Revision as of 23:58, 10 November 2014 view source86.139.136.163 (talk) →History: c/e← Previous edit | Revision as of 01:19, 12 November 2014 view source 68.98.224.182 (talk)No edit summaryNext edit → | ||
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{{pp-protected|reason=] from IPs|expiry=10 November 2014|small=yes}} | |||
{{Redirect|MGM}} | {{Redirect|MGM}} | ||
{{Mergefrom|MGM-Pathé Communications|date=August 2014}} | {{Mergefrom|MGM-Pathé Communications|date=August 2014}} | ||
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| foundation = April 17, 1924 | | foundation = April 17, 1924 | ||
| founder = ] | | founder = ] | ||
| location = 245 North ]<ref>{{cite web|author=The Metro - Goldwyn - Mayer Building |url=http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/17265065/245-North-Beverly-Drive-Beverly-Hills-CA/ |title=245 North Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, CA, 90210 - Office Building Property - Off-Market on |publisher=Loopnet.com |date=2011-07-27 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> ] 90210, ] | |||
| location = ] 90210, ] | |||
| key_people = ]<br/>(] and CEO)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mgm.com/corporate/section/bio/id/0/index.html|title=MGM Studios: Corporate Info|accessdate=December 20, 2010}}</ref><br/>], President of Film Division<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.deadline.com/2011/02/jonathan-glickman-new-mgm-film-president |title=Jonathan Glickman Named MGM Film Prez |last=Finke |first=Nikki |authorlink=Nikki Finke |work=] |date=2 February 2011 |accessdate=2013-09-20}}</ref><br/>Ken Schapiro, COO<ref name="Deadline 2011-2-14">{{cite web|last=Fleming |first=Mike |url=http://www.deadline.com/2011/02/breaking-mgm-names-qualia-capitals-ken-schapiro-new-coo/ |title=Breaking: MGM Names Qualia Capital's Ken Schapiro New COO |publisher=Deadline.com |date=2011-02-14 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> | | key_people = ]<br/>(] and CEO)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mgm.com/corporate/section/bio/id/0/index.html|title=MGM Studios: Corporate Info|accessdate=December 20, 2010}}</ref><br/>], President of Film Division<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.deadline.com/2011/02/jonathan-glickman-new-mgm-film-president |title=Jonathan Glickman Named MGM Film Prez |last=Finke |first=Nikki |authorlink=Nikki Finke |work=] |date=2 February 2011 |accessdate=2013-09-20}}</ref><br/>Ken Schapiro, COO<ref name="Deadline 2011-2-14">{{cite web|last=Fleming |first=Mike |url=http://www.deadline.com/2011/02/breaking-mgm-names-qualia-capitals-ken-schapiro-new-coo/ |title=Breaking: MGM Names Qualia Capital's Ken Schapiro New COO |publisher=Deadline.com |date=2011-02-14 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> | ||
| industry = Film | | industry = Film | ||
| products = Motion pictures<br/>Television programs | | products = Motion pictures<br/>Television programs | ||
| revenue = | | revenue = | ||
| owner = ]<br/>(1924–1959)<br/>Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.<br/>(1959–1980)<br/>Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Film Co.<br/>(1980–1981)<br/>MGM/UA Entertainment Co.<br/>(1981–1986)<br/>]<br/>(1986)<br/>MGM/UA Communications Co.<br/>(1986–1990)<br/>]<br/>(1990–1992)<br/>]<br/>(1992–1997)<br/>]<br/>(1997–2005)<br/>]<br/>(2005–present) | |||
| parent = ] | |||
| subsid=]<br>] | | subsid=]<br>] | ||
| homepage = {{URL|mgm.com}} | | homepage = {{URL|mgm.com}} | ||
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{{Very long|section|date=August 2014}} | {{Very long|section|date=August 2014}} | ||
}} | }} | ||
===Founding=== | |||
===]=== | |||
In 1924, movie theater magnate ] bought ] (founded in 1916) and ] (founded in 1917) to provide a steady supply of films for his large ] chain. However, these purchases created a need for someone to oversee his new Hollywood operations, since longtime assistant ] was needed in New York headquarters to oversee the 150 theaters. Loew addressed the situation by buying ] Pictures on April 17, 1924. Because of his decade-long success as a producer, Mayer was made a vice-president of Loew's and head of studio operations in California, with ] and ] as heads of production. For decades, MGM was listed on movie title cards as "Controlled by Loew's, Inc." | In 1924, movie theater magnate ] bought ] (founded in 1916) and ] (founded in 1917) to provide a steady supply of films for his large ] chain. However, these purchases created a need for someone to oversee his new Hollywood operations, since longtime assistant ] was needed in New York headquarters to oversee the 150 theaters. Loew addressed the situation by buying ] Pictures on April 17, 1924. Because of his decade-long success as a producer, Mayer was made a vice-president of Loew's and head of studio operations in California, with ] and ] as heads of production. For decades, MGM was listed on movie title cards as "Controlled by Loew's, Inc." | ||
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Marcus Loew died in 1927, and control of Loew's passed to Nicholas Schenck. In 1929, ] of ] bought the Loew family's holdings with Schenck's assent. Mayer and Thalberg disagreed with the decision. Mayer was active in the California Republican Party and used his political connections to persuade the ] to delay final approval of the deal on ] grounds. During this time, in the summer of 1929, Fox was badly hurt in an automobile accident. By the time he recovered, the ] in the fall of 1929 had nearly wiped Fox out and ended any chance of the Loew's merger going through. Schenck and Mayer had never gotten along (Mayer reportedly referred to his boss as "Mr. Skunk"),<ref>{{cite book |title=MGM: When the Lion Roars |last=Háy |first=Peter |authorlink=Peter Háy (Canadian author, publisher and bookseller) |year=1991 |publisher=Turner Publications |isbn=978-1-878685-04-9 |url= }}</ref> and the abortive Fox merger increased the animosity between the two men. Also, in 1933, ] was in the process of acquiring bankrupt ] and its 1700 theatres, until profits from ]'s risque features rescued the failing Paramount.{{Citation needed|date=August 2014}} | Marcus Loew died in 1927, and control of Loew's passed to Nicholas Schenck. In 1929, ] of ] bought the Loew family's holdings with Schenck's assent. Mayer and Thalberg disagreed with the decision. Mayer was active in the California Republican Party and used his political connections to persuade the ] to delay final approval of the deal on ] grounds. During this time, in the summer of 1929, Fox was badly hurt in an automobile accident. By the time he recovered, the ] in the fall of 1929 had nearly wiped Fox out and ended any chance of the Loew's merger going through. Schenck and Mayer had never gotten along (Mayer reportedly referred to his boss as "Mr. Skunk"),<ref>{{cite book |title=MGM: When the Lion Roars |last=Háy |first=Peter |authorlink=Peter Háy (Canadian author, publisher and bookseller) |year=1991 |publisher=Turner Publications |isbn=978-1-878685-04-9 |url= }}</ref> and the abortive Fox merger increased the animosity between the two men. Also, in 1933, ] was in the process of acquiring bankrupt ] and its 1700 theatres, until profits from ]'s risque features rescued the failing Paramount.{{Citation needed|date=August 2014}} | ||
⚫ | ===MGM's golden age=== | ||
]]] | ]]] | ||
From the outset, MGM tapped into the audience's need for glamour and sophistication. Having inherited few big names from their predecessor companies, Mayer and Thalberg began at once to create and publicize a host of new stars, among them ], ], ], ], and ] (who followed Thalberg from Universal) . Established names like ], ], ], and ] were hired from other studios. They also hired top directors such as ], ], ], ], and ]. The arrival of talking pictures in 1928–29 gave opportunities to other new stars, many of whom would carry MGM through the 1930s: ], ], ], ], ], ], and ] among them. | From the outset, MGM tapped into the audience's need for glamour and sophistication. Having inherited few big names from their predecessor companies, Mayer and Thalberg began at once to create and publicize a host of new stars, among them ], ], ], ], and ] (who followed Thalberg from Universal) . Established names like ], ], ], and ] were hired from other studios. They also hired top directors such as ], ], ], ], and ]. The arrival of talking pictures in 1928–29 gave opportunities to other new stars, many of whom would carry MGM through the 1930s: ], ], ], ], ], ], and ] among them. | ||
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Avery left the studio in 1953, leaving Hanna and Barbera to focus on the popular ''Tom and Jerry'' and ''Droopy'' series. After 1955, all cartoons were filmed in ] until MGM closed its cartoon division in 1957. | Avery left the studio in 1953, leaving Hanna and Barbera to focus on the popular ''Tom and Jerry'' and ''Droopy'' series. After 1955, all cartoons were filmed in ] until MGM closed its cartoon division in 1957. | ||
=== |
===Vogel-Siegel=== | ||
As the studio system faded in the late 1950s and 1960s, MGM's prestige faded with it. In 1957 (by coincidence, the year L.B. Mayer died) the studio lost money for the first time in its 34-year history. Cost overruns and the failure of the 1957 big-budget epic '']'' prompted the studio to release Schary from his contract. Schary's reign at MGM had been marked with few bona-fide hits, but his departure (along with the retirement of Schenck in 1955) left a power vacuum that would prove difficult to fill. Initially ] became president and ] head of production. By 1960, MGM had released all of its contract players, with many either retiring or moving on to television. | As the studio system faded in the late 1950s and 1960s, MGM's prestige faded with it. In 1957 (by coincidence, the year L.B. Mayer died) the studio lost money for the first time in its 34-year history. Cost overruns and the failure of the 1957 big-budget epic '']'' prompted the studio to release Schary from his contract. Schary's reign at MGM had been marked with few bona-fide hits, but his departure (along with the retirement of Schenck in 1955) left a power vacuum that would prove difficult to fill. Initially ] became president and ] head of production. By 1960, MGM had released all of its contract players, with many either retiring or moving on to television. | ||
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MGM fell into a habit in this period that would eventually sink the studio: an entire year's production schedule relied on the success of one big-budget epic each year. This policy began in 1959, when ''Ben–Hur'' was profitable enough to carry the studio through 1960. However, later attempts at big-budget epics failed, among them four films which, in addition to ''Ben–Hur'', were also remakes — '']'' (1960), '']'' (1961), '']'' (1961), and most notoriously, the 1962 '']''. The 1962 Cinerama film '']'', the first film in ] to actually tell a story, was also a flop. But one other epic that was a success, however, was the MGM-Cinerama co-production '']'', with a huge all-star cast. ''King of Kings'', while a commercial and critical flop at the time, has since come to be regarded as a film classic. The losses caused by these films led to the resignations of Sol Siegel and Joseph Vogel who were replaced by ] (head of production) and ] (president). | MGM fell into a habit in this period that would eventually sink the studio: an entire year's production schedule relied on the success of one big-budget epic each year. This policy began in 1959, when ''Ben–Hur'' was profitable enough to carry the studio through 1960. However, later attempts at big-budget epics failed, among them four films which, in addition to ''Ben–Hur'', were also remakes — '']'' (1960), '']'' (1961), '']'' (1961), and most notoriously, the 1962 '']''. The 1962 Cinerama film '']'', the first film in ] to actually tell a story, was also a flop. But one other epic that was a success, however, was the MGM-Cinerama co-production '']'', with a huge all-star cast. ''King of Kings'', while a commercial and critical flop at the time, has since come to be regarded as a film classic. The losses caused by these films led to the resignations of Sol Siegel and Joseph Vogel who were replaced by ] (head of production) and ] (president). | ||
===O'Brien-Weitman=== | |||
The combination of O'Brien and Weitman seemed to temporarily revive the studio. In 1965 MGM released ]'s immensely popular '']'',<ref>{{cite web|author=Uncle Scoopy |url=http://www.scoopy.com/doctorzhivago.htm |title=Doctor Zhivago |publisher=Scoopy.com |date= |accessdate=2011-12-15}}</ref> later followed by such hits as '']'' (1967) and '']'' (1968). However the company's time was taken up fighting off proxy attacks by ]ers, and then MGM backed a series of flops, including '']'' (1970). Weitman moved over to Columbia in 1967 and O'Brien was forced to resign a few years later. | The combination of O'Brien and Weitman seemed to temporarily revive the studio. In 1965 MGM released ]'s immensely popular '']'',<ref>{{cite web|author=Uncle Scoopy |url=http://www.scoopy.com/doctorzhivago.htm |title=Doctor Zhivago |publisher=Scoopy.com |date= |accessdate=2011-12-15}}</ref> later followed by such hits as '']'' (1967) and '']'' (1968). However the company's time was taken up fighting off proxy attacks by ]ers, and then MGM backed a series of flops, including '']'' (1970). Weitman moved over to Columbia in 1967 and O'Brien was forced to resign a few years later. | ||
===Kerkorian takes over and MGM downsized=== | |||
===Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Film=== | |||
] purchased a controlling interest in MGM in 1966 (and was briefly chairman of the board in 1969),<ref>{{cite book|last1=McDougal|first1=Dennis|title=The Last Mogul: Lew Wasserman, MCA, and the Hidden History of Hollywood|date=2001|publisher=Da Capo Press|location=|isbn=0-306-81050-6|edition=1st Da Capo Press ed.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Newman|first1=Peter C.|title=King of the Castle: The Making of a Dynasty: Seagram's and the Bronfman empire|date=1979|publisher=Atheneum|location=New York|isbn=0-689-10963-6|edition=1st American ed.}}</ref> and in 1967 ] became the company's second-largest shareholder.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Norton-Taylor|first1=Robert T. Elson. Edited by Duncan|title=Time Inc: The Intimate History of a Changing Enterprise, 1960-1980|date=1985|publisher=Atheneum|location=New York|isbn=0-689-11315-3|edition=.}}</ref><ref>Diamond, Edwin. "The Power Vacuum at Time Continues.'' ''].'' October 23, 1972.</ref> In 1969, ] purchased 40 percent of MGM from Bronfman and Time, Inc.,<ref name="Lewis">{{cite book|last1=Lewis|first1=ed. by Jon|title=The New American Cinema|date=1999|publisher=Duke Univ. Press|location=Durham |isbn=0-8223-2115-7|edition=3. printing.}}</ref> What appealed to Kerkorian was MGM's Culver City real estate, and the value of 45 years' worth of glamour associated with the name, which he attached to a Las Vegas hotel and ]. As for film-making, that part of the company was quickly and severely ] under the supervision of ] With changes in its business model including fewer pictures per year, more location shooting and more distribution of independent productions, MGM's operations were rationalized. Aubrey sold off MGM's accumulation of props, furnishings and historical memorabilia, including a pair of Dorothy's ] from ''The Wizard of Oz''. Lot 3, {{convert|40|acre|m2}} of back-lot property, was sold off for real-estate development. In 1971, it was announced that MGM would merge with ], a plan which never came into fruition.<ref name=1971sale>{{cite news|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1990-03-08/business/fi-2987_1_mgm-grand |title=MGM/UA Under Kerkorian Meant 20 Years of Change |work=] |date=8 March 1990 |accessdate=2013-09-20}}</ref> | ] purchased a controlling interest in MGM in 1966 (and was briefly chairman of the board in 1969),<ref>{{cite book|last1=McDougal|first1=Dennis|title=The Last Mogul: Lew Wasserman, MCA, and the Hidden History of Hollywood|date=2001|publisher=Da Capo Press|location=|isbn=0-306-81050-6|edition=1st Da Capo Press ed.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Newman|first1=Peter C.|title=King of the Castle: The Making of a Dynasty: Seagram's and the Bronfman empire|date=1979|publisher=Atheneum|location=New York|isbn=0-689-10963-6|edition=1st American ed.}}</ref> and in 1967 ] became the company's second-largest shareholder.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Norton-Taylor|first1=Robert T. Elson. Edited by Duncan|title=Time Inc: The Intimate History of a Changing Enterprise, 1960-1980|date=1985|publisher=Atheneum|location=New York|isbn=0-689-11315-3|edition=.}}</ref><ref>Diamond, Edwin. "The Power Vacuum at Time Continues.'' ''].'' October 23, 1972.</ref> In 1969, ] purchased 40 percent of MGM from Bronfman and Time, Inc.,<ref name="Lewis">{{cite book|last1=Lewis|first1=ed. by Jon|title=The New American Cinema|date=1999|publisher=Duke Univ. Press|location=Durham |isbn=0-8223-2115-7|edition=3. printing.}}</ref> What appealed to Kerkorian was MGM's Culver City real estate, and the value of 45 years' worth of glamour associated with the name, which he attached to a Las Vegas hotel and ]. As for film-making, that part of the company was quickly and severely ] under the supervision of ] With changes in its business model including fewer pictures per year, more location shooting and more distribution of independent productions, MGM's operations were rationalized. Aubrey sold off MGM's accumulation of props, furnishings and historical memorabilia, including a pair of Dorothy's ] from ''The Wizard of Oz''. Lot 3, {{convert|40|acre|m2}} of back-lot property, was sold off for real-estate development. In 1971, it was announced that MGM would merge with ], a plan which never came into fruition.<ref name=1971sale>{{cite news|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1990-03-08/business/fi-2987_1_mgm-grand |title=MGM/UA Under Kerkorian Meant 20 Years of Change |work=] |date=8 March 1990 |accessdate=2013-09-20}}</ref> | ||
