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To immediately see Louis Mayer's story, click here... To immediately see Irving Thalberg's story, click here... To immediately see Marcus Loew's story, click here...
Metro Goldwyn Mayer. A brand name, a power-house stud studio, and a lion named Leo, that roared before each film!
ENOUGH said!
The head & brass of the studio was Louis B. Mayer.
Catch him out of the studio lots...and he was the nicest person on earth.
Catch him on studio grounds, he was ruthless, bold & all business.
He was blunt, to the point, and didn't like bullshit...
If you either liked it, or you could "just go screw yourself... either way - I'll be eating my ice cream tonight!!
Just the way it, & he, was.
Three principles that came standard by way of any MGM film...quality, moral standards, and reputation.
If it had the LION roaring at the front - you could bet your sweet ass, QUALITY would rein!!
LB Mayer is THE FATHER of COLOR in film..
L.B. was on top in Hollywood, and he was ruthless to stay on top.
Get in his way???
and you would be plowed over. It was well known - & no warning would be given..
A theater entrepreneur named Marcus Leow with MASSIVE financial power, L.B., & Irving Thalberg, were the creative forces behind the lion's roar.. It's VERY important to note - MGM nowadays is owned by money greed powerhouse, SONY.. However - without the brains and brawn of the 3 before mentioned - there WOULD BE NO MGM today!! Period. Exclamation point.. & END OF STORY! ALOT (TOO MUCH).. of MGM's history.. Has been STOLEN not by everyday common crooks..
But by LARGE companies ((Warner, unfortunately!!)),
& greedy individuals ((Ted Turner 🖕, who is a POS [piece of SHIT] in my book!))
who were careless and out to meet their own needs.. Caring NONE for hisotry & preservation..
MGM's is a complex story & will be told through the bio's of the THREE THAT MATTER!!! Hopefully - their bio's will stand to preserve what others have mishandled!! Ted Turner, who has NO talent, 0.. But wanted a piece of Hollywood so bad that he just bought it.. Does in NO way make him a legend.. & well - history since all the brothers passed, is something that has never much been on their 'priority' list.. NOTHING pisses me off more - than being in a store and seeing, "The Wizard of Oz", on the shelf, and seeing the Warner shield on the cover.. That kinda game woulda NEVER been played by ANY of the brothers!!
You just don't take the credit for something - that has someone else's dna & sweat all over it!! That being said...
LB, Irving, & Marcus - together - created among the most beautiful pictures, and among the most powerful studio in Hollywood.
Light's, camera, and action.. the story begins ..
"I wanna make beautiful pictures about beautiful people!" Ahhh - the great Louis B. Mayer!! Do you enjoy the Oscars every year? You can thank Louis for that! Also the 'main' Hollywood innovator who hatched the idea for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
LB Mayer
LOUIS BURT MAYER was born Ezemiel Mayer on July 4th, 1885 in Minsk, Byelorussia, Russian Empire (now Belarus). His parents immigrated to America when lil Louis was just three. His parents moved with him to Saint John, New Brunswick, where his father became a junk dealer and his wife sold chickens door to door. After graduating from elementary school, young Mayer joined his father's business, which had become a profitable scrap metal operation. Louis set up his own junk business in Boston, and in 1904, he married the daughter of a local kosher butcher. In 1907 Mayer bought a small rundown motion picture theater in Haverhill, Massachusetts. He renovated the auditorium and announced a policy of top-quality films only and within a few years he owned the largest theater chain in New England. In 1916 he moved to Los Angeles and formed his own producing company, which in 1924 after a series of mergers, and bringing the future name Samuel Goldwyn on-board, and merging with Marcus Loew, president and founder of the powerful Metro Pictures Corp.became known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Read LB's full bio here...
HOLLYWOOD's ORIGINAL BOY WONDER.. IRVING THALBERG.. aka 'THE SHIT' in Hollywood... I'm not a huge fan of sports. I like cheering for my team from the sidelines after the game...annd I tune in to the Super Bowl for the commercials, much like any other Hollywood fanatic. But you know how, during the time of year that is gearing up for football season, and the coach of a certain team picks his lineup and everyone says, "WOW, he has a good team this year - he picked all the good players..that team is gonna kick
Thalberg
assholes!" Well...Irving was kinda like that...except he did it with TALENT UNSEEN, and the moviekicked assholes!! He had the ability to watch someone and know right off if they were right for an upcoming film. A lot of well known actors in the golden days, owed their careers to Irving doing just that! Plucking them off the street to put them in film because he knew they would make that film kick asshole! In fact, Drew Barrymore should be revelling at Irving...for he discovered her formers...Lionel Barrymore, Ethel Barrymore, and John Barrymore! But this isn't about them..it's about him, Irving... So here is HIS story...
If there has EVER been a case stronger, of sheer & extreme power in Hollywood greater than this mans...I have yet to see it. Trust me - I have seen a lot, studied alot, and am full aware of the folks who run Hollywood today...."they aint gat it..like he had it!" He preferred to run his operations from behind the scenes...waaaay behind the scenes. He hated press and avoided them like the plague!! This is why he had Louie Mayer!! Mayer loved "GOOD" press and always strived to make it .. 'good press' - was good for business
Loew
Simple as THAT! Anyway - Loew hated it!! That was a well known fact in Hollywood. An old Hollywood rumor says Sam Goldwyn knew this and decided one day to play a joke on LB Mayer. He informed Mr. Loew "he overheard LB (Mayer) tell the press they needed to go to Loew, with their questions." No one knows what happened, or if the press contacted Loew, who woulda then contacted Mayer pissed, no doubt! It was ironic the next week however, Sam Goldwyn got his nose busted while in the shower at the gym. The culprit?? LB himself!! LB didn't say a word...just came up and socked him in the nose. Clearly a prank gone BAD, if ever there was!! HAHA - that's one of my favorite Hollywood tales, right there.. Read more on Loew here...
Compilation of "LION RAAWRS - thru the years!" ~ Enjoy!!
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