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Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Image:MGM lion.jpg
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. (or MGM) islarge media company, involved primarily inproductiondistributioncinematelevision programs. Its principal subsidiariesMGM Studios Inc, United Artists Corporation, UA FilmsOrion Pictures Corporation.

The nametaken fromthree companies that formedcorporate mergercreate MGM Studios1924; Metro Picture Corporation (formed1915), Goldwyn Picture Corporation (1917),Louis B. Mayer Pictures (1918), undercontrolmovie theater magnate Marcus Loew. Louis B. Mayer becamestudio boss,Irving Thalberg,"Boy Wonder", was headproduction. They took onmotto Ars Gratia Artis (ArtArt's Sake)their trademark lion, "Leo"1928.

Notafter this merger, Loew died, leaving control ofstudioshis associate Nicholas Schenck; Schenck then attemptedsellpropertieswhat would later become 20th Century Fox, but was unsuccessful. Mayer was quite displeasedthis,tensions between himSchenck would be delicate from this point onward.

Under Mayer'sThalberg's management, MGM Studios becamelargest film companyHollywood (althoughwere actually locatedCulver City) bymid-1930s. In this era,producednumberclassic films, including Grand Hotel andTarzan series,made stars outGreta GarboJoan Crawford, among others. Thalberg was removed from his position as headproduction1932, after disputesMayerSchenck,subsequently sufferingheart attack; at that point, Mayer started bringingindependent producers (notably David O. Selznick)coverstudio's output. When Thalberg returnednext year, he was reducednothing more thanunit producer.

After Thalberg's death1936, Mayer had full control ofday-to-day production duties ofstudio,MGM's output progressed fromliterary works Thalberg had preferred tocrowd-pleasers Mayer preferred. Between 1936 andstartWorld War II, MGM producednumbernow-classic films, including Gone WithWindThe WizardOz. Duringwar, MGM threw itself head-first into war support; many MGM stars helped sell war bondsperformed at USO shows, andfew MGM personnel (notably James StewartClark Gable) enlisted.

During this time, MGM also became heavily involved inanimation business. Their animation department started inlate 1930s, when Hugh HarmanRudolph Ising came over from Warner Bros. Later on, MGM became homeTex Avery (who joined them1941 afterdisputeWarners producer Leon Schlesinger). Tex producednumberfamous shorts at MGM, including Red-Hot Riding Hood, Swing Shift Cinderella, andDroopy series. MGM's biggest cartoon stars, however, werecat-and-mouse duoTomJerry. Created by William HannaJoseph Barbera, TomJerry won MGM several Oscarsnominations.

Afterwar, MGM underwentsea change,started primarily producing musicals. Most ofgreat starssongdance workedMGM attime, including Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly,Frank Sinatra. Despitesuccess,studio eventually hitlull around 1948,Schenck demanded"new Thalberg". Writerproducer Dore Schary was hiredthis job,almost immediatelyconflicts began. Mayer's tastewholesomeness"beautiful" movies went completely against Schary's desiremessage picturesgritty realism. There were also questionsMayer's integrity;example, he was saidspend more time atracetrack than atstudio. By 1951, Mayer was fed up; he calledhead officesaid, "It's either him, or me." Schenck picked Schary, ousting Mayer frompost he'd held27 years. Mayer died1957.

Asstudio system faded inlate 1950s1960s, so did MGM's prestige. In 1957,studio lost money forfirst time, andburgeoning production costsRaintree County promptedstudiorelease Schary from his contract. 1957 also markedend ofclassic cartoon era at MGM whenMGM brass shutteredunit. HannaBarbera leftfound their own company, Hanna-Barbera Productions,productionTomJerry shorts was outsourced, first toEastern European-based unit led by Gene Deitch,thenChuck Jones's "Sib Tower 12 Productions". Jones' group also produced their own works, winning an Oscar forcartoon versionThe Dot andLine, as well as producingclassic Christmas special HowGrinch Stole Christmas! Jones' associationMGM ended1967.

In 1959, Loew's was forcedsell its theaters, creating another financial burden; MGM betcompany's future onremakeBen-Hur, which ended up becoming one ofbiggest hits ever. There was alsophenomenontelevisiondeal with,while MGM's first attempts were inauspicious (M-G-M Parade), later shows (such as The Thin Man, The CourtshipEddie's Fatherespecially CHiPs) performed better.

Despite all this,company never made money consistently,many managersbusinessmen went throughcompany's upper management, tryingstemlosses.

The firm was purchased (some say raided) by Nevada millionaire Kirk Kerkorian1969. He downsizedcompanysold off massive amountshistorical memorabilia, including Dorothy's red slippers (from The WizardOz),several acresMGM's backlots (which were razedbuild houses).

Through1970sstudio output slowed considerably; Kerkorian sold MGM's distribution system1973,gradually distanced himself fromdaily operation ofstudio. The studio did managereleasefew well-remembered films, such as Shaft, Logan's Run,Fame. In 1979, Kerkorian issuedstatement claiming that MGM was now primarilyhotel company; however, he also managedexpandoverall film libraryproduction system withpurchaseUnited Artists1981. In 1986 he soldstudiosTed Turner.

Turner kept ownership ofcombined MGM/UAexactly 74 days. Both studios had huge debts (in particular UA, which was still hurting fromfailureHeaven's Gate),Turner simply could not affordkeep them under those circumstances;recoup his investment, he sold allUnited Artists andMGM trademark backKerkorian. The studio lot was soldLorimar, which was later acquired by Warner Bros;1990,lot was soldColumbia Pictures,exchange forhalfWarner's lot they'd rented since1970s. Turner keptMGM back catalog, however, which passed onWarners as well1996.

Also1990,studio was purchased by Italian financier Giancarlo Parretti Parretti eventually defaulted onloans he'd usedbuystudio,his bank, Credit Lyonnais, foreclosed on him1992. Lyonnais was unablestemtidered ink during1990s (despitefew criticalcommercial successes),soldstudio backKerkorian (as part ofgroup composedhis Tracinda company andAustralian Seven Network)1996.

In 1997, MGM purchased Metromedia International's studio properties (Orion Pictures, Goldwyn Entertainment, andMotion Picture CorporationAmerica), further enlarging their movie back catalog. Since then, MGM has hadfew theatrical hits (such aslater James Bond films Legally Blonde), but has also made money releasing its now-gigantic libraryfilmshome video.

Notable films include:

Tablecontents
1 1930s
2 1940s
3 1950s
4 1960s
5 1970s
6 1980s
7 1990s
8 2000s
9 External link

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

External link


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