W H LU * ★ M T R 0 G 0 L D W Y N LU ★ ★ M A Y R MyiWL- * METRO GOLDWYN ■ MAYER INDEX... UJluii STARS ... FEATURED PLAYERS DIRECTORS Astaire. Fred .... 12 Lynn, Leni. 66 Barrymore. Lionel . 13 Massey, Ilona .67 Beery Wallace 14 McPhail, Douglas 68 Cantor, Eddie . 15 Morgan, Frank 69 Crawford, Joan . 16 Morriss, Ann 70 Donat, Robert . 17 Murphy, George 71 Eddy, Nelson ... 18 Neal, Tom. 72 Gable, Clark . 19 O'Keefe, Dennis 73 Garbo, Greta . 20 O'Sullivan, Maureen 74 Garland, Judy. 21 Owen, Reginald 75 Garson, Greer. .... 22 Parker, Cecilia. 76 Lamarr, Hedy .... 23 Pendleton, Nat. 77 Loy, Myrna . 24 Pidgeon, Walter 78 MacDonald, Jeanette 25 Preisser, June 79 Marx Bros. —. 26 Reynolds, Gene. 80 Montgomery, Robert .... 27 Rice, Florence . 81 Powell, Eleanor . 28 Rutherford, Ann ... 82 Powell, William .... 29 Sothern, Ann. 83 Rainer Luise. .... 30 Stone, Lewis. 84 Rooney, Mickey . 31 Turner, Lana 85 Russell, Rosalind .... 32 Weidler, Virginia. 86 Shearer, Norma . 33 Weissmuller, John 87 Stewart, James .... 34 Young, Robert. 88 Sullavan, Margaret .... 35 Yule, Joe.. 89 Taylor, Robert . 36 Berkeley, Busby . 92 Tracy, Spencer . 37 Bucquet, Harold S. 93 Ayres, Lew. 40 Borzage, Frank 94 Bowman, Lee . 41 Brown, Clarence 95 Bruce, Virginia . 42 Buzzell, Eddie 96 Burke, Billie 43 Conway, Jack 97 Carroll, John 44 Cukor, George. 98 Carver, Lynne 45 Fenton, Leslie 99 Castle, Don 46 Fleming, Victor .100 Curtis, Alan 47 LeRoy, Mervyn 101 Day, Laraine 48 Lubitsch, Ernst.102 Douglas, Melvyn 49 McLeod, Norman Z. 103 Frants, Dalies . 50 Marin, Edwin L. .104 George, Florence 51 Potter, H. C. 105 Gilbert, Helen . 52 Rosson, Richard 106 Granville, Bonita . 53 Schunzel, Reinhold 107 Grayson, Kathryn 54 Soitz, Georgo B.108 Grey, Virginia 55 Simon, S. Sylvan .109 Haden, Sara 56 Sinclair, Robert.110 Holden, Fay . 57 Taurog, Norman ..111 Howard, Mary 58 Thorpe, Richard 112 Hunter. Ian. 59 Thiele, William 113 Hussey, Ruth 60 Tourneur, Jacques .114 Johnson, Rita . 61 Van Dyke, W. S. II .115 Kibbee, Guy . 62 Vidor, King 116 Kilburn, Terry 63 Adrian . 118 Korjus, Miliza .. 64 Dawn, Jack. 119 Lewis, Diana 65 Gibbons, Cedric 120 d ^ 0J O' .s 8 •s § s d» Vh d prints 0) d 0 <M addition negative. ■S o in E< a of T3 • X d d -d d * M8 feet laboratory d 5 o > w annually, 0 0 rO a d1 studio o x >1 g 26,000,000 8 prints o a tj § i The O 0 © u d ^ . and . >* . release d d 6 for <D "rushes" ® „ -8 film etiquette. .S g of daily of feet Oh O modern ,3 0 •£ to prints of data 150,000,000 feet 1 9. of historical average 29,000,000 from to d IQ O an *d m >* d an d & *g s studio a a o O * than telephone a the 0 W in calls d studio O' eat X. .S 0 3 Fd & O The 5 0 rd U w . d 0 . .3 O' . » persons D long-distance d ‘g "d 2,000 -3 3,000. | § •s B more M £ d than b 33 H u handles more P Q of y Approximately and a . 2 PS . 6 „ ® £ stations ,3 § membership eS 50,000. O a 1,200 w, O of l 1 has has city “ 2 S *9 ® ■8 I ■5 E5 r3 **H X employees, exchange average WHO'S WHO AT M E T R O G O LDWYN M A Y E R * * * HOWARD DIETZ GENERAL PUBLICITY DIRECTOR HOWARD STRICKLING DIRECTOR OF STUDIO PUBLICITY (5) TX HE history of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is a As a result, Loew purchased the Metro film story rich in accomplishment, filled with ad¬ company, with studios located on Cahuenga venture and vibrant with dramatic results. Boulevard near Santa Monica in Hollywood. It is an unusual romance of big business Among its stars were Viola Dana, May Alli¬ . and industry based on all of the arts and son, Bert Lytell and Mme. Nazimova. It was many of the sciences. there, too, that Ramon Novarro rose to star¬ Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was founded nearly dom. sixteen years ago . the result of a theater- The Metro output, however, proved insuffi- owner's need for a continuous flow of worth¬ cinet for the theaters in Loew's chain. Plans while pictures. for a larger production organization, to com¬ Needed Good Pictures pete with Paramount and other big com¬ Marcus Loew, Nicholas M. Schenck and panies, were outlined. This was the incep¬ David Bernstein had built up the Loew's The¬ tion of the now combined Metro-Goldwyn- aters organization from a nickelodeon to a Mayer. dominant factor in the amusement field. The The first problem of the new organization company faced many difficulties in obtaining was to find a man with the ability, vision, and good pictures, as the major producers were knowledge of the business to guide the new holding their better attractions for their own organization's production destinies. houses. Louis B. Mayer, starting with a small theater (6) in Haverhill, Mass., had built a powerful What happened in the following