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The ] were sold in 1975. In 1979, Kerkorian declared that MGM was now primarily a hotel company. The company hit a symbolic low point in 1980 when ], earlier let go by Columbia following the discovery of his acts of forgery and embezzlement, was installed as MGM's President and CEO. | The ] were sold in 1975. In 1979, Kerkorian declared that MGM was now primarily a hotel company. The company hit a symbolic low point in 1980 when ], earlier let go by Columbia following the discovery of his acts of forgery and embezzlement, was installed as MGM's President and CEO. | ||
===MGM/UA, Turner, and Parretti=== | |||
] | ] | ||
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After the purchase of United Artists, David Begelman's duties were transferred to that unit. Under Begelman, MGM/UA produced a number of unsuccessful films, and he was fired in July 1982. Out of the 11 films he put into production, by the time of his release from the studio, only one film, '']'', proved to be a clear hit.<ref>Harmetz, Aljean (July 12, 1982). '']''.</ref> Not even MGM's greatest asset - its library - was enough to keep the studio afloat.<ref name = "lbm" /> After 1982, the studio relied more on distribution, picking up independent productions, rather than financing their own.<ref name = "lbm" /> | After the purchase of United Artists, David Begelman's duties were transferred to that unit. Under Begelman, MGM/UA produced a number of unsuccessful films, and he was fired in July 1982. Out of the 11 films he put into production, by the time of his release from the studio, only one film, '']'', proved to be a clear hit.<ref>Harmetz, Aljean (July 12, 1982). '']''.</ref> Not even MGM's greatest asset - its library - was enough to keep the studio afloat.<ref name = "lbm" /> After 1982, the studio relied more on distribution, picking up independent productions, rather than financing their own.<ref name = "lbm" /> | ||
⚫ | On August 7, 1985, ] offered to buy MGM/UA. As film licensing to television became more complicated, ] saw the value of acquiring MGM's film library for his superstation ].<ref name = "lbm" /> On March 25 of the following year, the deal was finalized in a cash-stock deal for $1.5 billion,<ref name="Bart" /><ref name = "lbm" /><ref name="Turner">{{cite book|last1=Parsons|first1=Patrick R.|title=Skies: A History of Cable Television|date=2008|publisher=Temple University Press|location=Philadelphia|isbn=1-59213-287-1|edition=}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Stefoff|first1=Rebecca|title=''Ted Turner, Television's Triumphant Tiger|date=1992|publisher=Garrett Educational Corp.|location=Ada, Okla.|isbn=1-56074-024-8}}</ref> and the company was renamed "MGM Entertainment Co.".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/24900226.html?dids=24900226:24900226&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+07%2C+1986&author=Charles+Storch&pub=Chicago+Tribune+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=TURNER+MAY+SELL+EQUITY+IN+COMPANY&pqatl=google |title=Chicago Tribune: Turner May Sell Equity In Company |publisher=Pqasb.pqarchiver.com |date=1986-05-07 |accessdate=2011-12-15 |first=Charles |last=Storch}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1986-06-07/entertainment/ca-10151_1 |title=Turner Sells The Studio, Holds On To The Dream – Los Angeles Times |publisher=Articles.latimes.com |date=1986-06-07 |accessdate=2011-12-15 |first=Morgan |last=Gendel}}</ref> Turner immediately sold MGM's United Artists subsidiary back to Kerkorian for roughly $480 million.<ref name="Bart" /><ref name="Turner" /> But unable to find financing for the rest of the deal, and due to concerns in the financial community over the debt-load of his companies, on August 26, 1986, he was forced to sell MGM's production and distribution assets to United Artists for $300 million.<ref name="Bart" /><ref name="Turner" /><ref name="Fabrikant">{{cite news|last=Fabrikant |first=Geraldine |url=http://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/07/business/turner-to-sell-mgm-assets.html |title=Turner To Sell Mgm Assets |publisher=NYTimes.com |date=1986-06-07 |accessdate=2014-08-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1986-08-27/business/0250090069_1_united-artists-turner-mgm |title=Turner, United Artists Close Deal |work=] |agency=] |date=27 August 1986 |accessdate=2013-09-20}}</ref> The MGM lot and lab facilities were sold to ].<ref name="Fabrikant" /> Turner kept the pre-1986 library of MGM films, along with the pre-1950 ] and ] films which MGM had previously purchased.<ref name="Fabrikant" /> | ||
===MGM Entertainment=== | |||
⚫ | On August 7, 1985, ] offered to buy MGM/UA. As film licensing to television became more complicated, ] saw the value of acquiring MGM's film library for his superstation ].<ref name = "lbm" /> On March 25 of the following year, the deal was finalized in a cash-stock deal for $1.5 billion,<ref name="Bart" /><ref name = "lbm" /><ref name="Turner">{{cite book|last1=Parsons|first1=Patrick R.|title=Skies: A History of Cable Television|date=2008|publisher=Temple University Press|location=Philadelphia|isbn=1-59213-287-1|edition=}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Stefoff|first1=Rebecca|title=Ted Turner, Television's Triumphant Tiger|date=1992|publisher=Garrett Educational Corp.|location=Ada, Okla.|isbn=1-56074-024-8}}</ref> and the company was renamed "MGM Entertainment Co.".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/24900226.html?dids=24900226:24900226&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=May+07%2C+1986&author=Charles+Storch&pub=Chicago+Tribune+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=TURNER+MAY+SELL+EQUITY+IN+COMPANY&pqatl=google |title=Chicago Tribune: Turner May Sell Equity In Company |publisher=Pqasb.pqarchiver.com |date=1986-05-07 |accessdate=2011-12-15 |first=Charles |last=Storch}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1986-06-07/entertainment/ca-10151_1 |title=Turner Sells The Studio, Holds On To The Dream – Los Angeles Times |publisher=Articles.latimes.com |date=1986-06-07 |accessdate=2011-12-15 |first=Morgan |last=Gendel}}</ref> Turner immediately sold MGM's United Artists subsidiary back to Kerkorian for roughly $480 million.<ref name="Bart" /><ref name="Turner" /> But unable to find financing for the rest of the deal, and due to concerns in the financial community over the debt-load of his companies, on August 26, 1986, |
||
How much of MGM's back catalog Turner actually obtained was a point of conflict for a time; eventually, it was determined that Turner owned all of the pre-May 1986 MGM library, as well as the pre-1950 Warner Bros. catalog,<ref name="ymrt">''You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story'' (2008), p. 255.</ref><ref>WB retained a pair of features from 1949 that they merely distributed, and all short subjects released on or after September 1, 1948, in addition to all cartoons released in August 1948.</ref> the '']'' cartoons released by Paramount (both the pre-1950 WB library and Popeye cartoons were sold to ], which was later bought by United Artists), the US/Canadian rights to the RKO library, and a good share of United Artists's own back list, in addition to MGM's television series and '']'', produced by UA. |
How much of MGM's back catalog Turner actually obtained was a point of conflict for a time; eventually, it was determined that Turner owned all of the pre-May 1986 MGM library, as well as the pre-1950 Warner Bros. catalog,<ref name="ymrt">''You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story'' (2008), p. 255.</ref><ref>WB retained a pair of features from 1949 that they merely distributed, and all short subjects released on or after September 1, 1948, in addition to all cartoons released in August 1948.</ref> the '']'' cartoons released by Paramount (both the pre-1950 WB library and Popeye cartoons were sold to ], which was later bought by United Artists), the US/Canadian rights to the RKO library, and a good share of United Artists's own back list, in addition to MGM's television series and '']'', produced by UA. | ||
⚫ | Turner began broadcasting MGM films through his ], and caused a controversy when he began "]" many black-and-white classics. After Kerkorian reclaimed MGM, the MGM/UA name continued to be used, but it changed its name to MGM/UA Communications Co., now using MGM and UA as separate brands.<ref>{{cite news|author=Special to the New York Times |url=http://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/29/business/a-president-for-mgm-ua.html |title=A President For MGM/UA – |publisher=Nytimes.com |date=1986-10-29 |accessdate=2011-12-15}}</ref> | ||
===MGM/UA Communications=== | |||
⚫ | |||
In July 1988, Kerkorian announced plans to split MGM and UA into separate studios. Under this deal, Kerkorian, who owned 82% of MGM/UA Communications, would have sold 25% of MGM to ] (controlled by producers ], ], and ]).<ref>{{cite news| url=http://articles.latimes.com/1988-07-10/news/mn-9452_1_united-artists | work=Los Angeles Times | first=Michael | last=Cieply | title=MGM Movie Unit Expected to Be Sold in Complex Hollywood Deal | date=July 10, 1988}}</ref> The proposition to spin off MGM was called off a few weeks later.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://articles.latimes.com/1988-07-29/business/fi-7947_1_mgm-pictures | work=Los Angeles Times | first=Nina J. | last=Easton | title=Plan to Split MGM Pictures in 2 Falls Through; Future of Troubled Firm Clouded | date=July 29, 1988}}</ref> In 1989, Australian-based ] attempted to buy MGM from Kerkorian, but the deal collapsed.<ref>{{cite news|author=By RICHARD W. STEVENSON, Special to The New York Times |url=http://www.nytimes.com/1989/10/11/business/deal-to-buy-mgm-ua-collapses.html |title=Deal to Buy MGM/UA Collapses - New York Times |publisher=Nytimes.com |date=1989-10-11 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> On November 29, 1989, Turner (owners of the pre-1986 MGM library) attempted to buy Tracinda's entertainment assets such as MGM/UA Communications Co. but the deal failed.<ref>{{cite news|title=Turner Buying MGM/UA|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/29/business/the-media-business-turner-broadcasting-seen-in-talks-to-buy-mgm-ua.html|date=November 29, 1989|work=]|publisher=]|accessdate=2014-10-02}}</ref> | In July 1988, Kerkorian announced plans to split MGM and UA into separate studios. Under this deal, Kerkorian, who owned 82% of MGM/UA Communications, would have sold 25% of MGM to ] (controlled by producers ], ], and ]).<ref>{{cite news| url=http://articles.latimes.com/1988-07-10/news/mn-9452_1_united-artists | work=Los Angeles Times | first=Michael | last=Cieply | title=MGM Movie Unit Expected to Be Sold in Complex Hollywood Deal | date=July 10, 1988}}</ref> The proposition to spin off MGM was called off a few weeks later.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://articles.latimes.com/1988-07-29/business/fi-7947_1_mgm-pictures | work=Los Angeles Times | first=Nina J. | last=Easton | title=Plan to Split MGM Pictures in 2 Falls Through; Future of Troubled Firm Clouded | date=July 29, 1988}}</ref> In 1989, Australian-based ] attempted to buy MGM from Kerkorian, but the deal collapsed.<ref>{{cite news|author=By RICHARD W. STEVENSON, Special to The New York Times |url=http://www.nytimes.com/1989/10/11/business/deal-to-buy-mgm-ua-collapses.html |title=Deal to Buy MGM/UA Collapses - New York Times |publisher=Nytimes.com |date=1989-10-11 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> On November 29, 1989, Turner (owners of the pre-1986 MGM library) attempted to buy Tracinda's entertainment assets such as MGM/UA Communications Co. but the deal failed.<ref>{{cite news|title=Turner Buying MGM/UA|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/29/business/the-media-business-turner-broadcasting-seen-in-talks-to-buy-mgm-ua.html|date=November 29, 1989|work=]|publisher=]|accessdate=2014-10-02}}</ref> | ||
⚫ | In 1990, Italian financier ] announced he was about to buy MGM/UA. Although the French government had scuttled Parretti's bid to buy ] due to concerns about his character, background, and past dealings, Parretti got backing from ] and bought MGM/UA from Kirk Kerkorian. To finance the purchase, Parretti licensed the MGM/UA library to ] for home video and Turner for domestic television rights.<ref name = "lbm" /> He then merged it with his Pathé Communications Group (formerly Cannon Group, a distributor that Parretti had renamed before his aborted bid for Pathé) to form MGM–Pathe Communications Co. The well-respected executive, ], a former president of MGM/UA, was brought on board as CEO of MGM in 1991. However, the same year Parretti's ownership dissolved in a flurry of lawsuits and a default by Crédit Lyonnais, and Parretti faced ]-fraud charges in the United States and Europe. On the verge of bankruptcy and failure, Crédit Lyonnais took full control of MGM–Pathé and converted its name back to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The bank fired Ladd and replaced him with former Paramount executive ] and former Warner Bros. executive ] (as United Artists head). As part of his exit package, Ladd took some of the top properties, including '']''. | ||
===MGM–Pathe Communications=== | |||
⚫ | In 1990, Italian financier ] announced he was about to buy MGM/UA. Although the French government had scuttled Parretti's bid to buy ] due to concerns about his character, background, and past dealings, Parretti got backing from ] and bought MGM/UA from Kirk Kerkorian. To finance the purchase, Parretti licensed the MGM/UA library to ] for home video and Turner for domestic television rights.<ref name = "lbm" /> He then merged it with his Pathé Communications Group (formerly Cannon Group, a distributor that Parretti had renamed before his aborted bid for Pathé) to form MGM–Pathe Communications Co. The well-respected executive, ], a former president of MGM/UA, was brought on board as CEO of MGM in 1991. However, |
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===Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer=== | |||
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']'' were critical and commercial hits for MGM, which was increasingly rare at the time. | In the late 1980s and early 1990s, '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']'' were critical and commercial hits for MGM, which was increasingly rare at the time. | ||
Because of the way it had acquired control of the company, Crédit Lyonnais soon put the studio up for sale, with the highest bidder being Kirk Kerkorian. Now the owner of MGM for the third time, Kerkorian's deal with Mancuso quickly angered John Calley, who quit United Artists and was named head of Sony Pictures Entertainment. By selling a portion of the studio to Australia's ], Kerkorian was able to convince Wall Street that a revived MGM was worthy of a place on the stock market, where it languished until he sold the company to a group of hedge funds tied to Sony, which wanted to control the studio library to promote the ] format. | Because of the way it had acquired control of the company, Crédit Lyonnais soon put the studio up for sale, with the highest bidder being Kirk Kerkorian. Now the owner of MGM for the third time, Kerkorian's deal with Mancuso quickly angered John Calley, who quit United Artists and was named head of Sony Pictures Entertainment. By selling a portion of the studio to Australia's ], Kerkorian was able to convince Wall Street that a revived MGM was worthy of a place on the stock market, where it languished until he sold the company to a group of hedge funds tied to Sony, which wanted to control the studio library to promote the ] format. | ||
===1997–2001: MGM restructures=== | |||
