Spyros skouras biography of michael

American film executive (–)

Spyros Panagiotis Skouras (; Greek: Σπύρος Σκούρας; March 28, – August 16, ) was a Greek-American motion picture pioneer and film executive who was the president of 20th Century-Fox from to He resigned June 27, , but was chairman of the company for several more years.

He also had numerous ships, owning Prudential Lines.

Skouras and two brothers came to the United States as immigrants in ; Spyros kept such a pronounced Greek accent in English that comedian Bob Hope would joke "Spyros has been here twenty years but he still sounds as if he's coming next week."^[1] Skouras oversaw the production of such epics as Cleopatra () with Elizabeth Taylor, as well as the development of Century City.

The early years

Spyros Panagiotis Skouras was born in in Skourochori, Greece to a family whose father was a sheep herder. Together with his brothers Charles and George Skouras, he emigrated to the United States in The brothers settle