The Samuel Goldwyn Writing Awards are bestowed annually by the Samuel Goldwyn Foundation, which is funded by a trust established by the Goldwyn family. Started in 1955, the awards are a competitive writing prize open to all University of California students. As of October, 2006, the first prize in the awards is $15,000.
While winners are unknown students when they receive the award, many go on to be prominent writers and filmmakers. Previous award winners include Francis Ford Coppola, Allison Anders, Carolyn See, Eric Roth, James Robert Baker, Jonathan Kellerman, Colin Higgins, Pamela Gray, Carroll Ballard, and Scott Rosenberg.
The final round of the awards are judged by prominent writers, directors, and entertainers, who have included Moss Hart, Billy Wilder, George Stevens, Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Dustin Hoffman, James Brooks, David Mamet, A. Scott Berg, and David Lynch.
Famous quotes containing the words samuel, goldwyn and/or writing:
“...be men and fight.”
—Bible: Hebrew, 1 Samuel 4:9.
“Sam Goldwyn said, “How’m I gonna do decent pictures when all my good writers are in jail?” Then he added, the infallible Goldwyn, “Don’t misunderstand me, they all ought to be hung.” Mr. Goldwyn didn’t know about “hanged.” That’s all there is to say.”
—Dorothy Parker (1893–1967)
“When, said Mr. Phillips, he communicated to a New Bedford audience, the other day, his purpose of writing his life, and telling his name, and the name of his master, and the place he ran from, the murmur ran round the room, and was anxiously whispered by the sons of the Pilgrims, “He had better not!” and it was echoed under the shadow of the Concord monument, “He had better not!””
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)