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Ah, the mighty MGM. Remember what it stands for? Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Metro was once a small film company on it’s own, but combined with the credit-less Sam Goldwyn and today’s mogul – it became the super-studio! But let’s talk about Louis. Good ol’ melodramatic, neurotic Louis...
1884 - 1957
Louis was born in Russia to Jewish parents who immigrated to Canada when he was 3. At age 12, he quit school to help earn money for the family, as his father had a lot of difficulty getting steady work. As a teenager, Louis started a metal salvage business at the nearby harbor and supervised over 200 men – but because he was a minor, his father had to sign the paperwork on his behalf. He did, and he named the company after himself, “J. Mayer & Sons”. Louis fumed about it the rest of his life. He appears to have been quite the brooder, jussayin…
At age 19, Louis’ mother encouraged him to leave home and get away from his abusive father. Louis took her advice and left for Boston, Massachusetts. Why Boston? Well, the chances are good that Louis had a serious crush on the niece of someone he met in Boston previously. Remember, this guy was extra. Highly dramatic and romantic. It only made sense to move to Boston and begin winning the heart of a woman he hadn’t officially met! He had only seen her picture and heard about her from her aunt. But Louis was sold, so off he went.
6 months later, he had earned the heart of his lady fair (Margaret Shenberg), and they were married. He worked several odd jobs, and one of them was working at a local “movie house”. The wheels began to turn – he had an idea! He could have his own theater. Eventually, he was in charge of an old, nearby theater that he'd leased with his boss' help. Louis renamed it The Orpheum and put a “family-friendly” policy in place, showing both films and live entertainment. The theater had been a burlesque house and….yeah, it didn’t have a good reputation! Louis, to his credit, was passionate about keeping movies moral and “respectable”, and went out of his way to find films that matched his values.
Before too long, Louis was managing several theaters in the Massachusetts area – but it wasn’t enough. No, he wanted more. For a few years, he tried his hand at producing theatrical shows in New York. This was rather short-lived, as the theatrical world wasn’t fond of newcomers with limited funds – so he decided to get into film distribution. He called his company The Louis B. Mayer Film Company. One of his best film suppliers at the time? Jesse L. Lasky, of course!
The early film industry was a whirlwind of constant changes – and Louis’ early career was no exception. But several company re-groupings later, Louis found himself secretary of a film production company: Metro Pictures. Louis was quickly becoming a big man with Metro – and began producing films of his own. As many New York film executives did at the time, he eventually decided to relocate to Hollywood.
In 1918, Louis and his family stepped off the train in the primitive outpost that was Los Angeles. Louis immediately “made over” his wife and 2 daughters, personally regulating their clothing, speech and behavior – even tiny things like the height of their heels and their fingernails. Everything had to “look” just right at all times. The roles he created for them had to be played, or his red-hot temper would take over. His interference with his daughters’ lives continued for years – even long after they’d grown up and got married!
ABOVE & BELOW: A huge celebration of the MGM merger (1924)
In 1923, a wealthy mogul named Marcus Loew visited Louis' small, independent studio. He was so enthusiastic in his presentation that Marcus was beyond impressed. He decided to have Louis manage his newly acquired company, Metro-Goldwyn. Eventually, “Mayer” became the tail-end of the company name, and a new legacy began. But it wasn't all sunshine and daffodils...
Louis at his prestigious office on the enormously successful MGM lot. (year unknown)
Ars Gratia Artis, or “Art for Art’s Sake” became the MGM motto, communicating Louis’ commitment to quality, moral films. It became known as "the" studio to work for. A status symbol, if you will. Louis was especially fond of hosting big studio events and making grandiose speeches on holidays, especially the 4th of July. Highly patriotic as well as dramatic, Louis adopted July 4th as his birthday to show his "patriotism". It may also be because his actual birthday was July 12th, and there were no parades and national celebrations on that day...
Louis thought of his studio as a big family – the ideal family that he’d always wanted as a boy, but never had. He saw himself as the perfect “father” to his actors, and was reportedly very fond of kid actors. Creepy...? I mean. Just like in his own family, he was much too controlling over some of his stars' private lives, and abuse of all kinds occurred if they disobeyed him (or refused his "advances"). So much for your morality bit, Louis… Many forms of media reference this abuse, although (naturally) there is no "proof", as no one dared to sue or file a police report against the almighty L.B. Mayer.
Presenting an Oscar to Carl Laemmle in 1931
In 1951, the head of MGM (Nick Shenck) decided to promote a newer, younger executive named Dore Schary to a position that rivaled Louis'. Oh boy, here goes… Dore knew what the modern audience wanted – and it wasn’t the pious, sticky-sweet films of yesteryear that Louis made. Louis, being the brooder that he was, decided to give Nick an ultimatum: It’s Dore or me! Long story short, Nick chose Dore, and Louis promptly resigned. On his own, Louis tried to produce films independently, as many moguls did – but he never had much success. Louis passed away of leukemia 6 years later, practically forgotten in the always-changing film industry. He was survived by his second wife Lorena, and their daughters Irene and Edith. At his funeral, the rabbi summarized Louis’ passing best, “It is the end of a volume, not a chapter.”
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