On April 11, 1997, MGM bought ]'s film subsidiaries (], ], and the ]) for US$573 million, substantially enlarging its library of films and television series and acquiring additional production capacity.<ref name="Metromedia">{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/29/business/metromedia-to-sell-film-units-to-mgm-for-573-million.html |title=Metromedia to Sell Film Units To MGM for $573 Million - New York Times |publisher=Nytimes.com |date=1997-04-29 |accessdate=2014-08-06}}</ref> The deal closed in July of that year.<ref>"Years of Hits, Misses Comes to Close." ''].'' July 10, 1997; Bates, James. "MGM Lays Off 85 in Metromedia Film, TV Units." ''Los Angeles Times.'' July 11, 1997.</ref> This catalog, along with the ] franchise, was considered to be MGM's primary asset.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1999/mar/30/business/fi-22412 |title=Deal Cements MGM's Bond to 007 Franchise - Los Angeles Times |publisher=Articles.latimes.com |date=1999-03-30 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=By ANDREW ROSS SORKIN and GERALDINE FABRIKANT; Laura H. Holson contributed reporting to this article. |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/22/business/sony-group-said-to-be-in-talks-to-buy-mgm.html |title=Sony Group Said to Be in Talks to Buy MGM - New York Times |publisher=Nytimes.com |date=2004-04-22 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> In the same year, MGM's long-running cable television series, '']'', first aired.<ref>Shales, Tom. "On a Remote Planet . . . Click: Showtime's Sluggish 'Stargate SG-1'." ''].'' July 26, 1997; Spelling, Ian. "Anderson Leaps Into 'Stargate'." ''].'' July 24, 1997; Parks, Steve. "'Stargate's' Wormholes Might Hook You." ''].'' July 27, 1997.</ref> Kerkorian bought out Seven Network the following year.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1998/08/20/business/company-news-kerkorian-to-increase-stake-in-m-g-m.html |title=Company News; Kerkorian To Increase Stake In M-G-M - New York Times |publisher=Nytimes.com |date=1998-08-20 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> | On April 11, 1997, MGM bought ]'s film subsidiaries (], ], and the ]) for US$573 million, substantially enlarging its library of films and television series and acquiring additional production capacity.<ref name="Metromedia">{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/29/business/metromedia-to-sell-film-units-to-mgm-for-573-million.html |title=Metromedia to Sell Film Units To MGM for $573 Million - New York Times |publisher=Nytimes.com |date=1997-04-29 |accessdate=2014-08-06}}</ref> The deal closed in July of that year.<ref>"Years of Hits, Misses Comes to Close." ''].'' July 10, 1997; Bates, James. "MGM Lays Off 85 in Metromedia Film, TV Units." ''Los Angeles Times.'' July 11, 1997.</ref> This catalog, along with the ] franchise, was considered to be MGM's primary asset.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1999/mar/30/business/fi-22412 |title=Deal Cements MGM's Bond to 007 Franchise - Los Angeles Times |publisher=Articles.latimes.com |date=1999-03-30 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=By ANDREW ROSS SORKIN and GERALDINE FABRIKANT; Laura H. Holson contributed reporting to this article. |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/22/business/sony-group-said-to-be-in-talks-to-buy-mgm.html |title=Sony Group Said to Be in Talks to Buy MGM - New York Times |publisher=Nytimes.com |date=2004-04-22 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> In the same year, MGM's long-running cable television series, '']'', first aired.<ref>Shales, Tom. "On a Remote Planet . . . Click: Showtime's Sluggish 'Stargate SG-1'." ''].'' July 26, 1997; Spelling, Ian. "Anderson Leaps Into 'Stargate'." ''].'' July 24, 1997; Parks, Steve. "'Stargate's' Wormholes Might Hook You." ''].'' July 27, 1997.</ref> Kerkorian bought out Seven Network the following year.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1998/08/20/business/company-news-kerkorian-to-increase-stake-in-m-g-m.html |title=Company News; Kerkorian To Increase Stake In M-G-M - New York Times |publisher=Nytimes.com |date=1998-08-20 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> | ||
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MGM purchased 20% of ] for $825 million in 2001.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/02/business/company-news-mgm-agrees-to-buy-stake-in-4-cable-channels.html |title=COMPANY NEWS; MGM AGREES TO BUY STAKE IN 4 CABLE CHANNELS - New York Times |publisher=Nytimes.com |date=2001-02-02 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> MGM attempted to take over ] in 2003, but failed, and was forced to sell several of its cable channel investments (taking a $75-million loss on the deal).<ref>{{cite news|author=By Andrew Ross Sorkin And Geraldine Fabrikant |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/30/business/the-media-business-mgm-withdraws-bid-for-vivendi-entertainment-units.html |title=THE MEDIA BUSINESS; MGM Withdraws Bid for Vivendi Entertainment Units - New York Times |publisher=Nytimes.com |date=2003-07-30 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=By Geraldine Fabrikant |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/01/business/mgm-to-sell-its-stake-in-three-cable-channels.html |title=MGM to Sell Its Stake in Three Cable Channels - New York Times |publisher=Nytimes.com |date=2003-07-01 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> | MGM purchased 20% of ] for $825 million in 2001.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/02/business/company-news-mgm-agrees-to-buy-stake-in-4-cable-channels.html |title=COMPANY NEWS; MGM AGREES TO BUY STAKE IN 4 CABLE CHANNELS - New York Times |publisher=Nytimes.com |date=2001-02-02 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> MGM attempted to take over ] in 2003, but failed, and was forced to sell several of its cable channel investments (taking a $75-million loss on the deal).<ref>{{cite news|author=By Andrew Ross Sorkin And Geraldine Fabrikant |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/30/business/the-media-business-mgm-withdraws-bid-for-vivendi-entertainment-units.html |title=THE MEDIA BUSINESS; MGM Withdraws Bid for Vivendi Entertainment Units - New York Times |publisher=Nytimes.com |date=2003-07-30 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=By Geraldine Fabrikant |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/01/business/mgm-to-sell-its-stake-in-three-cable-channels.html |title=MGM to Sell Its Stake in Three Cable Channels - New York Times |publisher=Nytimes.com |date=2003-07-01 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> | ||
===Consortium ownership and financial troubles=== | |||
⚫ | ===MGM |
||
In 2005, many of MGM's competitors started to make bids to purchase the studio, beginning with ]. It was not unexpected that Time Warner would bid, since the largest shareholder in the company was Ted Turner. His ] Group had risen to success in part through its ownership of the pre-May 1986 MGM library. After a short period of negotiation with MGM, Time Warner was unsuccessful. The leading bidder proved to be ], backed by Comcast and private equity firms ] (now TPG Capital, L.P.), DLJ and ]. Sony's primary goal was to ensure Blu-ray Disc support at MGM; cost synergies with ] were secondary. Time Warner made a counter-bid (which Ted Turner reportedly tried to block), but on September 13, 2004, Sony increased its bid of US$11.25/share (roughly $4.7 billion) to $12/share ($5 billion), and Time Warner subsequently withdrew its bid of $11/share ($4.5 billion). MGM and Sony agreed on a purchase price of nearly $5 billion, of which about $2 billion was to pay off MGM debt.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://money.cnn.com/2004/09/13/news/fortune500/twx_mgm/?cnn=yes |title=Sony will purchase MGM in a deal worth about $5B: source - Sep. 14, 2004 |publisher=Money.cnn.com |date=2004-09-14 |accessdate=2011-12-15}}</ref><ref>{{Dead link|date=December 2011}}</ref> From 2005 to 2006, the ] domestically distributed films by MGM and UA. | In 2005, many of MGM's competitors started to make bids to purchase the studio, beginning with ]. It was not unexpected that Time Warner would bid, since the largest shareholder in the company was Ted Turner. His ] Group had risen to success in part through its ownership of the pre-May 1986 MGM library. After a short period of negotiation with MGM, Time Warner was unsuccessful. The leading bidder proved to be ], backed by Comcast and private equity firms ] (now TPG Capital, L.P.), DLJ and ]. Sony's primary goal was to ensure Blu-ray Disc support at MGM; cost synergies with ] were secondary. Time Warner made a counter-bid (which Ted Turner reportedly tried to block), but on September 13, 2004, Sony increased its bid of US$11.25/share (roughly $4.7 billion) to $12/share ($5 billion), and Time Warner subsequently withdrew its bid of $11/share ($4.5 billion). MGM and Sony agreed on a purchase price of nearly $5 billion, of which about $2 billion was to pay off MGM debt.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://money.cnn.com/2004/09/13/news/fortune500/twx_mgm/?cnn=yes |title=Sony will purchase MGM in a deal worth about $5B: source - Sep. 14, 2004 |publisher=Money.cnn.com |date=2004-09-14 |accessdate=2011-12-15}}</ref><ref>{{Dead link|date=December 2011}}</ref> From 2005 to 2006, the ] has domestically distributed films by MGM and UA. | ||
MGM announced it would return as a theatrical distribution company. MGM negotiated and struck deals with ], ], Bauer Martinez, and many other independent studios, and then announced its plans to release 14 feature films for 2006 and early 2007. MGM also hoped to increase the amount to over 20 by 2007. '']'', released April 7, was the first film released under the new MGM era. Other recent films under the MGM/Weinstein deal include '']'' and '']''. Upon the MGM/Weinstein films' release on home video, however, full distribution rights revert to Weinstein (under ]). | MGM announced it would return as a theatrical distribution company. MGM negotiated and struck deals with ], ], Bauer Martinez, and many other independent studios, and then announced its plans to release 14 feature films for 2006 and early 2007. MGM also hoped to increase the amount to over 20 by 2007. '']'', released April 7, was the first film released under the new MGM era. Other recent films under the MGM/Weinstein deal include '']'' and '']''. Upon the MGM/Weinstein films' release on home video, however, full distribution rights revert to Weinstein (under ]). | ||
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MGM also announced plans to restructure its worldwide television distribution operation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mgm.com/corp_news_releases.do?id=491|title=MGM Expands Worldwide Television Distribution Group|accessdate=October 24, 2006}}</ref> In addition, MGM signed a deal with ] in which MGM would handle New Line's U.S. film and series television syndication packages. MGM served as New Line's barter sales representative in the television arena until 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mgm.com/corp_news_releases.do?id=500|title=MGM To Handle U.S. Syndication Sales For New Line Television|accessdate=December 16, 2006}}</ref> | MGM also announced plans to restructure its worldwide television distribution operation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mgm.com/corp_news_releases.do?id=491|title=MGM Expands Worldwide Television Distribution Group|accessdate=October 24, 2006}}</ref> In addition, MGM signed a deal with ] in which MGM would handle New Line's U.S. film and series television syndication packages. MGM served as New Line's barter sales representative in the television arena until 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mgm.com/corp_news_releases.do?id=500|title=MGM To Handle U.S. Syndication Sales For New Line Television|accessdate=December 16, 2006}}</ref> | ||
On November 2, 2006, producer/actor ] and his production partner, ], signed an agreement with MGM to run |
On November 2, 2006, producer/actor ] and his production partner, ], signed an agreement with MGM to run United Artists. Wagner will serve as United Artists' chief executive. Cruise will produce and star in films for UA, and MGM will distribute the movies. | ||
Over the next several years, MGM launched a number of initiatives in distribution and the use of new technology and media, as well as joint ventures to promote and sell its products. In April 2007, it was announced that MGM movies would be able to be downloaded through Apple's ] service, with MGM bringing an estimated 100 of its existing movies to iTunes service, the California-based computer company revealed. The list of movies included the likes of modern features such as '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']'', along with more golden-era classics such as '']'' and '']''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tech.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1290495.php/MGM_brings_classic_movies_to_iTunes |title=MGM brings classic movies to iTunes - Monsters and Critics |publisher=Tech.monstersandcritics.com |date=2007-04-12 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> In October, the company launched ] on ], offering a library of movies formatted in Hi Def.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118012749.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 |title=MGM bows first U.K. web |publisher=Variety |date=2009-12-14 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> Also in 2006, MGM licensed its home video distribution rights for countries outside of the United States to ]. MGM teamed up with ] to launch a new channel titled ] on November 1, 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-080728mgm-weigel,0,4506974.story |title=Topic Galleries |publisher=chicagotribune.com |date= |accessdate=2014-07-20}}{{Dead link|date=August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Dead link|date=July 2014}}</ref> On August 12, 2008, MGM teamed up with ] to launch a new video-on-demand network titled '''Impact'''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comcast.com/About/PressRelease/PressReleaseDetail.ashx?PRID=791 |title=News + Information |publisher=Comcast.com |date= |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> On November 10, 2008, MGM announced that it will release full-length films on '']''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cheng |first=Jacqui |url=http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081110-mgm-will-be-first-major-studio-to-put-full-movies-on-youtube.html |title=MGM will be first major studio to put full movies on YouTube |publisher=Ars Technica |date=2008-11-10 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> | Over the next several years, MGM launched a number of initiatives in distribution and the use of new technology and media, as well as joint ventures to promote and sell its products. In April 2007, it was announced that MGM movies would be able to be downloaded through Apple's ] service, with MGM bringing an estimated 100 of its existing movies to iTunes service, the California-based computer company revealed. The list of movies included the likes of modern features such as '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']'', along with more golden-era classics such as '']'' and '']''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tech.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1290495.php/MGM_brings_classic_movies_to_iTunes |title=MGM brings classic movies to iTunes - Monsters and Critics |publisher=Tech.monstersandcritics.com |date=2007-04-12 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> In October, the company launched ] on ], offering a library of movies formatted in Hi Def.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118012749.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 |title=MGM bows first U.K. web |publisher=Variety |date=2009-12-14 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> Also in 2006, MGM licensed its home video distribution rights for countries outside of the United States to ]. MGM teamed up with ] to launch a new channel titled ] on November 1, 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-080728mgm-weigel,0,4506974.story |title=Topic Galleries |publisher=chicagotribune.com |date= |accessdate=2014-07-20}}{{Dead link|date=August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Dead link|date=July 2014}}</ref> On August 12, 2008, MGM teamed up with ] to launch a new video-on-demand network titled '''Impact'''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comcast.com/About/PressRelease/PressReleaseDetail.ashx?PRID=791 |title=News + Information |publisher=Comcast.com |date= |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> On November 10, 2008, MGM announced that it will release full-length films on '']''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cheng |first=Jacqui |url=http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081110-mgm-will-be-first-major-studio-to-put-full-movies-on-youtube.html |title=MGM will be first major studio to put full movies on YouTube |publisher=Ars Technica |date=2008-11-10 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> | ||
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MGM Holdings, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and 160 affiliates had filed for bankruptcy with a prepackaged plan for exiting bankruptcy with management to be taken over by ]'s Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum.<ref name=GT-DEX-2010-CN-MP-X>{{cite news|last=Kawamoto|first=Dawn |title=MGM Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy|url=http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/03/mgm-bankruptcy/|accessdate=September 24, 2012|date=November 3, 2010}}</ref> | MGM Holdings, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and 160 affiliates had filed for bankruptcy with a prepackaged plan for exiting bankruptcy with management to be taken over by ]'s Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum.<ref name=GT-DEX-2010-CN-MP-X>{{cite news|last=Kawamoto|first=Dawn |title=MGM Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy|url=http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/11/03/mgm-bankruptcy/|accessdate=September 24, 2012|date=November 3, 2010}}</ref> | ||
