MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was created in 1924 when Marcus Lowe, who owned a chain of
cinemas, bought and merged Metro Pictures with Goldwyn Pictures and then hired
Louis B. Mayer to run the newly created company. Better known as MGM, for four
decades it was the "Tiffany" studio of motion pictures, boasting that
it had "more stars than there are in heaven." The only studio to turn
a profit throughout the entire Great Depression, it seemed to create one
classic after another.
These are just a few.
The 1920s
1924: Greed (75th Anniversary
Restoration)
A
critical and box office disaster at the time, even its mutilated state this
legendary--and notorious--film is now considered one of the great masterpieces
of the silent era.
1925: Ben Hur - Tale of
t 18118k1012s he Christ (1926) (Silent) Many
critics consider this silent film, starring Roman Novarro, superior to the 1959
remake.
1925: Big
Parade
A monster success, this film won the critics, the public, assured director King
Vidor's career, and made a star of John Gilbert.
1926: Flesh
& The Devil
John Gilbert and Greta Garbo proved a scorching combo--as in this, one of the
several films they made together.
1928: The Wind Legendary
and pioneering actress Lillian Gish gave one of her most memorable performances
as an unstable young woman battling the elements.
1928: Our Dancing
Daughters That same year, Joan Crawford suddenly launched to stardom
in this bright tale of star-crossed flappers.
1928: Crowd,
The
Although a great critical success, King Vidor's dark portrait of an
"ordinary man" proved too disconcerting for public liking--but it is
now regarded as a masterpiece.
1928: Show
People
Marion Davies, longtime lover of William Randolph Hurst, was a smash in this
popular comedy.
1929: The Broadway
Melody (Special Edition) All
talking, all singing, all dancing, with a scene in color, and an Academy Award
for Best Picture, too.
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The 1930s
1930: Anna Christie
"Garbo Talks!" advertisements proclaimed--and she made a great hit in
this Eugene O'Neill drama.
1932: Grand Hotel (Snap
case) With a ton of stars, elegant costuming, and a knockout set,
this was a huge hit--and an Oscar winner for Best Picture.
1932: Freaks One of
MGM's few serious ventures into the horror genre, FREAKS was so shocking to 1932
audiences that they ran screaming from the theatre.
1933: Dinner at Eight Jean
Harlow was the blonde bombshell to end all blonde bombshells--and a
tough-talking babe as well when featured in this all-star story of a formal
dinner that goes awry.
1934: The Thin Man
(Keepcase) William Powell,
Myrna Loy, a murder or two, and one of the wittiest scripts going: it just
doesn't get better than this.
1935: A Night at the
Opera Their
careers had taken a downturn--but MGM brought the Marx Brothers back, and with
great success, in this outrageously funny classic.
1935: Mutiny
on the Bounty
Clark Gable and Charles Laughton squared off in this epic and Oscar-winning sea
epic.
1937: The Good Earth The story
of Chinese peasants from the famous Pearl S. Buck novel, it seemed unlikely to
hit--but it did, and it hit big.
1939: The Wizard of Oz
(Three-Disc Collector's Edition) Perhaps
the single most widely seen film in the history of cinema, a timeless classic
starring timeless talents.
1939: The Women
(Keepcase) From the acid-etched Broadway smash by Claire Booth Luce,
the cat-fight to end all cat-fights.
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The 1940s
1942: Mrs.
Miniver
One of the first great war films to emerge from Hollywood, this film not only
picked up a host of Oscars, it turned public sentiment strongly in favor
England as it stood alone against Nazi regime.
1942: Woman
of the Year
Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy had their first pairing in this witty take
on the battle of the sexes.
1943: Cabin in the Sky Ethel
Waters, Eddie Anderson, and Lena Horne lead the cast in this smart screen
adaptation of the Broadway hit--a groundbreaker in its time.
1944: Meet Me In St. Louis (Two-Disc Special Edition) Often
cited as the single best musical ever made, this film is also probably the
single greatest financial success MGM ever had.
1944: Thirty Seconds
Over Tokyo One of
MGM's finest war films, this film actually required
the studio to build a bomber on the soundstage.
1944: National Velvet Elizabeth
Taylor became a major star with this heartwarming tale of a girl, her horse,
and unlikely pairing for a national race.
1944: Gaslight
Ingrid Bergman picked up an Oscar for her performance in this dark and
memorable melodrama.
1946: The Postman
Always Rings Twice Lana
Turner and John Garfield proved as scorching as the often-banned novel in this
memorable film, one of MGM's earliest noirs.
1947: Good
News
Although it doesn't bear much similarity to the original stage show or the
original 1930 screen version, June Allyson and company create the ultimate
"college" musical.
1947: The
Pirate It was a hit at the time--but Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, a
Cole Porter score, and a wickedly funny script make this film one the jewels in
MGM's musical crown.
1948: Easter Parade
(Two-Disc Special Edition) Everybody's favorite Easter musical: Judy Garland, Fred
Astaire, Anne Miller, words and music by Irving Berlin.
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The 1950s
1950: Annie Get Your
Gun Borrowed
from Paramount Studios replace an ailing Judy Garland, Betty Hutton delivers a
knock-out performance in this musical classic.
1951: Show
Boat
The great musical drama by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein gets the
Technicolor treatment starring Katherine Grayson, Howard Keel, and Ava Gardner.
1951: An
American in Paris
Gene Kelly and director Vincent Minnelli bring a full ballet sequence to the
screen in a movie chock-full of magnificent musical numbers.
1952: Singin' in the
Rain (Two-Disc Special Edition) Even
people who don't like musicals like this one: sly, witty, tuneful, and starring
Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor--and, of course, Jean Hagen as the
actress whose voice can peel paint!
1955: I'll Cry Tomorrow Susan
Hayward set the celluloid on fire with her performace as Lillian Roth, singer
and alcoholic.
1955: Blackboard Jungle A startling expose of urban blight and inner city high
school hell, it was also the film that introduced a rock and roll soundtrack to
mainstream cinema.
1956: Forbidden Planet
(Two-Disc Special Edition) William
Shakespeare's THE TEMPEST gets a sci-fi update with MGM production values in
this visually stunning classic.
1957: Jailhouse Rock
(Deluxe Edition) Elvis hit
MGM like a ton of bricks--and proved that he could do a lot more than simply
sing in the process.
1958: Gigi
Generally regarded as the last of MGM's great musicals, GIGI was a high note
for director Vincent Minnelli--and picked up an Academy Award as Best Picture,
too.
1959: North By Northwest Even
Alfred Hitchcock made a stop at MGM, and this audience favorite starring Cary
Grant and Eva Marie Saint was the result.
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