William B. Goetz (March 24, 1903 – August 15, 1969) was an American film producer and studio executive. Goetz was one of the founders of Twentieth Century Pictures, and later served as vice president of 20th Century Fox after the merger with the Fox Film Company. At Universal-International, he was the head of production from 1946. Early life Born to a Jewish working-class family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Goetz was the youngest of eight children. His mother died when he was ten years old and shortly thereafter his father abandoned the family. Raised by older brothers, at the age of twenty-one he followed some of his brothers to Hollywood where he found work as a crew hand at one of the large studios. After a few years, he gained production responsibilities and, in 1930, was made an associate producer at the Fox Company. Career In 1932, Goetz received the financial support necessary from his new father-in-law, Louis B. Mayer, to become a minor partner with Joseph Schenck, the former president of United Artists, and Darryl F. Zanuck from Warner Bros. to create Twentieth Century Pictures. Zanuck was named president, and Goetz served as vice-president. Successful from the very beginning, their 1934 film The House of Rothschild was nominated for Academy Award for Best Picture. In 1935, Twentieth Century bought the financially strapped Fox Films to create 20th Century Fox. Goetz served as vice president of 20th Century Fox, but in 1942, he took charge of the studio temporarily when Zanuck, a veteran of World War I, joined the United States military effort in World War II. Goetz liked the top role in the company, and after Zanuck returned, relationships became strained. In 1943, Goetz resigned to form his own independent company with Leo Spitz, a former lawyer who worked as a movie company advisor. Their partnership, International Pictures, ended its short-lived existence when they made a deal in July 1946 to merge with the British Rank Organisation's distribution arm and Universal Pictures. Goetz was made president and placed in charge of production for the newly merged Universal-International studio. Although one of the studio executives who formulated the 1947 Waldorf Statement, Goetz later softened his stand on the issue. In 1949, Goetz called upon his close friendship with MCA head Lew Wasserman, one of the more powerful agents in Hollywood. They revolutionized the motion picture industry when they agreed to a deal