===Post-bankruptcy=== | |||
On December 20, 2010, MGM executives announced that the studio had emerged from bankruptcy.<ref>{{cite web|last=Agard |first=Chancellor |url=http://news-briefs.ew.com/2010/12/20/mgm-out-of-bankruptcy |title=MGM out of bankruptcy | News Briefs | EW.com |publisher=News-briefs.ew.com |date=2010-12-20 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118029320 |title=MGM restructuring becomes official |publisher=Variety |date=2010-12-20 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> Spyglass partners ] and ] became co-Chairs and co-CEOs of the studio. After MGM emerged from bankruptcy, on December 23, 2010, MGM named Ann Mather, the ex-Pixar CFO, to head MGM's new board of directors.<ref name="Deadline 2010-12-23">{{cite web|last=Fleming |first=Mike |url=http://www.deadline.com/2010/12/mgm-sets-ex-pixar-cfo-ann-mather-to-head-new-board-of-directors/ |title=MGM Sets Ex-Pixar CFO Ann Mather To Head New Board of Directors |publisher=Deadline.com |date=2010-12-23 |accessdate=2014-08-06}}</ref> On December 29, 2010, MGM signed a new lease with New York–based group George Comfort & Sons for a six-story building in the corner of 235–269 N. Beverly Drive that was intended to be the new headquarters for William Morris Agency. MGM will be leaving its old headquarters in Century City.<ref name="Deadline 2010-12-29">{{cite web|author=Nikki Finke |url=http://www.deadline.com/2010/12/official-mgm-moving-into-office-building-once-intended-for-old-william-morris-agency/ |title=Official: MGM Moving Into Office Building Once Intended For William Morris Agency |publisher=Deadline.com |date=2010-12-29 |accessdate=2014-08-06}}</ref> | On December 20, 2010, MGM executives announced that the studio had emerged from bankruptcy.<ref>{{cite web|last=Agard |first=Chancellor |url=http://news-briefs.ew.com/2010/12/20/mgm-out-of-bankruptcy |title=MGM out of bankruptcy | News Briefs | EW.com |publisher=News-briefs.ew.com |date=2010-12-20 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118029320 |title=MGM restructuring becomes official |publisher=Variety |date=2010-12-20 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> Spyglass partners ] and ] became co-Chairs and co-CEOs of the studio. After MGM emerged from bankruptcy, on December 23, 2010, MGM named Ann Mather, the ex-Pixar CFO, to head MGM's new board of directors.<ref name="Deadline 2010-12-23">{{cite web|last=Fleming |first=Mike |url=http://www.deadline.com/2010/12/mgm-sets-ex-pixar-cfo-ann-mather-to-head-new-board-of-directors/ |title=MGM Sets Ex-Pixar CFO Ann Mather To Head New Board of Directors |publisher=Deadline.com |date=2010-12-23 |accessdate=2014-08-06}}</ref> On December 29, 2010, MGM signed a new lease with New York–based group George Comfort & Sons for a six-story building in the corner of 235–269 N. Beverly Drive that was intended to be the new headquarters for William Morris Agency. MGM will be leaving its old headquarters in Century City.<ref name="Deadline 2010-12-29">{{cite web|author=Nikki Finke |url=http://www.deadline.com/2010/12/official-mgm-moving-into-office-building-once-intended-for-old-william-morris-agency/ |title=Official: MGM Moving Into Office Building Once Intended For William Morris Agency |publisher=Deadline.com |date=2010-12-29 |accessdate=2014-08-06}}</ref> | ||
On January 4, 2011, MGM and Weigel Broadcasting announced plans to distribute ] nationwide.<ref>{{cite web|last=Albiniak |first=Paige |url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/461770-MGM_Weigel_Taking_Me_TV_Nationwide.php |title=MGM, Weigel Taking Me-TV Nationwide | Broadcasting & Cable |publisher=Broadcastingcable.com |date=2011-01-04 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/01/mgm-creating-classic-tv-channel-to-roar-like-the-fonz-.html |title=MGM launches classic TV service to roar like the Fonz | Company Town | Los Angeles Times |publisher=Latimesblogs.latimes.com |date=2011-01-04 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> On February 2, 2011, MGM named ] to be the film president of MGM. Six days later, MGM was finalizing a distribution deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment to handle distribution of its 4,000 films and DVDs worldwide and on digital platforms, including the two upcoming Bond films: '']'' and ''Bond 24''. There were four studios who were bidding on the Bond distribution rights: ], Warner Bros. Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and Columbia Pictures. Paramount was the first studio who dropped out of the Bond bidding. The deal was finalized on April 13, 2011. Post-bankruptcy, MGM also co-financed SPE's '']''. 20th Century Fox's deal with MGM handling its library distribution worldwide was set to expire in September 2011.<ref name="Deadline 2011-2-8">{{cite web|author=Nikki Finke |url=http://www.deadline.com/2011/02/sony-about-to-recapture-james-bond-23-mgm-leverages-007-for-co-finance-deal/ |title=Sony About To Recapture James Bond #23; UPDATE: MGM Leverages 007 For Deal On Sony's 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' |publisher=Deadline.com |date= |accessdate=2014-08-06}}</ref><ref name="L.A. Times 2011-2-8">{{cite web|author=Ben Fritz |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/02/sony-mgm-distribution-bond.html |title=Sony finalizing distribution and co-financing deal with MGM, including next two 'Bond' films | Company Town | Los Angeles Times |publisher=Latimesblogs.latimes.com |date=2011-02-08 |accessdate=2014-08-06}}</ref> However, the deal was renewed and extended on April 14, 2011 and will expire in 2016.<ref name="Deadline 2011-4-13">{{cite web|author=Nikki Finke |url=http://www.deadline.com/2011/04/toldja-mgm-makes-distribution-deal-with-sony-pictures-that-includes-james-bond/ |title=TOLDJA! MGM Makes Distribution Deal With Sony Pictures That Includes James Bond |publisher=Deadline.com |date= |accessdate=2014-08-06}}</ref><ref name="Deadline 2011-4-14">{{cite web|last=Fleming |first=Mike |url=http://www.deadline.com/2011/04/mgm-re-ups-dvd-deal-with-fox-through-2016/ |title=MGM Re-Ups DVD Deal With Fox Through 2016 |publisher=Deadline.com |date= |accessdate=2014-08-06}}</ref> | On January 4, 2011, MGM and Weigel Broadcasting announced plans to distribute ] nationwide.<ref>{{cite web|last=Albiniak |first=Paige |url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/461770-MGM_Weigel_Taking_Me_TV_Nationwide.php |title=MGM, Weigel Taking Me-TV Nationwide | Broadcasting & Cable |publisher=Broadcastingcable.com |date=2011-01-04 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/01/mgm-creating-classic-tv-channel-to-roar-like-the-fonz-.html |title=MGM launches classic TV service to roar like the Fonz | Company Town | Los Angeles Times |publisher=Latimesblogs.latimes.com |date=2011-01-04 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> On February 2, 2011, MGM named ] to be the film president of MGM. Six days later, MGM was finalizing a distribution deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment to handle distribution of its 4,000 films and DVDs worldwide and on digital platforms, including the two upcoming Bond films: '']'' and ''Bond 24''. There were four studios who were bidding on the Bond distribution rights: ], Warner Bros. Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and Columbia Pictures. Paramount was the first studio who dropped out of the Bond bidding. The deal was finalized on April 13, 2011. Post-bankruptcy, MGM also co-financed SPE's '']''. 20th Century Fox's deal with MGM handling its library distribution worldwide was set to expire in September 2011.<ref name="Deadline 2011-2-8">{{cite web|author=Nikki Finke |url=http://www.deadline.com/2011/02/sony-about-to-recapture-james-bond-23-mgm-leverages-007-for-co-finance-deal/ |title=Sony About To Recapture James Bond #23; UPDATE: MGM Leverages 007 For Deal On Sony's 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo' |publisher=Deadline.com |date= |accessdate=2014-08-06}}</ref><ref name="L.A. Times 2011-2-8">{{cite web|author=Ben Fritz |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/02/sony-mgm-distribution-bond.html |title=Sony finalizing distribution and co-financing deal with MGM, including next two 'Bond' films | Company Town | Los Angeles Times |publisher=Latimesblogs.latimes.com |date=2011-02-08 |accessdate=2014-08-06}}</ref> However, the deal was renewed and extended on April 14, 2011 and will expire in 2016.<ref name="Deadline 2011-4-13">{{cite web|author=Nikki Finke |url=http://www.deadline.com/2011/04/toldja-mgm-makes-distribution-deal-with-sony-pictures-that-includes-james-bond/ |title=TOLDJA! MGM Makes Distribution Deal With Sony Pictures That Includes James Bond |publisher=Deadline.com |date= |accessdate=2014-08-06}}</ref><ref name="Deadline 2011-4-14">{{cite web|last=Fleming |first=Mike |url=http://www.deadline.com/2011/04/mgm-re-ups-dvd-deal-with-fox-through-2016/ |title=MGM Re-Ups DVD Deal With Fox Through 2016 |publisher=Deadline.com |date= |accessdate=2014-08-06}}</ref> | ||
MGM |
MGM is finally moving forward with several upcoming projects, including remakes of '']'' and '']'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118032494?refcatid=4076 |title=MGM looks ahead with ‘Mr. Mom,’ ‘Idolmaker’ |publisher=Variety |date=2011-02-17 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://collider.com/mgm-robocop-poltergeist-remake/76899 |title=MGM Finally Comes Back from the Dead with 5 Projects including Remakes of ROBOCOP and POLTERGEIST |publisher=Collider.com |date=2013-11-20 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> and released their first post-bankruptcy film '']'', which was co-distributed by Columbia Pictures on July 8, 2011. | ||
The new MGM, under Barber and Birnbaum's control, |
The new MGM, under Barber and Birnbaum's control, is focusing on co-investing on films made by another party, which will handle all distribution and marketing for the projects. MGM will handle international television distribution rights for the new films as well as its library of existing titles. It still retains an in-house production service.<ref>{{cite web|author=Ben Fritz |url=http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-mgm-20111213,0,2920058.story |title=MGM film studio remade with a low-profile and a focused strategy - Los Angeles Times |publisher=Latimes.com |date=2011-12-13 |accessdate=2014-08-06}}</ref> | ||
In separate 2011 deals, the rights to MGM's completed films '']'' and '']'' were handed to ] as well as ], respectively.<ref>{{cite web|author=|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2011/09/red-dawn-remake-to-come-out-next-year-from-filmdistrict.html |title='Red Dawn' remake to come out next year from FilmDistrict - latimes.com |publisher=Latimesblogs.latimes.com |date=2011-09-26 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> | In separate 2011 deals, the rights to MGM's completed films '']'' and '']'' were handed to ] as well as ], respectively.<ref>{{cite web|author=|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2011/09/red-dawn-remake-to-come-out-next-year-from-filmdistrict.html |title='Red Dawn' remake to come out next year from FilmDistrict - latimes.com |publisher=Latimesblogs.latimes.com |date=2011-09-26 |accessdate=2014-07-20}}</ref> | ||
As of 2014, MGM currently produces and releases its films through Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and Sony Pictures Entertainment. | |||
On July 31, 2012, MGM announced it would acquire Carl Icahn's stake in MGM Holdings for $590 million. Once the sale is complete, MGM will become a public company.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2012/08/01/icahn-sells-mgm-stake-for-590-million.html?ana=yfcpc |title=Icahn sells MGM stake for $590 million - L.A. Biz |publisher=Bizjournals.com |date=2012-08-01 |accessdate=2014-08-06}}</ref> Also on July 31, MGM sold ], Inc. to ], while retaining its US, Canada, UK, Germany, and joint ventures in Brazil and Australia, to raise fund to buy out ] and prepare for an IPO.<ref>{{cite web|last=Deadline |first=The |url=http://www.deadline.com/2012/08/chellomedia-acquires-mgm-networks/ |title=UPDATE: MGM Networks Sale To Chellomedia To Fund BuyBack of Icahn Shares: LAT |publisher=Deadline.com |date=2012-08-01 |accessdate=2014-08-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Ben Fritz |url=http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/01/entertainment/la-et-ct-mgm-channel-sale-20120801 |title=MGM sells overseas channels amid Icahn buyback, IPO preparation - Los Angeles Times |publisher=Articles.latimes.com |date=2012-08-01 |accessdate=2014-08-06}}</ref> | On July 31, 2012, MGM announced it would acquire Carl Icahn's stake in MGM Holdings for $590 million. Once the sale is complete, MGM will become a public company.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2012/08/01/icahn-sells-mgm-stake-for-590-million.html?ana=yfcpc |title=Icahn sells MGM stake for $590 million - L.A. Biz |publisher=Bizjournals.com |date=2012-08-01 |accessdate=2014-08-06}}</ref> Also on July 31, MGM sold ], Inc. to ], while retaining its US, Canada, UK, Germany, and joint ventures in Brazil and Australia, to raise fund to buy out ] and prepare for an IPO.<ref>{{cite web|last=Deadline |first=The |url=http://www.deadline.com/2012/08/chellomedia-acquires-mgm-networks/ |title=UPDATE: MGM Networks Sale To Chellomedia To Fund BuyBack of Icahn Shares: LAT |publisher=Deadline.com |date=2012-08-01 |accessdate=2014-08-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Ben Fritz |url=http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/01/entertainment/la-et-ct-mgm-channel-sale-20120801 |title=MGM sells overseas channels amid Icahn buyback, IPO preparation - Los Angeles Times |publisher=Articles.latimes.com |date=2012-08-01 |accessdate=2014-08-06}}</ref> | ||
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On October 3, 2012, Birnbaum announced his intention to exit his role as an MGM executive and return to "hands-on" producing. He will remain with the studio to produce films on "an exclusive basis".<ref>{{cite web|author=Nikki Finke |url=http://www.deadline.com/2012/10/mgm-co-chairman-ceo-roger-birnbaum-steps-down-will-become-producer-gary-barber-to-become-sole-chairman-ceo/ |title=MGM's Roger Birnbaum Steps Down To Return To Producing; Gary Barber Now Revived Studio's Sole Chairman & CEO |publisher=Deadline.com |date=2012-10-03 |accessdate=2014-08-06}}</ref> | On October 3, 2012, Birnbaum announced his intention to exit his role as an MGM executive and return to "hands-on" producing. He will remain with the studio to produce films on "an exclusive basis".<ref>{{cite web|author=Nikki Finke |url=http://www.deadline.com/2012/10/mgm-co-chairman-ceo-roger-birnbaum-steps-down-will-become-producer-gary-barber-to-become-sole-chairman-ceo/ |title=MGM's Roger Birnbaum Steps Down To Return To Producing; Gary Barber Now Revived Studio's Sole Chairman & CEO |publisher=Deadline.com |date=2012-10-03 |accessdate=2014-08-06}}</ref> | ||
In 2014 MGM introduced The Works, a channel available in 31 percent of the country, including stations owned by ]. Content includes news, MGM movies, sports and comedy.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/local-tv/exclusive-mgm-launches-digi-net-works/130865|title=Exclusive: MGM Launches Digi-Net The Works|last=Malone|first=Michael|work=]|date=May 2, 2014|accessdate=May 15, 1014}}</ref> | |||
A late 2011 financial report revealed that MGM had acquired ]'s 30% stake in United Artists and once again owned 100% of UA.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/la-fi-ct-mgm-quarter-20120323,0,1843162.story | work=Los Angeles Times | first=Ben | last=Fritz | title=MGM regains full control of United Artists | date=March 23, 2012}}</ref> | |||
A late 2011 financial report revealed that MGM had acquired ]'s 30% stake in United Artists and once again owned 100% of UA.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/la-fi-ct-mgm-quarter-20120323,0,1843162.story | work=Los Angeles Times | first=Ben | last=Fritz | title=MGM regains full control of United Artists | date=March 23, 2012}}</ref> In September 2014, MGM acquired a 55% interest in One Three Media and ], both operated by Hollywood producers ] and ]. The two companies, along with UA, will be consolidated into a new film and television company known as United Artists Media Group. Burnett will be UA's CEO and Downey will become president of Lightworkers Media.<ref></ref> ] (an investor in Burnett and Downey's entertainment assets) will also acquire a minority stake in UA through this deal.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mgm-acquires-majority-stake-mark-734688/|title=MGM Acquires Majority Stake in Mark Burnett's Companies|work=]|date=September 22, 2014|last=Bond|first=Paul}}</ref> | |||
==Corporate affairs== | ==Corporate affairs== |
Revision as of 01:19, 12 November 2014
"MGM" redirects here. For other uses, see MGM (disambiguation).
