It all began in 1924 because Marcus Loew's Eastern theaters needed more films. Neither Loew's own studio, Metro Pictures, nor his friend, Producer Louis B. Mayer, could keep up with the demand. The big chance came when another fledgling named Sam Goldwyn decided to unload his Culver City studio. Loew's Inc. put up $5,000,000 worth of stock for Goldwyn's lot and launched it, under Mayer's supervision, as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.*
Stocky, Russian-born L. B. Mayer, then 39 and an experienced film salesman, was especially sure of one thing: glamorous personalities were the movies' surest box office winners. Not everyone agreed with him, but by...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
