Meyer Gottlieb, a longtime force in independent film distribution and a producer whose credits include “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” has died. He was 86. Gottlieb died Monday at his Los Angeles home, according to reports, and tributes from industry leaders began circulating soon after. Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group chairman and CEO Tom Rothman called him “a gentleman of the old school,” adding that working for Gottlieb taught him “it is possible to make a life in Hollywood without sacrificing integrity and honesty.”
Gottlieb’s career paired a business-first skill set with a taste for specialty cinema. He worked as a senior manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers before teaming with Samuel Goldwyn Jr. during the late-1970s launch of the company that later evolved into Samuel Goldwyn Films. That organization built its identity by acquiring and releasing art-house titles from around the world for U.S. audiences, then expanding into production and a deeper library strategy.
His producing slate reflected that dual focus on prestige and accessibility. The Peter Weir-directed “Master and Commander,” starring Russell Crowe, earned two Academy Awards. Gottlieb also received producer credits on films including “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” (the 2013 remake starring Ben Stiller), “Mystic Pizza,” “The Preacher’s Wife,” “Super Size Me,” and Noah Baumbach’s “The Squid and the Whale.”
Colleagues often linked his professional discipline to a life shaped by survival. Gottlieb was born in Poland in 1939 and spent part of his childhood in a Ukrainian camp with his mother before they moved through postwar displacement, later relocating to the United States and rebuilding in Los Angeles. In 2016, Yad Vashem’s American Society honored him with a Legacy Award, citing his consistent willingness to speak publicly so Holocaust memory would not fade. Gottlieb is survived by his wife Pattikay, daughters Deborah and Robin, and grandchildren Sabrina and Eric.