It has been suggested that MGM-Pathé Communications be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since August 2014. |
File:MGM logo.png | |
Company type | Privately held company Subsidiary of MGM Holdings |
---|---|
Industry | Film |
Predecessor | MCA Inc. |
Founded | April 17, 1924 |
Founder | Marcus Loew |
Headquarters | 245 North Beverly Drive Beverly Hills, California 90210, United States |
Key people | Gary Barber (Chairman and CEO) Jonathan Glickman, President of Film Division Ken Schapiro, COO |
Products | Motion pictures Television programs |
Owner | Loews (1924–1959) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. (1959–1980) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Film Co. (1980–1981) MGM/UA Entertainment Co. (1981–1986) Turner Broadcasting System (1986) MGM/UA Communications Co. (1986–1990) MGM-Pathé Communications (1990–1992) Crédit Lyonnais (1992–1997) Tracinda Corporation (1997–2005) MGM Holdings, Inc. (2005–present) |
Subsidiaries | United Artists Media Group Orion Pictures |
Website | mgm |
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, or simply MGM), is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs.
Once the largest and most glamorous of film studios, MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer Pictures. Its headquarters are in Beverly Hills, California. It's the world's eighth oldest mini-major film studio.
In 1971, it was announced that MGM would merge with 20th Century Fox, a plan which never came into fruition. Over the next thirty-nine years, the studio was bought and sold at various points in its history until, on November 3, 2010, MGM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. MGM emerged from bankruptcy on December 20, 2010, at which time the executives of Spyglass Entertainment, Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum, became co-Chairmen and co-CEOs of the holding company of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Leo logo and mottos
The studio's official motto, "Ars Gratia Artis", is a Latin phrase meaning "Art for art's sake"; it was chosen by Howard Dietz, the studio's chief publicist. The studio's logo is a roaring lion surrounded by a ring of film inscribed with the studio's motto. The logo, which features Leo the Lion, was created by Dietz in 1916 for Goldwyn Pictures and updated in 1924 for MGM's use. Dietz based the logo on his alma mater's mascot, the Columbia University lion. Originally silent, the sound of Leo the Lion's roar was added to films for the first time in August 1928. In the 1930s and 1940s, the studio billed itself as having "more stars than there are in heaven", a reference to the large number of A-list movie stars under contract to the company. This second motto was also coined by Dietz, and was probably first used in 1932.
Overview
This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (August 2014) |
MGM was the last studio to convert to sound pictures, but in spite of this fact, from the end of the silent film era through the late 1950s, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was the dominant motion picture studio in Hollywood. Always slow to respond to changing legal, economic, and demographic nature of the motion picture industry during the 1950s and 1960s, and although at times its films did well at the box office, the studio lost significant amounts of money throughout the 1960s. In 1966, MGM was sold to Canadian investor Edgar Bronfman, Sr., whose son Edgar, Jr. would later buy Universal Studios. Three years later, an increasingly unprofitable MGM was bought by Kirk Kerkorian, who slashed staff and production costs, forced the studio to produce low-budget fare, and then shut down theatrical distribution in 1973. The studio continued to produce five to six films a year that were released through other studios, mostly United Artists. Kerkorian did, however, commit to increased production and an expanded film library when he bought United Artists in 1981.
MGM ramped up internal production, as well as keeping production going at UA, which included the lucrative James Bond film franchise. It also incurred significant amounts of debt to increase production. The studio took on additional debt as a series of owners took charge in the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1986, Ted Turner bought MGM, but a few months later, sold the company back to Kerkorian to recoup massive debt, while keeping the library assets for himself. The series of deals left MGM even more heavily in debt. MGM was bought by Pathé Communications (led by Italian publishing magnate Giancarlo Parretti) in 1990, but Parretti lost control of Pathé and defaulted on the loans used to purchase the studio. The French banking conglomerate Crédit Lyonnais, the studio's major creditor, then took control of MGM. Even more deeply in debt, MGM was purchased by a joint venture between Kerkorian, producer Frank Mancuso, and Australia's Seven Network in 1996.
The debt load from these and subsequent business deals negatively affected MGM's ability to survive as an independent motion picture studio. After a bidding war which included Time Warner (the current parent of Turner Broadcasting) and General Electric, MGM was acquired on September 23, 2004 by a partnership consisting of Sony Corporation of America, Comcast, Texas Pacific Group (now TPG Capital, L.P.), Providence Equity Partners, and other investors.
MGM Resorts International, a Las Vegas-based hotel and casino company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "MGM", is not currently affiliated with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
History
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Founding
In 1924, movie theater magnate Marcus Loew bought Metro Pictures Corporation (founded in 1916) and Goldwyn Pictures (founded in 1917) to provide a steady supply of films for his large Loew's Theatres chain. However, these purchases created a need for someone to oversee his new Hollywood operations, since longtime assistant Nicholas Schenck was needed in New York headquarters to oversee the 150 theaters. Loew addressed the situation by buying Louis B. Mayer Pictures on April 17, 1924. Because of his decade-long success as a producer, Mayer was made a vice-president of Loew's and head of studio operations in California, with Harry Rapf and Irving Thalberg as heads of production. For decades, MGM was listed on movie title cards as "Controlled by Loew's, Inc."
Originally, the new studio's films were presented in the following manner: "Louis B. Mayer presents a Metro-Goldwyn picture", but Mayer soon added his name to the studio with Loew's blessing. Though Loew's Metro was the dominant partner, the new studio inherited Goldwyn's studios in Culver City, California, the former Goldwyn mascot Leo the Lion (which replaced Metro's parrot symbol), and the Goldwyn corporate motto Ars Gratia Artis ("Art for art's sake"). Mayer wanted to replace the Latin motto with "Art is Beholding to the Artist" in English, but was overruled by Schenck.
Also inherited from Goldwyn was a runaway production, Ben–Hur (the silent version), which had been filming in Rome for months at great cost. Mayer scrapped most of what had been shot and relocated production to Culver City. Though Ben–Hur was the costliest film made up to its time, it became MGM's first great public-relations triumph, establishing an image for the company of grandiose productions that persisted for years. Also in 1925, with successes from both The Big Parade and Ben–Hur, MGM surpassed Universal Studios as the largest studio in Hollywood, a distinction it would maintain for over 30 years.
Marcus Loew died in 1927, and control of Loew's passed to Nicholas Schenck. In 1929, William Fox of Fox Film Corporation bought the Loew family's holdings with Schenck's assent. Mayer and Thalberg disagreed with the decision. Mayer was active in the California Republican Party and used his political connections to persuade the Justice Department to delay final approval of the deal on antitrust grounds. During this time, in the summer of 1929, Fox was badly hurt in an automobile accident. By the time he recovered, the stock market crash in the fall of 1929 had nearly wiped Fox out and ended any chance of the Loew's merger going through. Schenck and Mayer had never gotten along (Mayer reportedly referred to his boss as "Mr. Skunk"), and the abortive Fox merger increased the animosity between the two men. Also, in 1933, Loew's Incorporated was in the process of acquiring bankrupt Paramount Pictures and its 1700 theatres, until profits from Mae West's risque features rescued the failing Paramount.
MGM's golden age
From the outset, MGM tapped into the audience's need for glamour and sophistication. Having inherited few big names from their predecessor companies, Mayer and Thalberg began at once to create and publicize a host of new stars, among them Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, William Haines, Joan Crawford, and Norma Shearer (who followed Thalberg from Universal) . Established names like Lon Chaney, William Powell, Buster Keaton, and Wallace Beery were hired from other studios. They also hired top directors such as King Vidor, Clarence Brown, Erich von Stroheim, Tod Browning, and Victor Seastrom. The arrival of talking pictures in 1928–29 gave opportunities to other new stars, many of whom would carry MGM through the 1930s: Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Robert Montgomery, Spencer Tracy, Myrna Loy, Jeanette MacDonald, and Nelson Eddy among them.
MGM was one of the first studios to experiment with filming in Technicolor. Using the two-color Technicolor process then available, MGM filmed portions of The Uninvited Guest (1923), The Big Parade (1925), and Ben–Hur (1925), among others, in the process. In 1928, MGM released The Viking, the first complete Technicolor feature with sound (including a synchronized score and sound effects, but no spoken dialogue). MGM, however, was the very last studio to convert to "talkies" with its first all-color, "all-talking" sound feature with dialogue The Rogue Song, a 1930 musical. In 1934, MGM included a sequence made in Technicolor's superior new three-color process, a musical number in the otherwise black-and-white The Cat and the Fiddle, starring Jeanette MacDonald and Ramon Novarro. The studio then produced a number of three-color short subjects including 1935's musical La Fiesta de Santa Barbara, but waited until 1938 to film a complete feature in the process, Sweethearts with MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, the earlier of the popular singing team's two films in color.
From then on, MGM regularly produced several films a year in Technicolor, The Wizard of Oz and Northwest Passage being two of the most notable. MGM also released the enormously successful Technicolor film Gone with the Wind, starring Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara and Clark Gable as Rhett Butler. (Although Gone With the Wind was produced by Selznick International Pictures, it was released by MGM as part of a deal for producer David O. Selznick, L.B. Mayer's son-in-law, to obtain the services of Clark Gable. MGM did eventually acquire all rights to Gone With the Wind).
In addition to a large short-subjects program of its own, MGM also released the shorts and features produced by Hal Roach Studios, including comedy shorts starring Laurel and Hardy, Our Gang, and Charley Chase. MGM's distribution deal with Roach lasted from 1927 to 1938, and MGM benefited in particular from the success of the popular Laurel and Hardy films. In 1938, MGM purchased the rights to Our Gang and moved the production in-house, continuing production of the successful series of children's comedies until 1944. From 1929 to 1931, MGM produced a series of comedy shorts called All Barkie Dogville Comedies, in which trained dogs were dressed up to parody contemporary films and were voiced by actors. One of the shorts, The Dogway Melody (1930), spoofed MGM's hit 1929 musical The Broadway Melody.
MGM produced 50 pictures a year, though it never met its goal of releasing a new motion picture each and every week (It was only able to release one feature film every nine days). Loew's 153 theatres were mostly located in New York, the Northeast, and Deep South; Gone With the Wind had its world premiere at Loew's Grand Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. A fine reputation was gained for lavish productions that were sophisticated and polished to cater to an urban audience. Still, as the Great Depression deepened, MGM began to economize by "recycling" existing sets, costumes, and furnishings from yesteryear projects. This recycling practice never let up once started. Also, money was saved by MGM being the only one of the big five studios that did not own an off-site movie ranch. Until the mid-1950s, MGM could make a claim its rivals could not: it never lost money, although it did have an occasional disaster like Parnell (1937), Clark Gable's biggest flop. It was the only Hollywood studio that continued to pay dividends during the 1930s.
MGM stars dominated the box office during the 1930s, and the studio was credited for inventing the Hollywood stable of stars system, as well. MGM contracted with the American Musical Academy of Arts Association to handle all of their press and artist development. The AMAAA's main function was to develop the budding stars and to make them appealing to the public. Stars such as Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo, and Jeanette MacDonald reigned as the top-paid figures at the studio. Another MGM sex symbol actress, Jean Harlow, who had previously appeared in the Howard Hughes film Hell's Angels, now had a big break and became one of MGM's most admired stars, as well;. Despite Miss Harlow's gain, Garbo still was a big star for MGM. Shearer was still a money maker despite screen appearances becoming scarce, and Crawford continued her box-office power until 1937. MGM would also receive a boost through the man who would become "King of Hollywood", Clark Gable. Gable's career took off to new heights after he won an Oscar for the 1934 Columbia film It Happened One Night. Mayer and Irving Thalberg's relationship began warmly, but eventually the two became estranged; Thalberg preferred literary works to the crowd-pleasers Mayer wanted. Thalberg, always physically frail, was removed as head of production in 1932. Mayer encouraged other staff producers, among them his son-in-law David O. Selznick, but no one seemed to have the sure touch of Thalberg. As Thalberg fell increasingly ill in 1936, Louis Mayer could now serve as his temporary replacement. Rumors flew that Thalberg was leaving to set up his own independent company; his early death in 1936, at age 37, cost MGM dearly.
As a result of Thalberg's death, Mayer became head of production, as well as studio chief, becoming the first million-dollar executive in American history. The company remained profitable, although a change toward "series" pictures (Andy Hardy starring Mickey Rooney, Maisie starring Ann Sothern, Thin Man starring William Powell and Myrna Loy, et al.) is seen by some as evidence of Mayer's restored influence. Also playing a huge role was Ida Koverman, Mayer's "right hand woman".
Within one year, beginning in 1942, L.B. Mayer released his four highest-paid actresses from their studio contracts; Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, Greta Garbo, and Jeanette MacDonald. After a two-year hiatus, Crawford moved to Warner Bros., where her career took a dramatic upturn for the better. Shearer and Garbo never made another film after leaving the lot. Of the four stars, MacDonald was the only one whom Mayer rehired, in 1948.
Increasingly, before and during World War II, Mayer came to rely on his "College of Cardinals" — senior producers who controlled the studio's output. This management-by-committee may explain why MGM seemed to lose its momentum, developing few new stars and relying on the safety of sequels and bland material. (Dorothy Parker memorably referred to it as "Metro-Goldwyn-Merde.") Production values remained high, and even "B" pictures carried a polish and gloss that made them expensive to mount. After 1940, production was cut from 50 pictures a year to a more manageable 25 features per year. During this time, MGM released very successful musicals with players such as Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, and Frank Sinatra, to name just a few.
As audiences drifted away after the war, MGM found it difficult to attract them. While other studios backed away from the popular musicals of the war years, MGM increased its output to as many as five or six each year, roughly one-quarter of its annual output. Ann Miller once admitted, "Mayer kept making musicals that nobody wanted to see." A good example of this would be The Pirate (1948). Such pictures were expensive to produce, requiring a full staff of songwriters, arrangers, musicians, dancers, and technical support, and releasing so many each year affected the company's finances. By the late 1940s, as MGM's profit margins decreased, word came from Schenck in New York: find "a new Thalberg" who could improve quality while paring costs. Mayer thought he had found this savior in Dore Schary, a writer and producer who had found success at running RKO.
