Louis Burt Mayer was an early film producer who co-founded the film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Mayer believed in wholesome entertainment and was known for his efforts to involve big Hollywood stars in his productions. Mayer eventually lost his position at MGM because of his conservative views and because of his misplaced confidence in the company\u2019s loyalty to him.<\/p>\n
1. The Orpheum<\/strong><\/p>\n The Orpheum was Mayer\u2019s first movie theater. This refurbished theater would become the first of five theaters that Mayer would own in the city of Haverhill, where he lived. From that point, he collaborated with Nathan H. Gordon and created the Gordon-Mayer partnership. This partnership would eventually control the largest theater chain in New England.<\/p>\n 2. Success in Film Distribution<\/strong><\/p>\n The partnership then decided that they would organize a film distribution agency in America. That decision turned out to be a profitable business investment. Following their success in film distribution, the next steps up the business ladder would involve creating a talent booking agency and then forming a production company.<\/p>\n 3. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer<\/strong><\/p>\n In 1924, Metro Pictures, Samuel Goldwyn\u2019s Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Mayer Pictures combine to form one company, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Mayer would be the “Vice-President in Charge of Production” for the next 27 years. In effect, he controlled the company during that time.<\/p>\n 4. Success Through<\/strong><\/p>\n Mayer\u2019s motion picture studio was the most financially successful studio in the world in the 1930\u2019s. They were so successful that the studio continued to pay dividends on their stock even through the Great Depression.<\/p>\n 5. Securing Hollywood\u2019s Hottest Stars<\/strong><\/p>\n Another part of what made Mayer so successful was his ability to secure the hottest Hollywood actors to perform in his films. Movie stars like Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Lon Chaney, Joan Crawford, Jean Harlow, Judy Garland and many others worked with Mayer.<\/p>\n 6. Father Figure<\/strong><\/p>\n Mayer was not shy about voicing his opinions about who should and should not be in his movies and what content was and was not appropriate. The actresses that he worked with often saw him as a father figure as he was sure to be the gentleman who ensured that no one would be asked to perform in a way that he felt was unsuitable.<\/p>\n 7. No Contracts Required<\/strong><\/p>\n By the late 40\u2019s America\u2019s taste for entertainment was changing. The television was introduced and, because of a lawsuit and Supreme Court decision, film studios and movie theatres were no longer required to enter into contracts to exclusively show certain films.<\/p>\n