Studio tributes

[Johann]

Part II: The Lion Reigns Supreme


MGM had an entire Army for film production. Scores of cameramen (1925's BEN-HUR had 40 of them alone, to shoot the chariot race).
A costume department that could crank out thousands of costumes for one movie, costumes that were designed in terms of how they would look with the sets. They had the best Art department in the movie business: headed by Cedric Gibbons. He is credited with the MGM "LOOK"- Gibbons had his hands on every phase of production, just like Thalberg- stage plans, elevations, choreography, props- you name it- he initialed it.

Mayer always tells studio employees "Make it Good. Make it Big. Give it Class. You'll have a job for Life".

One of the best films ever made at MGM was Camille, and it was dedicated to Irving Thalberg- incredibly it was the only time he got a producers credit, because he believed "Any credit you give yourself is not worth having".
Rare man, huh?
Camille was a Thalberg project, and Mayer directed David O. Selznick to finish working on the films Thalberg was working on when he died.
The run-up to World war II is a fascinating one. Mayer had connections in Washington- he was President Hoover's first weekend guest at the White House, and whenever foreign dignitaries were to be hosted, Mayer would be the one to organize the events, showman that he was.
He even got Washington to block the sale of Loew's company (and MGM with it!) to William Fox. That bit of trivia blew my mind.

Films of note from this period:
The Great Waltz, The Great Ziegfeld, Marie Antoinette, Mutiny on the Bounty, Saratoga, Andy Hardy (cheesy series with Mickey Rooney), The Thin Man, Young Dr. Kildare, Maytime, A Yank at Oxford (Vivien Leigh's debut), Goodbye, Mr. Chips- produced when MGM started making films in England- a big hit- Fury (Fritz Lang directs Spencer Tracy in his best role), Captains Courageous- Best Actor winner for Spencer Tracy, Boys Town- another Best Actor winner for Tracy, Broadway Melody of 1938, Babes in Arms, The Wizard of Oz- all Judy Garland films

interjection: This film makes clear who the men were and who the boys were.
Clark Gable and James Stewart were man enough to end their movie careers and join the military to fight in WWII.
Gable eventually earned the rank of Major (amazing!) and Stewart earned the rank of Colonel, winning a distinguished flying cross as a pilot. He shot down enemy aircraft!
You'd better have respect for these two MEN. They did their duty, and after the war they resumed their movie careers. How awesome is that? Clark Gable lost his wife Carol Lombard in a plane crash before he joined the Army, and before he went to war he said "I don't give a damn if I come back or not".
That's a Man's Man right there!
Van Johnson, on the other hand....didn't go to war- he just played a different serviceman every other week!
Mickey Rooney didn't sign up for war either. He stayed behind with the women and children.
I guess dying for your country isn't as appealing as eating in the MGM commissary?
MGM made propaganda films for the war, and they sent Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland and Lana Turner on USO tours to entertain the troops.
*nauseating*
Rooney had talent, but he annoys me. He seems to over-act.
Greta Garbo may have been MGM's biggest star, but Judy Garland fit that bill to me.
She was an amazing talent. That much is obvious. Sing, dance, act- pure energy and enthusiam. Total package.

Wartime film Mrs. Miniver was described by Winston Churchill as More powerful than six armoured divisions. That film was the truest reflection of how Allies felt towards the threat, and it is powerful to watch. Greer Garson (a housewife enduring the horrors of war) slaps Nazis!
You can't argue with a filmed image! That film hit below the belt- and Hitler saw it. That movie hit a nerve.
Mayer gave speeches denouncing the attack on life and liberty that the war presented, and everybody in America MOBILIZED.

This volume begins with discussions about Adrian, the famous costume designer and Cedric Gibbons. He won 11 Oscars (and designed the statuette). Gibbons is credited with the atmospheres, the tapestries, the mystery, majesty and magic of MGM. He did the special effects, supervised models and miniatures and we're told he had impeccable taste and dressed impeccably well. Right after the death of Irving Thalberg there still lingered an aura of "Pursuit of Cinematic Excellence" that he dedicated himself to.
Irving Thalberg was the Fire behind it all.
2 years before his death Louis B. Mayer created a secret team to take over when Thalberg would go: "The College of Cardinals".
The Cardinals were executives who would each handle a production unit and be responsible for the films Thalberg wouldn't get to complete.
Mayer is described as a "paragon of virtue", a philistine, ruthless, temperamental, avuncular and a total showman- his "surprise" birthday parties are testament to that. He would always be "surprised" by these surprise bithdays, where he would be showered with accolades and gifts- all organized by himself.
Helen Hayes notes that for all his "good", he was EVIL.
And I get that.
I see that.
Another reason why I don't like Louis B. Mayer. The last words he muttered were "Nothing matters. Nothing matters." He was 72, dead of leukemia Oct. 29, 1957.
After Irving Thalberg's death film production surged ahead. It soared.
Child stars like Jackie Cooper, Freddie Bartholomew and Mickey Rooney were promoted and considered malleable long-term investments (as long as they never asked for any more money). Mayer is now completely in control, The Monarch, we're told.
On June 7, 1937 Jean Harlow dies at age 26 of uremic poisoning. Her mother's religious beliefs prevented her from getting the proper medical treatment. A tragedy.
Mickey Rooney says everything seemed to close up on the lot to honor Jean's passing. It was like a family member had died.
We're told that her death in some ways seemed to be symbolic of the end of the Thalberg era.

Jeanette MacDonald is given a small profile, and she is also a screen beauty. Wowza. Love Jeanette MacDonald.

This volume runs through personalities/stars:

Lewis Stone, Myrna Loy, Clark Gable, Lionel Barrymore, Robert Taylor, Vivien Leigh, Roddy McDowall, Spencer Tracy, Ricardo Montalban, Jerry Maren (a munchkin in The Wizard of Oz), Joan Crawford, we bid farewell to Norma Shearer, we learn of the "blunder" picture with Greta Garbo: Two-Faced Woman, a disaster for MGM- the beginning of Garbo leaving the studio for good, June Alyyson, Lana Turner, Hedy Lamarr (Wow what a sexy exotic woman!), Katherine Hepburn and Greer Garson.
Great to see such classic, vintage footage of these people in interesting movies. MGM movies are not really up my alley- I don't go apeshit over MGM films because of how they just threw money at any old movie and if it flopped then it flopped. No big deal. The process and art form should have more respect than that. I'm not saying you can't make a special one-off if it's for "PRESTIGE", but how often does that happen and then we're left with a classic?
You dig?
MGM has got way too many "prestige" flops under their banner. $$$$$$ went down the DRAIN, Mandingo. A LOT OF MONEY.
And this is a film studio that couldn't be saved in any way?
Wow.