Mayer's taste for wholesomeness and "beautiful" movies conflicted with Schary's preference for gritty message pictures. In August 1951, after a period of friendly antagonism with Schary, Mayer was fired. One report states Mayer called Nicholas Schenck at Loew's corporate headquarters in Loew's State Theater, New York, with an ultimatum— "It's either him or me!" Schenck chose Schary. Within a year, Mayer tried to stage a boardroom coup to oust his old nemesis, but failed due to lack of support from former "yes men".
Perhaps because of Mayer's leaving (although this has never been confirmed), the credit "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer presents" does not appear on any MGM film made between 1950 and 1957, the year of Louis B. Mayer's death. In films made during those years, the credits segue straight from the roaring lion logo to the title of the film (as in MGM's 1951 film Show Boat) or, in the case of above-the-title billing, the names of the stars and then the film's title. After Mayer's death, the credit Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer presents was reinstated.
Gradually cutting loose expensive contract players (perhaps most famously, $6,000-a-week Judy Garland in 1950), saving money by recycling existing movie sets instead of building costly new scenery, and reworking pricey old costumes, Schary managed to keep the studio running much as it had through the early 1940s though his sensibilities for hard-edged, message movies would never bear much fruit. One bright spot was MGM musical pictures, under the aegis of producer Arthur Freed, who was operating what amounted to an independent unit within the studio. MGM produced some well-regarded and profitable Technicolor musicals that would be later acknowledged as classics, among them An American in Paris (1951), Singin' in the Rain (1952), and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954). However, Brigadoon (1954), Deep in My Heart (1954), It's Always Fair Weather (1955), and Invitation to the Dance (1956), were extravagant song and dance flops, and even the now-classic The Band Wagon (1953) was only a modest box-office success. Movie audiences more and more were staying home and watching television.
In 1954, as a settlement of the government's restraint-of-trade action, United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc. 334 US 131 (1948), Loews, Inc. gave up control of MGM. It would take another five years before the interlocking arrangements were completely undone, by which time both Loews and MGM were sinking. Schary bowed out of MGM in 1956.
MGM cartoon shorts
Main article: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studioIn animation, MGM purchased the rights in 1930 to distribute a series of cartoons that starred a character named Flip the Frog, produced by Ub Iwerks. The first cartoon in this series (entitled Fiddlesticks) was the first sound cartoon to be produced in two-color Technicolor. In 1933, Ub Iwerks cancelled the unsuccessful Flip the Frog series and MGM began to distribute its second series of cartoons, starring a character named Willie Whopper, that was also produced by Ub Iwerks. In 1934, after Iwerks' distribution contract expired, MGM contracted with animation producers/directors Hugh Harman and Rudolph Ising to produce a new series of color cartoons. Harman and Ising came to MGM after breaking ties with Leon Schlesinger and Warner Bros., and brought with them their popular Looney Tunes character, Bosko. These were known as Happy Harmonies, and in many ways resembled the Looney Tunes' sister series, Merrie Melodies. The Happy Harmonies regularly ran over budget, and MGM dismissed Harman-Ising in 1937 to start its own animation studio.
After initial struggles with a poorly received series of The Captain and the Kids cartoons, the studio rehired Harman and Ising in 1939, and Ising created the studio's first successful animated character, Barney Bear. However, MGM's biggest cartoon stars would come in the form of the cat-and-mouse duo Tom and Jerry, created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera in 1940. The Tom and Jerry cartoons won seven Academy Awards between 1943 and 1953. In 1941, Tex Avery, another Schlesinger alumnus, joined the animation department. Avery gave the unit its image, with successes like Red Hot Riding Hood, Swing Shift Cinderella, and the Droopy series.
Avery left the studio in 1953, leaving Hanna and Barbera to focus on the popular Tom and Jerry and Droopy series. After 1955, all cartoons were filmed in CinemaScope until MGM closed its cartoon division in 1957.
Vogel-Siegel
As the studio system faded in the late 1950s and 1960s, MGM's prestige faded with it. In 1957 (by coincidence, the year L.B. Mayer died) the studio lost money for the first time in its 34-year history. Cost overruns and the failure of the 1957 big-budget epic Raintree County prompted the studio to release Schary from his contract. Schary's reign at MGM had been marked with few bona-fide hits, but his departure (along with the retirement of Schenck in 1955) left a power vacuum that would prove difficult to fill. Initially Joseph Vogel became president and Sol Siegel head of production. By 1960, MGM had released all of its contract players, with many either retiring or moving on to television.
At the urging of Leonard Goldenson, longtime head of Paramount's theater chain who now ran ABC, MGM began to enter television production. MGM's first attempts at programming were cross-promotion of feature films (The MGM Parade), and based on successful film properties like The Thin Man. Several years later, MGM produced highly successful TV series, like The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and the sitcom version of The Courtship of Eddie's Father.
The year 1957 also marked the end of MGM's animation department, as the studio determined it could generate the same amount of revenue by reissuing older cartoons as it could by producing and releasing new ones. William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, by then the heads of the MGM cartoon studio, took most of their unit and made their own company, Hanna-Barbera Productions, a successful producer of television animation.
In 1956, MGM sold the television rights for The Wizard of Oz to CBS, which scheduled it to be shown in November of that year. In a landmark event, the film became the first American theatrical fiction film to be shown complete in one evening on prime time television over a major American commercial network. (Olivier's version of Hamlet was shown on prime time network TV a month later, but split in half over two weeks, and the 1950 film, The Titan: Story of Michelangelo was telecast by ABC in 1952, but that was a documentary.) Beginning in 1959, and lasting until 1991, telecasts of The Wizard of Oz became an annual tradition, drawing huge audiences in homes all over the U.S. and earning additional profits for MGM. The studio was all too happy to see Oz become, through television, one of the two or three most famous films MGM has ever made, and one of the few films that nearly everybody in the U.S. has seen at least once. Today The Wizard of Oz is regularly shown on the Turner-owned channels, no longer just once a year.
In 1958, MGM released what is generally considered its last great musical, Arthur Freed's Cinemascope color production of Gigi, starring Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier, and Louis Jourdan. It was adapted from the novel by Colette, and written by the team of Lerner and Loewe, who also wrote My Fair Lady and Camelot. Gigi was a box-office and critical success which won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture. From it came several hit songs, including Thank Heaven For Little Girls, I Remember It Well, the Waltz at Maxim's, and the Oscar-winning title song. The film was the last MGM musical to win a Best Picture Oscar, an honor that had previously gone to The Broadway Melody (1929), The Great Ziegfeld (1936), and An American in Paris (1951). The very last musical film produced by the "Freed Unit" was an adaptation of the Broadway musical Bells Are Ringing (1960) with Judy Holliday and Dean Martin. However, MGM did release later musical films, including an adaptation of Meredith Willson's The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964) with Debbie Reynolds and Harve Presnell.
In 1959, MGM enjoyed what is quite probably its greatest financial success of later years, with the release of its nearly four-hour Technicolor epic Ben–Hur, a remake of its 1925 silent film hit, based on the novel by General Lew Wallace. Starring Charlton Heston in the title role, the film was critically acclaimed, and won 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, a record that held until Titanic matched it in 1997 and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in 2003.
In 1961, MGM resumed the release of new Tom and Jerry shorts, and production moved to Rembrandt Films in Prague, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic) under the supervision of Gene Deitch. Deitch's Tom and Jerry cartoons are very different in style from the original Hanna and Barbera style of animation. In 1963, the production of Tom and Jerry returned to Hollywood under Chuck Jones and his Sib Tower 12 Productions studio (later absorbed by MGM and renamed MGM Animation/Visual Arts). Jones' group also produced its own works, winning an Oscar for The Dot and the Line, as well as producing the classic television version of Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (with the voice of Boris Karloff) in 1966. Tom and Jerry folded in 1967, and the animation department continued with television specials and one feature film, The Phantom Tollbooth.
MGM fell into a habit in this period that would eventually sink the studio: an entire year's production schedule relied on the success of one big-budget epic each year. This policy began in 1959, when Ben–Hur was profitable enough to carry the studio through 1960. However, later attempts at big-budget epics failed, among them four films which, in addition to Ben–Hur, were also remakes — Cimarron (1960), King of Kings (1961), Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1961), and most notoriously, the 1962 Mutiny on the Bounty. The 1962 Cinerama film The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm, the first film in Cinerama to actually tell a story, was also a flop. But one other epic that was a success, however, was the MGM-Cinerama co-production How the West Was Won, with a huge all-star cast. King of Kings, while a commercial and critical flop at the time, has since come to be regarded as a film classic. The losses caused by these films led to the resignations of Sol Siegel and Joseph Vogel who were replaced by Robert M. Weitman (head of production) and Robert O'Brien (president).
O'Brien-Weitman
The combination of O'Brien and Weitman seemed to temporarily revive the studio. In 1965 MGM released David Lean's immensely popular Doctor Zhivago, later followed by such hits as The Dirty Dozen (1967) and 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). However the company's time was taken up fighting off proxy attacks by corporate raiders, and then MGM backed a series of flops, including Ryan's Daughter (1970). Weitman moved over to Columbia in 1967 and O'Brien was forced to resign a few years later.
Kerkorian takes over and MGM downsized
Edgar Bronfman, Sr. purchased a controlling interest in MGM in 1966 (and was briefly chairman of the board in 1969), and in 1967 Time Inc. became the company's second-largest shareholder. In 1969, Kirk Kerkorian purchased 40 percent of MGM from Bronfman and Time, Inc., What appealed to Kerkorian was MGM's Culver City real estate, and the value of 45 years' worth of glamour associated with the name, which he attached to a Las Vegas hotel and casino. As for film-making, that part of the company was quickly and severely downsized under the supervision of James T. Aubrey, Jr. With changes in its business model including fewer pictures per year, more location shooting and more distribution of independent productions, MGM's operations were rationalized. Aubrey sold off MGM's accumulation of props, furnishings and historical memorabilia, including a pair of Dorothy's ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz. Lot 3, 40 acres (160,000 m) of back-lot property, was sold off for real-estate development. In 1971, it was announced that MGM would merge with 20th Century Fox, a plan which never came into fruition.
Through the 1970s, studio output slowed considerably as Aubrey preferred four or five medium-budget pictures each year along with a smattering of low-budget fare. With the decline in output, Kerkorian closed MGM's sales and distribution offices in 1973 and outsourced those functions to United Artists for America and the Cinema International Corporation internationally. Kerkorian now distanced himself from the operations of the studio, focusing on his casino properties. Another portion of the backlot was sold in 1974. The last shooting done on the backlot was the introductory material for That's Entertainment!, a retrospective documentary that became a surprise hit for the studio.
That's Entertainment! was authorized by Dan Melnick, who was appointed head of production in 1972. Under Melnick's regime, MGM made a number of successful films, including Westworld, Soylent Green, and The Sunshine Boys. However, MGM never reclaimed its former status.
The MGM Recording Studios were sold in 1975. In 1979, Kerkorian declared that MGM was now primarily a hotel company. The company hit a symbolic low point in 1980 when David Begelman, earlier let go by Columbia following the discovery of his acts of forgery and embezzlement, was installed as MGM's President and CEO.
MGM/UA, Turner, and Parretti
In 1980, MGM split its production and casino units into separate companies: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Film Co. and MGM Grand Hotels, Inc. The rise of ancillary markets was enough to allow MGM Film Co. to increase production to 10-15 films a year compared to three to six in the previous decade, but first it needed its own distribution unit. MGM proceeded to get back into theatrical distribution in 1981 with its purchase of United Artists, as UA's parent company Transamerica Corporation decided to let go of the studio following the failure of Heaven's Gate. As a result, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Film Co. was renamed "MGM/UA Entertainment Company."
After the purchase of United Artists, David Begelman's duties were transferred to that unit. Under Begelman, MGM/UA produced a number of unsuccessful films, and he was fired in July 1982. Out of the 11 films he put into production, by the time of his release from the studio, only one film, Poltergeist, proved to be a clear hit. Not even MGM's greatest asset - its library - was enough to keep the studio afloat. After 1982, the studio relied more on distribution, picking up independent productions, rather than financing their own.
On August 7, 1985, Turner Broadcasting System offered to buy MGM/UA. As film licensing to television became more complicated, Ted Turner saw the value of acquiring MGM's film library for his superstation WTBS. On March 25 of the following year, the deal was finalized in a cash-stock deal for $1.5 billion, and the company was renamed "MGM Entertainment Co.". Turner immediately sold MGM's United Artists subsidiary back to Kerkorian for roughly $480 million. But unable to find financing for the rest of the deal, and due to concerns in the financial community over the debt-load of his companies, on August 26, 1986, he was forced to sell MGM's production and distribution assets to United Artists for $300 million. The MGM lot and lab facilities were sold to Lorimar-Telepictures. Turner kept the pre-1986 library of MGM films, along with the pre-1950 Warner Bros. and RKO Pictures films which MGM had previously purchased.
How much of MGM's back catalog Turner actually obtained was a point of conflict for a time; eventually, it was determined that Turner owned all of the pre-May 1986 MGM library, as well as the pre-1950 Warner Bros. catalog, the Popeye cartoons released by Paramount (both the pre-1950 WB library and Popeye cartoons were sold to Associated Artists Productions, which was later bought by United Artists), the US/Canadian rights to the RKO library, and a good share of United Artists's own back list, in addition to MGM's television series and Gilligan's Island, produced by UA.
Turner began broadcasting MGM films through his Turner Network Television, and caused a controversy when he began "colorizing" many black-and-white classics. After Kerkorian reclaimed MGM, the MGM/UA name continued to be used, but it changed its name to MGM/UA Communications Co., now using MGM and UA as separate brands.
In July 1988, Kerkorian announced plans to split MGM and UA into separate studios. Under this deal, Kerkorian, who owned 82% of MGM/UA Communications, would have sold 25% of MGM to Barris Industries (controlled by producers Burt Sugarman, Jon Peters, and Peter Guber). The proposition to spin off MGM was called off a few weeks later. In 1989, Australian-based Qintex attempted to buy MGM from Kerkorian, but the deal collapsed. On November 29, 1989, Turner (owners of the pre-1986 MGM library) attempted to buy Tracinda's entertainment assets such as MGM/UA Communications Co. but the deal failed.
In 1990, Italian financier Giancarlo Parretti announced he was about to buy MGM/UA. Although the French government had scuttled Parretti's bid to buy Pathé due to concerns about his character, background, and past dealings, Parretti got backing from Crédit Lyonnais and bought MGM/UA from Kirk Kerkorian. To finance the purchase, Parretti licensed the MGM/UA library to Time Warner for home video and Turner for domestic television rights. He then merged it with his Pathé Communications Group (formerly Cannon Group, a distributor that Parretti had renamed before his aborted bid for Pathé) to form MGM–Pathe Communications Co. The well-respected executive, Alan Ladd, Jr., a former president of MGM/UA, was brought on board as CEO of MGM in 1991. However, the same year Parretti's ownership dissolved in a flurry of lawsuits and a default by Crédit Lyonnais, and Parretti faced securities-fraud charges in the United States and Europe. On the verge of bankruptcy and failure, Crédit Lyonnais took full control of MGM–Pathé and converted its name back to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The bank fired Ladd and replaced him with former Paramount executive Frank Mancuso, Sr. and former Warner Bros. executive John Calley (as United Artists head). As part of his exit package, Ladd took some of the top properties, including Braveheart.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Moonstruck, A Fish Called Wanda, A Dry White Season, and Thelma & Louise were critical and commercial hits for MGM, which was increasingly rare at the time.
