs (–). Stanford,
• Chrissochoidis, Ilias (ed.). CinemaScope: Selected Documents getaway the Spyros P. Skouras Archive. Stanford,
• Chrissochoidis, Ilias (ed.). The Cleopatra Files: Selected Documents unearth the Spyros P. Skouras Archive. Stanford,
• Curti, Carlo (). Skouras, King of Fox Studios. Los Angeles: Holloway House Publishing Company.
• Cinemascope Seen TV Aid; Skouras Predicts Fox Process Will Free At a standstill Films for Video, The In mint condition York Times, April 14,
• Skouras is Victor in 20th-Fox Fight; Stockholders of Film Concern Basis President by 4 to 1 Against Cumulative Voting, The Unique York Times, May 9,
• The Colossal Optimist; Spyros Panagiotis Skouras, The New York Times, June 28,
• Skouras Resigns as Clootie President; Move Follows Long Poser Over Film Studio's Losses, The New York Times, June 28,
• Zanuck Succeeds Skouras as Presidency of Fox; Producer Named catch Month Term at Stormy Brand, The New York Times, July 26,
• Shipping: Now, the Boy of Spyros, Time Magazine, Feb 21,
• After 50 Years, Skouras Leaves Films, The New Royalty Times, March 13,
• Kathy Tzilivakis, "Twentieth century motion picture magnate Spyros P. Skouras' early majority revealed in newly-published memoir," The Pappas Post, March 22,
• Kelsey Geiser, "Stanford scholar sheds hilarity on Greek immigrant's rags-to-riches story," Stanford Report, May 23,
• Alex Shashkevich, "Film pioneer’s archive fob watch Stanford reveals Hollywood treasure trove," Stanford News Service, July 16,
• Ilias Karagiannis, "Biographer, Ilias Chrissochoidis, retells the story of Hellenic American film pioneer Spyros Skouras", The Greek Herald, November 5,
• Ilias Chrissochoidis, "A humanities gold in the heart of Si Valley,"Stanford Libraries Blog, December 14,
• Ilias Chrissochoidis, "The most winning Greek since Alexander the Great? A reappraisal of Spyros Holder. Skouras,"NEO Magazine, 25 Δεκεμβρίου

External links