Schenk, Joseph M., 1876-1961

Film studio executive and amusement park owner Joseph M. Schenk was born on December 25, 1879 in Rybinsk, Russia. He and his family emigrated to New York, New York in 1893. Schenk and his brother Nicholas began working in the entertainment business at amusement parks in New York, and the two eventually purchased the Palisades Amusement Parks. Using their profits, the brothers opened a chain of movie theaters with Marcus Loew. In 1924 Schenk accepted the position of chairman of the board of United Artists Corporation, and brought in the talents of Buster Keaton, Gloria Swanson and William S. Hart. He assisted in making the corporation profitable, and when the president, Hiram Abrams, died, Schenk assumed his position. in 1933 he and Darryl F. Zanuck founded Twentieth Century Pictures, which merged with Fox Films to make Twentierh Century-Fox Film Corporation in 1935. Schenk served as executive producer and president, and retired in 1957.

Schenk married once to Norma Talmadge in 1916 and formed the Norma Talmadge Film Corporation in 1917, but the couple divorced in 1934. The two remained on good terms even after court settlements. Schenk suffered a stroke in 1961, which he never fully recovered from, and he died on October 22, 1961 in Los Angeles.

Sources:

"Joseph Schenck". Prabook.Com, Last modified 2021. https://prabook.com/web/joseph.schenck/937833.

Zierold, Norman J. The Moguls. Los Angeles: Silman-James Press, 1991.