Because of the way it had acquired control of the company, Crédit Lyonnais soon put the studio up for sale, with the highest bidder being Kirk Kerkorian. Now the owner of MGM for the third time, Kerkorian's deal with Mancuso quickly angered John Calley, who quit United Artists and was named head of Sony Pictures Entertainment. By selling a portion of the studio to Australia's Seven Network, Kerkorian was able to convince Wall Street that a revived MGM was worthy of a place on the stock market, where it languished until he sold the company to a group of hedge funds tied to Sony, which wanted to control the studio library to promote the Blu-ray Disc format.
1997–2001: MGM restructures
On April 11, 1997, MGM bought Metromedia's film subsidiaries (Orion Pictures, The Samuel Goldwyn Company, and the Motion Picture Corporation of America) for US$573 million, substantially enlarging its library of films and television series and acquiring additional production capacity. The deal closed in July of that year. This catalog, along with the James Bond franchise, was considered to be MGM's primary asset. In the same year, MGM's long-running cable television series, Stargate SG-1, first aired. Kerkorian bought out Seven Network the following year.
In December 1997, MGM attempted to purchase 1,000 films held by Consortium de Réalisation, but was outbid by PolyGram. However, they ultimately succeeded when they acquired the PolyGram Filmed Entertainment library from Seagram in 1999 for $250 million, increasing their library holdings to 4,000. Prior to that, MGM had held a home video license for 100 of the films since spring 1997. The studio also obtained the broadcast rights to more than 800 of its films previously licensed to Turner Broadcasting.
In 2000, MGM changed the way it distributed its products internationally. MGM had until that time distributed its films internationally through United International Pictures (UIP), a joint venture of MGM, Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures. UIP was accused by the European Union of being an illegal cartel, and effective November 2000 MGM severed its ties with UIP and distributed films internationally through 20th Century Fox.
MGM purchased 20% of Cablevision Systems for $825 million in 2001. MGM attempted to take over Universal Studios in 2003, but failed, and was forced to sell several of its cable channel investments (taking a $75-million loss on the deal).
Consortium ownership and financial troubles
In 2005, many of MGM's competitors started to make bids to purchase the studio, beginning with Time Warner. It was not unexpected that Time Warner would bid, since the largest shareholder in the company was Ted Turner. His Turner Entertainment Group had risen to success in part through its ownership of the pre-May 1986 MGM library. After a short period of negotiation with MGM, Time Warner was unsuccessful. The leading bidder proved to be Sony Corporation of America, backed by Comcast and private equity firms Texas Pacific Group (now TPG Capital, L.P.), DLJ and Providence Equity Partners. Sony's primary goal was to ensure Blu-ray Disc support at MGM; cost synergies with Sony Pictures Entertainment were secondary. Time Warner made a counter-bid (which Ted Turner reportedly tried to block), but on September 13, 2004, Sony increased its bid of US$11.25/share (roughly $4.7 billion) to $12/share ($5 billion), and Time Warner subsequently withdrew its bid of $11/share ($4.5 billion). MGM and Sony agreed on a purchase price of nearly $5 billion, of which about $2 billion was to pay off MGM debt. From 2005 to 2006, the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group has domestically distributed films by MGM and UA.
MGM announced it would return as a theatrical distribution company. MGM negotiated and struck deals with The Weinstein Company, Lakeshore Entertainment, Bauer Martinez, and many other independent studios, and then announced its plans to release 14 feature films for 2006 and early 2007. MGM also hoped to increase the amount to over 20 by 2007. Lucky Number Slevin, released April 7, was the first film released under the new MGM era. Other recent films under the MGM/Weinstein deal include Clerks II and Bobby. Upon the MGM/Weinstein films' release on home video, however, full distribution rights revert to Weinstein (under Genius Products).
On May 31, 2006, MGM announced it would transfer its home video output - MGM Home Entertainment - from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment to 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (excepting co-productions with Columbia or TriStar, such as Eon Productions' James Bond franchise where Sony is a majority partner).
MGM also announced plans to restructure its worldwide television distribution operation. In addition, MGM signed a deal with New Line Television in which MGM would handle New Line's U.S. film and series television syndication packages. MGM served as New Line's barter sales representative in the television arena until 2008.
On November 2, 2006, producer/actor Tom Cruise and his production partner, Paula Wagner, signed an agreement with MGM to run United Artists. Wagner will serve as United Artists' chief executive. Cruise will produce and star in films for UA, and MGM will distribute the movies.
Over the next several years, MGM launched a number of initiatives in distribution and the use of new technology and media, as well as joint ventures to promote and sell its products. In April 2007, it was announced that MGM movies would be able to be downloaded through Apple's iTunes service, with MGM bringing an estimated 100 of its existing movies to iTunes service, the California-based computer company revealed. The list of movies included the likes of modern features such as Rocky, Ronin, Mad Max, and Dances with Wolves, along with more golden-era classics such as Lilies of the Field and The Great Train Robbery. In October, the company launched MGM HD on DirecTV, offering a library of movies formatted in Hi Def. Also in 2006, MGM licensed its home video distribution rights for countries outside of the United States to 20th Century Fox. MGM teamed up with Weigel Broadcasting to launch a new channel titled This TV on November 1, 2008. On August 12, 2008, MGM teamed up with Comcast to launch a new video-on-demand network titled Impact. On November 10, 2008, MGM announced that it will release full-length films on YouTube.
As of mid-2009, MGM had US$3.7 billion in debt, and interest payments alone totalled $250 million a year. MGM earns approximately $500 million a year on income from its extensive film and television library, but the economic recession is reported to have reduced this income substantially.
Whether MGM could avoid voluntary or involuntary bankruptcy had been a topic of much discussion in the film industry. MGM had to repay a $250-million line of credit in April 2010, a $1-billion loan in June 2011, and its remaining US$2.7 billion in loans in 2012. In May 2009, MGM's auditor gave the company a clean bill of health, concluding it was still on track to meet its debt obligations. At that time, the company was negotiating with its creditors to either extend the debt repayment deadlines or engage in a debt-for-equity swap. Industry observers, however, questioned whether MGM could avoid a Chapter-11 bankruptcy filing under any circumstances, and concluded that any failure to conclude the negotiations must trigger a filing. MGM and its United Artists subsidiary were now producing very few films each year, and it was widely believed that MGM's solvency will depend on the box-office performance of these films (especially its upcoming 23rd James Bond film). There was some indication that Relativity Media and its financial backer, Elliott Associates (a hedge fund based in New York), had been acquiring MGM debt in an attempt to force the company into involuntary bankruptcy.
On August 17, 2009, chief executive officer Harry E. Sloan stepped down and MGM hired Stephen F. Cooper as its new CEO, a corporate executive who guided Enron through its post-2001 bankruptcy and oversaw the restructuring and growth of Krispy Kreme in 2005. Expectations were that Cooper was hired to act quickly on MGM's debt problems. On October 1, 2009, the studio's new leadership negotiated a forbearance agreement with its creditors under which interest payments due from September to November 2009 did not have to be paid until December 15, 2009.
MGM stated in February 2010 that the studio would likely be sold in the next four months, and that its latest film, Hot Tub Time Machine, might be one of the last four films to bear the MGM name. However, some stated that the company might continue as a label for new James Bond productions, as well as other movie properties culled from the MGM library.
MGM Holdings, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and 160 affiliates had filed for bankruptcy with a prepackaged plan for exiting bankruptcy with management to be taken over by Spyglass Entertainment's Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum.
Post-bankruptcy
On December 20, 2010, MGM executives announced that the studio had emerged from bankruptcy. Spyglass partners Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum became co-Chairs and co-CEOs of the studio. After MGM emerged from bankruptcy, on December 23, 2010, MGM named Ann Mather, the ex-Pixar CFO, to head MGM's new board of directors. On December 29, 2010, MGM signed a new lease with New York–based group George Comfort & Sons for a six-story building in the corner of 235–269 N. Beverly Drive that was intended to be the new headquarters for William Morris Agency. MGM will be leaving its old headquarters in Century City.
On January 4, 2011, MGM and Weigel Broadcasting announced plans to distribute Me-TV nationwide. On February 2, 2011, MGM named Jonathan Glickman to be the film president of MGM. Six days later, MGM was finalizing a distribution deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment to handle distribution of its 4,000 films and DVDs worldwide and on digital platforms, including the two upcoming Bond films: Skyfall and Bond 24. There were four studios who were bidding on the Bond distribution rights: Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and Columbia Pictures. Paramount was the first studio who dropped out of the Bond bidding. The deal was finalized on April 13, 2011. Post-bankruptcy, MGM also co-financed SPE's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. 20th Century Fox's deal with MGM handling its library distribution worldwide was set to expire in September 2011. However, the deal was renewed and extended on April 14, 2011 and will expire in 2016.
MGM is finally moving forward with several upcoming projects, including remakes of RoboCop and Poltergeist, and released their first post-bankruptcy film Zookeeper, which was co-distributed by Columbia Pictures on July 8, 2011.
The new MGM, under Barber and Birnbaum's control, is focusing on co-investing on films made by another party, which will handle all distribution and marketing for the projects. MGM will handle international television distribution rights for the new films as well as its library of existing titles. It still retains an in-house production service.
In separate 2011 deals, the rights to MGM's completed films Red Dawn and The Cabin in the Woods were handed to FilmDistrict as well as Lionsgate Films, respectively.
As of 2014, MGM currently produces and releases its films through Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and Sony Pictures Entertainment.
On July 31, 2012, MGM announced it would acquire Carl Icahn's stake in MGM Holdings for $590 million. Once the sale is complete, MGM will become a public company. Also on July 31, MGM sold MGM Networks, Inc. to Chellomedia, while retaining its US, Canada, UK, Germany, and joint ventures in Brazil and Australia, to raise fund to buy out Carl Icahn and prepare for an IPO.
On October 3, 2012, Birnbaum announced his intention to exit his role as an MGM executive and return to "hands-on" producing. He will remain with the studio to produce films on "an exclusive basis".
In 2014 MGM introduced The Works, a channel available in 31 percent of the country, including stations owned by Titan Broadcast Management. Content includes news, MGM movies, sports and comedy.
A late 2011 financial report revealed that MGM had acquired Tom Cruise's 30% stake in United Artists and once again owned 100% of UA. In September 2014, MGM acquired a 55% interest in One Three Media and Lightworkers Media, both operated by Hollywood producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. The two companies, along with UA, will be consolidated into a new film and television company known as United Artists Media Group. Burnett will be UA's CEO and Downey will become president of Lightworkers Media. Hearst Entertainment (an investor in Burnett and Downey's entertainment assets) will also acquire a minority stake in UA through this deal.
Corporate affairs
Headquarters
Since August 22, 2011, its headquarters have been in Beverly Hills, California. MGM rents space in a six-story office building. The 144,000-square-foot (13,400 m) facility was originally constructed for the venerable William Morris talent agency, but had remained all but unoccupied until MGM's move because of the agency's merger with Endeavor Talent Agency in April 2009. MGM planned to house a private theater and a private outdoor patio in the building.
Prior to 2003, its headquarters had been in the Colorado Center in Santa Monica, California, occupying at least 150,000 square feet (14,000 m) of space there. In 2000 MGM announced that it was moving its headquarters to a new building in Century City that was to be the first high-rise in Los Angeles to be completed in the 21st century. Upon the company's agreement to be its lead tenant halfway through the design building process, the structure became identified as the MGM Tower, opening in 2003. When MGM moved into the lavishly appointed spaces devised by Alex Yemenidjian, former chairperson and chief executive of MGM, Roger Vincent and Claudia Eller observed in the Los Angeles Times that "Yemenidjian spared no expense in building out the studio's space with such Las Vegas-style flourishes as towering marble pillars and a grand spiral staircase lined with a wall of awards."
Scott Johnson, the architect, designed the bottom third of the tower with extra-large floors so MGM executives could have outdoor decks. Seemingly no expense was spared, from the marble imported from Italy for MGM's area to the company's exclusive use of a dedicated private garage, security checkpoint, and elevator bank: all to enable celebrities who visited the complex discreet entry and exit, bypassing public spaces. One of three screening rooms placed in the tower was a 100-seat theater on the ground floor (later taken over by International Creative Management in December 2010). The 14th floor lobby housed the executive suites and a wall of Oscar statuettes for Academy Award-winning films. The street leading to the building's garage was renamed MGM Drive and a large MGM logo, illuminated at night, crowned the top of the building. As of December 2010, MGM rented 200,000-square-foot (19,000 m) of space in the MGM Tower at a cost of almost $5 per square foot per month.
Emerging from bankruptcy protection in 2010, MGM announced that it planned to relocate the headquarters to Beverly Hills as part of an effort toward removing almost $5 billion in debt since the lease in Century City was not scheduled to expire until 2018. Vincent and Eller said that MGM's per square foot monthly rent would be far lower in the Beverly Hills building than in the MGM Tower. Larry Kozmont, a real estate consultant not involved in the process, said "It's a prudent move for them. Downsizing and relocating to a space that is still prominent but not overly ostentatious and burdened by expenses is fundamental for their survival." MGM vacated its namesake tower on August 19, 2011.
The MGM library
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Turner Entertainment Co.
Following his brief ownership of the company in 1986, Ted Turner formed Turner Entertainment Co. as a holding company for the pre-May 1986 MGM film and television library, which he retained. After Turner's holding were purchased by Time Warner in 1996, they ultimately became integrated into the Warner Bros. library, though the copyright claimant to these titles is still "Turner Entertainment Co." For some time after the sale, MGM continued to handle home video distribution of its pre-May 1986 film and TV library and began to handle home video distribution of the pre-1950 Warner Bros. films; those rights were reassigned to Warner Home Video in 1999.
As a result of their purchase of the pre-May 1986 library, Turner also got hold of the rights to the following films:
- Waterloo Bridge (1931), a Universal Pictures release. MGM bought rights to the film to do a remake.
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931), a Paramount Pictures release. When MGM remade the film ten years later, the studio bought rights to the 1931 version.
- Show Boat (1936), also a Universal Pictures release. MGM bought rights to the film to do a remake.
- The Prisoner of Zenda (1937), a David O. Selznick production also purchased by MGM for a remake.
- The Wind and the Lion (1975), a Herb Jaffe production distributed in the US by MGM while Columbia Pictures handled international distribution of the film. Today Columbia retains international ownership to the film while Turner holds US ownership to the film through its purchase of the pre-May 1986 MGM library.
- Network (1976) was a co-production between MGM and UA. MGM handled US distribution of the film, while UA handled international distribution of the film. From 1981 until 1986, MGM had full ownership of the film. Today MGM retains international ownership to the film through its purchase of UA while Turner holds US ownership to the film through its purchase of the pre-May 1986 MGM library.
- The Goodbye Girl (1977) was a co-production between MGM and Warner Bros. Today WB controls the film completely on behalf of Turner.
Purchased libraries
Through its purchases of many different companies and film and television libraries, MGM has greatly enhanced its film and TV holdings.
MGM's library includes its own post-April 1986 library as well as the film and TV libraries of:
- United Artists (Marty, The Apartment, West Side Story, In the Heat of the Night, Midnight Cowboy, Rocky, Annie Hall, Rain Man, etc.)
- Orion Pictures (Platoon, Dances with Wolves, The Silence of the Lambs, Never Say Never Again, etc.)
- American International Pictures (House of Usher, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Premature Burial, Tales of Terror, The Raven, The Haunted Palace, The Masque of the Red Death, The Tomb of Ligeia, etc.)
- Filmways (Dressed to Kill, Blow Out, etc.)