twelve chain of houses, and his own film exchange years has never been equalled by any motion in Boston. He had been one of the original picture organization. founders and franchise holders of the Metro "Ben Hur" was completed in 1924. company. Foreseeing the possibilities ahead Then came "The Big Parade," for three suc¬ in the production field, he had given up all cessive years voted in the "ten best" in the his holdings in theaters and exchange, and poll of the nation's critics. In 1925 Mr. Mayer moved with his family to Los Angeles, where saw a young Swedish actress in a film called he took over the old Selig Studio. "Gosta Berling," and the result was the bring¬ In two years he had firmly entrenched him¬ ing of Garbo to M-G-M. self as an outstanding producer, releasing Succeeding silent box office successes down through Metro and First National. Among his the years included "He Who Gets Slapped," pictures were such hits as "The Dangerous "Sinners in Silk," "Wife of the Centaur," "The Age," "Women Who Give," "The Child Thou Tower of Lies," "The Great Divide," "Tess of Gavest Me," and others. Stars under per¬ the D'Urbervilles," "Confessions of a Queen," sonal contract to him were Norma Shearer, "Memory Lane," "The Masked Bride," "The Anita Stewart, Renee Adoree, and Mildred Merry Widow" (Von Stroheim version), "An Harris Chaplin; his directors included Fred Exchange of Wives," "The Midshipman," Niblo, John M. Stahl and Reginald Barker. "Pretty Ladies," "Sally, Irene and Mary" (Joan Crawford's first picture), "The Torrent" (Gar¬ Associated With Thalberg bo's first), "The Temptress," "La Boheme," While at the Mission Road Studio, Mayer "Flesh and the Devil," "The Scarlet Letter," watched the activities of Irving G. Thalberg, "Rookies," "Quality Street," "Tell It to the and made a deal whereby Thalberg became Marines," "The Crowd" and scores of others. his associate there. Harry Rapf, after a bril¬ In 1927 tragedy first laid its finger on the liant producing career with Warner Brothers, studio. On February 24 of that year, Marcus also joined Mayer at his Mission Road plant. Loew, president of the organization, and one Thalberg had started as a clerk in the of the most universally loved figures in all Universal Film Company offices in New York, theaterdom, passed away at Glen Cove, L. I. became secretary to its president, the late Nicholas M. Schenck succeeded Loew as Carl Laemmle, and had remained at the studio president. as the latter's representative in charge of pro¬ In 1928 came the advent of talking pictures. duction. Under Thalberg’s regime Universal The first partial talking picture made by stepped from serials and Westerns to pro¬ M-G-M was "Jimmy Valentine," and the first duction of important features, including "Fool¬ all-talking production was "The Trial of Mary ish Wives," "Merry-Go-Round" and "The Dugan," starring Norma Shearer. At the same Hunchback of Notre Dame." time V/. 5. Van Dyke returned from the South When Loew, Schenck and Bernstein decided Seas with "White Shadows," which proved to extend their production activities, so im¬ one of the great successes in history and pressive had the Mayer company's success be¬ launched the series of exploration pictures come that he was asked to head their affili¬ later made by him. ated interests. Successes in talking pictures included "The Not only did they merge the Metro and Broadway Melody," "The Hollywood Revue," Mayer companies, but also bought the studio "Madame X," "The Last of Mrs. Cheyney," and properties of the Goldwyn company, so "The Bellamy Trial," "The Bridge of San Luis that in May, 1924, there came into being Rey," "The Flying Fleet," "Hallelujah," "Trad¬ the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer production and dis¬ er *Horn," filmed on the Van Dyke African tribution corporation, with Mayer and his as¬ expedition, "Anna Christie" (Garbo's first talk¬ sociate Irving Thalberg, in charge of produc¬ ing picture), "Strangers May Kiss," "Susan tion. J. Robert Rubin completed the trium¬ Lennox," "The Big House," "Min and Bill," "A virate partnership, handling the New York Free Soul," "The Sin of Madelon Claudet," end as general counsel and vice-president. "Grand Hotel," "Emma," "Mata Hari," "The Many of the employees present at the merg¬ Guardsman," "The Red Headed Woman," ing celebration still remain with the studios. "Tugboat Annie," "Strange Interlude," "Ras¬ Many Noted Stars putin and the Empress," "Treasure Island," The stars at that time were Mae Murray, "Rip Tide," "Viva Villa," "The Barretts of John Gilbert, Lillian Gish, Lon Chaney, Ramon Wimpole Street," "The Merry Widow" and Novarro and Antonio Moreno.