Saul Zaentz (/ˈzænts/; February 28, 1921 – January 3, 2014) was an American film producer and former record company executive. He won the Academy Award for Best Picture three times and in 1996 was awarded the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award.Zaentz's film production career was marked by a dedication to the adaptation of the novel. A prolific reader, Zaentz typically did not produce original screenplays.