- Streamline Pictures (Akira, Fist of the North Star, Neo-Tokyo, Silent Möbius, Robotech II: The Sentinels, The Professional: Golgo 13, 3×3 Eyes, Vampire Hunter D, Dirty Pair: Affair on Nolandia, Dirty Pair: Flight 005 Conspiracy, Dirty Pair: Project Eden, Doomed Megalopolis, Wicked City, Crying Freeman, 8 Man After, Lily C.A.T., Lupin III: Tales of the Wolf, etc.)
- The Cannon Group (Joe, Runaway Train, Street Smart, etc.)
- Trans World Entertainment (Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Teen Witch, etc.)
- The Samuel Goldwyn Company (Stranger Than Paradise, Sid and Nancy, Prick Up Your Ears, Henry V, etc.)
- PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (pre-March 31, 1996; Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Usual Suspects, Dead Man Walking, Fargo, etc.)
- 21st Century Film Corporation (Captain America, Bloodmatch, etc.)
- Hemdale Film Corporation (The Terminator, The Return of the Living Dead, Salvador, Hoosiers)
- Empire International Pictures (Troll, The Caller, The Princess Academy, etc.)
- Gladden Entertainment (Mannequin, The Fabulous Baker Boys, etc.)
- Sherwood Productions (WarGames, Mr. Mom, Blame It on Rio, etc.)
- Castle Rock Entertainment (pre-1994; When Harry Met Sally..., Misery, City Slickers, etc.)
- Island Pictures (The Trip to Bountiful, She's Gotta Have It, etc.)
In 2012, UK company Park Circus assumed worldwide re-issue distribution rights to the library on behalf of MGM.
Films
Main article: List of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer filmsSee also
Notes
- "MGM Studios: Corporate Info". Retrieved April 22, 2010.
- The Metro - Goldwyn - Mayer Building (July 27, 2011). "245 North Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, CA, 90210 - Office Building Property - Off-Market on". Loopnet.com. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- "MGM Studios: Corporate Info". Retrieved December 20, 2010.
- Finke, Nikki (February 2, 2011). "Jonathan Glickman Named MGM Film Prez". Deadline.com. Retrieved September 20, 2013.
- Fleming, Mike (February 14, 2011). "Breaking: MGM Names Qualia Capital's Ken Schapiro New COO". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- Eyman, Scott (2005). Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Legend of Louis B. Mayer. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-0481-6.
- Balio, Tino (1985). The American film industry (Rev. ed.). Madison, Wis.: University of Wisconsin Press. ISBN 0-299-09874-5.
- ^ "MGM/UA Under Kerkorian Meant 20 Years of Change". Los Angeles Times. March 8, 1990. Retrieved September 20, 2013.
- ^ "Business News, Stock market & Financial Advice". Businessweek. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
- "MGM Officially File For Bankruptcy". The Hollywood News. November 3, 2010. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
- "Judge OKs MGM bankruptcy motions". Variety. November 4, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- Posted on Jan 29, 2011 7:05pm PST (January 29, 2011). "Bankruptcy Attorney Directory | MGM Emerges from Bankruptcy". Findabankruptcylawyer.com. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
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- ^ Wayne, Jane Ellen (2004). The Golden Girls of MGM: Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Lana Turner, Judy Garland, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly, and Others (Reprint ed.). New York: Carroll & Graf. ISBN 0-7867-1303-8.
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- Dietz, Howard (1974). Dancing in the Dark with Howard Dietz . : Quadrangle / The New York Times Book Co. ISBN 0-8129-0439-7.
- Carey, Gary (1982). All the Stars in Heaven: Louis B. Mayer's MGM (1st ed. ed.). London: Robson Books. ISBN 0-525-05245-3.
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has extra text (help) - Johnson, Daniel H.; Bohn, Thomas W.; Stromgren, Richard L. (1978). Light & Shadows (2. ed. ed.). Sherman Oaks, Calif.: Alfred. ISBN 0-88284-057-6.
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has extra text (help) - Gomery, Douglas (2005). The Coming of Sound. New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-96901-8.
- Maltby, Richard (2003). Hollywood Cinema (2nd ed. ed.). Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 0-631-21615-4.
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has extra text (help) - ^ Lewis, Jon (1999). The New American Cinema (3. printing. ed.). Durham : Duke Univ. Press. ISBN 0-8223-2115-7.
- ^ Browne, Ray B.; Browne, Pat (2000). Defining Concise Guide to United States Popular Culture. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press. ISBN 0-87972-821-3.
- Cook, David A. (2000). Lost Illusions: American Cinema in the Shadow of Watergate and Vietnam, 1970–1979. New York: Scribner. ISBN 0-684-80463-8.
- Prince, Stephen (1999). A New Pot of Gold: Hollywood Under the Electronic Rainbow, 1980–1989. Old Tappan, NJ: Macmillan Library Reference. ISBN 0-684-80493-X.
- ^ Bart, Peter (1990). Out: The Calamitous Final Days of MGM (1st ed. ed.). New York: Morrow. ISBN 0-688-08460-5.
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- "INTERNATIONAL BRIEFS;Seven Network Criticized For MGM Purchase - New York Times". Australia: Nytimes.com. July 18, 1996. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- By Andrew Ross Sorkin (July 1, 2004). "Time Warner Is Said to Join MGM Bidding - New York Times". Nytimes.com. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
- "Company News - Consortium Led By Sony Locks Up Mgm Deal - Nytimes.Com". New York Times. September 24, 2004. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
- "NYSE". NYSE. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
- Háy, Peter (1991). MGM: When the Lion Roars. Turner Publications. ISBN 978-1-878685-04-9.
- Ward, Richard Lewis (2005). A History of the Hal Roach Studios. Carbondale: Southern Illinois U.P. pp. 116, 225. ISBN 0-8093-2637-X.
- The Dogway Melody (1930) at Internet Movie Database.
- ^ "MGM Media Center – History and Timeline". Mgm.mediaroom.com. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
- Silverstein, Stuart Y. (2001). Not Much Fun: The Lost Poems of Dorothy Parker (1st Scribner Poetry ed. ed.). New York: Scribner Poetry. ISBN 0-7432-1148-0.
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- Barbera, J: How Bill & Joe met Tom & Jerry, interviews with William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Warner Home Video, 2005
- Uncle Scoopy. "Doctor Zhivago". Scoopy.com. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
- McDougal, Dennis (2001). The Last Mogul: Lew Wasserman, MCA, and the Hidden History of Hollywood (1st Da Capo Press ed. ed.). : Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-81050-6.
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- Lewis, ed. by Jon (1999). The New American Cinema (3. printing. ed.). Durham : Duke Univ. Press. ISBN 0-8223-2115-7.
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has generic name (help) - ^ Prince, Stephen (2000). A New Pot of Gold: Hollywood Under the Electronic Rainbow, 1980–1989 ( ed.). Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 14–16, 71–74. ISBN 0-520-23266-6.
- Harmetz, Aljean (July 12, 1982). "Begelman Removed as Chief of United Artists." The New York Times.
- ^ Parsons, Patrick R. (2008). Skies: A History of Cable Television ( ed.). Philadelphia: Temple University Press. ISBN 1-59213-287-1.
- Stefoff, Rebecca (1992). Ted Turner, Television's Triumphant Tiger. Ada, Okla.: Garrett Educational Corp. ISBN 1-56074-024-8.
- Storch, Charles (May 7, 1986). "Chicago Tribune: Turner May Sell Equity In Company". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
- Gendel, Morgan (June 7, 1986). "Turner Sells The Studio, Holds On To The Dream – Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
- ^ Fabrikant, Geraldine (June 7, 1986). "Turner To Sell Mgm Assets". NYTimes.com. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
- "Turner, United Artists Close Deal". Orlando Sentinel. UPI. August 27, 1986. Retrieved September 20, 2013.
- You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story (2008), p. 255.
- WB retained a pair of features from 1949 that they merely distributed, and all short subjects released on or after September 1, 1948, in addition to all cartoons released in August 1948.
- Special to the New York Times (October 29, 1986). "A President For MGM/UA –". Nytimes.com. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
- Cieply, Michael (July 10, 1988). "MGM Movie Unit Expected to Be Sold in Complex Hollywood Deal". Los Angeles Times.
- Easton, Nina J. (July 29, 1988). "Plan to Split MGM Pictures in 2 Falls Through; Future of Troubled Firm Clouded". Los Angeles Times.
- By RICHARD W. STEVENSON, Special to The New York Times (October 11, 1989). "Deal to Buy MGM/UA Collapses - New York Times". Nytimes.com. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- "Turner Buying MGM/UA". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. November 29, 1989. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
- "Metromedia to Sell Film Units To MGM for $573 Million - New York Times". Nytimes.com. April 29, 1997. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
- "Years of Hits, Misses Comes to Close." Daily News of Los Angeles. July 10, 1997; Bates, James. "MGM Lays Off 85 in Metromedia Film, TV Units." Los Angeles Times. July 11, 1997.
- "Deal Cements MGM's Bond to 007 Franchise - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. March 30, 1999. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- By ANDREW ROSS SORKIN and GERALDINE FABRIKANT; Laura H. Holson contributed reporting to this article. (April 22, 2004). "Sony Group Said to Be in Talks to Buy MGM - New York Times". Nytimes.com. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Shales, Tom. "On a Remote Planet . . . Click: Showtime's Sluggish 'Stargate SG-1'." The Washington Post. July 26, 1997; Spelling, Ian. "Anderson Leaps Into 'Stargate'." Chicago Tribune. July 24, 1997; Parks, Steve. "'Stargate's' Wormholes Might Hook You." Newsday. July 27, 1997.
- "Company News; Kerkorian To Increase Stake In M-G-M - New York Times". Nytimes.com. August 20, 1998. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- "MGM Says It Was Outbid for Film Library". Los Angeles Times. December 23, 1997.
- Billboard Magazine (Vol. 109, No. 18 ed.). Nielsen Business Media, Inc. May 3, 1997. p. 62.
- "New Epic Librarian". Variety. December 2, 1997.
- By Joanne Legomsky (October 17, 1999). "INVESTING; Take 3 for Kerkorian: The Rebuilding of MGM - New York Times". Nytimes.com. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- "MGM Regains Rights to Films - New York Times". Nytimes.com. September 16, 1999. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- Willcock, John (February 24, 1999). "People & Business: Movie moves - Business - News". The Independent. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- "Fox Enters Deal With MGM On International Distribution - WSJ". Online.wsj.com. June 22, 1999. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- "COMPANY NEWS; MGM AGREES TO BUY STAKE IN 4 CABLE CHANNELS - New York Times". Nytimes.com. February 2, 2001. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- By Andrew Ross Sorkin And Geraldine Fabrikant (July 30, 2003). "THE MEDIA BUSINESS; MGM Withdraws Bid for Vivendi Entertainment Units - New York Times". Nytimes.com. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- By Geraldine Fabrikant (July 1, 2003). "MGM to Sell Its Stake in Three Cable Channels - New York Times". Nytimes.com. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- "Sony will purchase MGM in a deal worth about $5B: source - Sep. 14, 2004". Money.cnn.com. September 14, 2004. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
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- ^ "Relativity Media Seeks Controlling Stake in MGM". TheWrap. May 17, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
- ^ "MGM puts skeptics at ease". Variety. July 15, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
- At least one other major news outlet claims the debt service is $300 million a year. See: Barnes, "MGM Replaces Chief Executive", The New York Times, August 18, 2009.
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/19/business/media/19mgm.html
- Peter Bart EVP and Editorial Director @MrPeterBart (August 18, 2009). "Town reacts to MGM's new lionkeeper". Variety. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- DiOrio, Carl. "Firm Scoops Up MGM Debt." The Hollywood Reporter. May 18, 2009.
- DiOrio, Carl. "MGM Looks to Avoid Bankruptcy." The Hollywood Reporter. May 27, 2009.
- DiOrio, Carl. "Relativity Ally Buys MGM Debt." The Hollywood Reporter. May 19, 2009.
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- "MGM files for bankruptcy, rejects bid; Providence Equity flagged as a 'loser' - Providence Business News". Pbn.com. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- ^ DiOrio, Carl. "Harry Sloan Out as CEO of MGM." The Hollywood Reporter. August 18, 2009
- "Harry Sloan out at MGM as CEO". Variety. August 18, 2009. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
- "MGM gets a little breathing room on its interest payments | Company Town | Los Angeles Times". Latimesblogs.latimes.com. October 1, 2009. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- Eller, Claudia (February 26, 2010). "As MGM mulls its future, the show goes on". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 26, 2010.
- Bloomberg (February 26, 2010). "MGM asks potential buyers to submit bids by mid-March –". Nypost.com. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
- Kawamoto, Dawn (November 3, 2010). "MGM Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy". Retrieved September 24, 2012.
- Agard, Chancellor (December 20, 2010). "MGM out of bankruptcy | News Briefs | EW.com". News-briefs.ew.com. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- "MGM restructuring becomes official". Variety. December 20, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- Fleming, Mike (December 23, 2010). "MGM Sets Ex-Pixar CFO Ann Mather To Head New Board of Directors". Deadline.com. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
- Nikki Finke (December 29, 2010). "Official: MGM Moving Into Office Building Once Intended For William Morris Agency". Deadline.com. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
- Albiniak, Paige (January 4, 2011). "MGM, Weigel Taking Me-TV Nationwide | Broadcasting & Cable". Broadcastingcable.com. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- "MGM launches classic TV service to roar like the Fonz | Company Town | Los Angeles Times". Latimesblogs.latimes.com. January 4, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
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- Nikki Finke. "TOLDJA! MGM Makes Distribution Deal With Sony Pictures That Includes James Bond". Deadline.com. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
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{{cite news}}
: Check date values in:|accessdate=
(help) - Fritz, Ben (March 23, 2012). "MGM regains full control of United Artists". Los Angeles Times.
- Bond, Paul (September 22, 2014). "MGM Acquires Majority Stake in Mark Burnett's Companies". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ "MGM HOLDINGS INC. For the quarterly period ended June 30, 2011." (Archive) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. Retrieved on February 6, 2012. "10250 Constellation Boulevard Los Angeles, California 90067 (Address of corporate headquarters through August 19, 2011)" and "245 North Beverly Drive Beverly Hills, California 90210 (Address of corporate headquarters beginning August 22, 2011)"
- ^ "MGM to move from luxurious Century City offices - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. August 8, 1993. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
- ^ Fixmer, Andy. "Yahoo signing for office space that MGM is leaving behind." Los Angeles Business Journal at AllBusiness. Retrieved on February 5, 2012.
- Archived 2000-10-06 at the Wayback Machine. Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer. October 6, 2000. Retrieved on February 6, 2012. "Corporate Headquarters Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. 2500 Broadway Street Santa Monica, CA 90404-3061"
Further reading
- Altman, Diana. Hollywood East: Louis B. Mayer and the Origins of the Studio System (Carol Publishing, 1992).
- Bart, Peter. Fade Out: The Calamitous Final Days of MGM (Morrow, 1990).
- Crowther, Bosley. The Lion's Share: The Story of an Entertainment Empire (E.P. Dutton and Company, 1957).
- Eames, John Douglas. The MGM Story (Octopus, 1975).
- Háy, Peter. MGM: When the Lion Roars (Turner, 1991).
- Vieira, Mark A. Hollywood Dreams Made Real: Irving Thalberg and the Rise of M-G-M (Abrams, 2008).
External links
- Official website
- Template:IMDb company
- MGM Animation at The Big Cartoon DataBase
- Video on YouTube
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Article Encyclopædia Britannica
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