MGM

About this book

"This is the first comprehensive history of MGM from its origins in 1905 to the present. 'MGM's extant corporate records are not available to researchers, but the vast amount of reliable information now available on the internet and from published sources has made this endeavour possible. Following a straightforward chronology corresponding to specific periods of film industry history, each chapter describes how successive managements adjusted their production strategies and business practices in response to evolving industrial and market conditions. As the production subsidiary of the Loew's Inc. theatre chain, MGM spent lavishly on its pictures and injected them with plenty of star power. The practice helped sustain MGM's preeminent position during the heyday of Hollywood. But MGM was a conservative company and watched as other studios innovated sound and the widescreen revolution, adjusted to television, and welcomed independent producers. By the sixties, the company, sans its theatre chain, was in decline and was ripe for a takeover. A defining moment occurred in 1969, when Kirk Kerkorian, a Las Vegas entrepreneur, made a successful bid for the company. There followed a tumultuous thirty-six year period when Kerkorian bought and sold MGM three times. Meanwhile, MGM never regained its former status and has functioned as a second-tier company to this day. Focusing on MGM's top talent--such as Irving Thalberg, David O. Selznick, Arthur Freed, King Vidor, Vincente Minnelli, Greta Garbo, Judy Garland, Clark Gable and Mickey Rooney--and award-winning films, this book highlights the studio's artistic achievements and status within the industry" --