Margulies, Irwin, 1907-1976

Irwin Margulies was born in Austria on June 24, 1907, to a family who owned a chain of theaters in New York. He became involved in film exhibition as a small boy, managing the Regent Theatre, a vaudeville house, when he was only 19. Margulies received a B.A. degree from New York University in 1929 and a L.L.B. degree from the New York University Law School in 1931.

Margulies worked as counsel for many motion picture companies, producers, and distributors; radio and television producers, distributors, and personalities, and literary agencies. In 1930, while still a law student, Margulies began his career in the legal department at Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer (MGM), where he worked until 1942. He also held assistant secretary and counsel positions for MGM International Films, Inc. from 1945-47. In addition to the positions he held at MGM, Margulies was employed as general counsel for J. Robert Rubin from 1943-47. He retired from MGM to enter private practice in 1947, forming partnerships with Albert Heit and Stanley Rothenberg. Margulies joined the California Bar Association in 1948.

In 1954, Margulies started work as a vice-president with Horizon Pictures as a result of his representation of Sam Spiegel. He left his position at Horizon Pictures in 1967 to serve as a vice-president in charge of business affairs at Warner Brothers-Seven Arts. In the early 1970s, Margulies left to open his own law office in London returning a few years later to open offices in Los Angeles.

Margulies was the executive producer of the 1973 Walter Shenson Films release Digby--The Biggest Dog in The World.

Margulies died in Los Angeles following a stroke on May 5, 1979, at the age of 71.

From the guide to the Irwin Margulies Collection TXRC97-A4., 1960-1972, (Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center University of Texas at Austin)