February 13th 2025 Auction
A vintage matte sepia photograph of producer Joseph M. Schenck signed with the following inscription: "To my old friend with affectionate - Joe Schenck." The famed executive who played a key role in launching Marilyn Monroe poses in this fantastic oversized image measuring 10.75 by 13". The photo has a tear on the right side but is unaffecting the autograph, in otherwise fine condition.
Joseph Schenck (December 25, 1876 – October 22, 1961) was a Russian-born American film studio executive. Recognizing the potential, in 1909 the Schenck brothers purchased Palisades Amusement Park and afterward became participants in the fledgling motion picture industry in partnership with Marcus Loew, operating a chain of movie theaters.
In 1916, through his involvement in the film business, Joseph Schenck met and married Norma Talmadge, a top young star with Vitagraph Studios. He would be the first of her three husbands, but she was his only wife. Schenck supervised, controlled and nurtured her career in alliance with her mother. In 1917, the couple formed the Norma Talmadge Film Corporation, which became a lucrative enterprise. They divorced in 1934; Schenck then built a home in Palm Springs, California. After parting ways with his brother, Joseph Schenck moved to the West Coast where the future of the film industry seemed to lie. Within a few years Schenck was made the second president of the new United Artists.
In 1933, he partnered with Darryl F. Zanuck to form Twentieth Century Pictures to produce motion pictures for United Artists, until 20th Century merged with Fox Film in 1935. As chairman of the new 20th Century Fox, he was one of the most powerful and influential people in the film business. Caught in a payoff scheme to buy peace with the militant unions, he was convicted of income tax evasion and spent time in prison. He granted a presidential pardon by Harry Truman in 1945. Following his release, he returned to 20th Century Fox where he became infatuated with the then unknown Marilyn Monroe, and played a key role in launching her career.
With One of a Kind Collectibles LOA
Joseph M. Schenck Oversized Signed Photo
Click above for larger image.