Cheap MGM - When the Lion Roars - Pt. 3 (Video) (Frank Martin (IV)) Price

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Customer Reviews of MGM - When the Lion Roars - Pt. 3

Very good...worth the money
I didn't have that adverse a reaction to the narration by Patrick Stewart. It was odd to have him speaking about the subject, but he has a nice voice. Regardless, the documentary was wonderful. It held its own against other movie documentaries out there, having so many different clips. Often, the really old stuff (silent films and the like) are overlooked. This had just the right amount of historical fact and gossipy legend to make a great Hollywood historical film.

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Leo eats Mayer then dies a slow and painful death
Part 3 of this 3 part Ted Turner Pictures documentary on the MGM studios continues from post World War 2 to the collapse of the studio as a production company in 1969 when Kirk Kerkorian becomes the principal shareholder. This period is troubled by lower profits and no Oscar wins. Louis B Mayer is thought to be neglecting the running of the company in favour of spending his time at the race track and in 1948 Dore Schary is brought in as vice president of production. However Schary's philosophy of producing reality based message pictures clashes with Mayer's preference for wholesome family entertainment. Symptomatic of the collapse of Mayer's reign is the continuing problem of Judy Garland, thought of by Schary as an unreliable liability to the company. She is replaced in Annie Get Your Gun, a project that had been purchased specifically for her, and eventually released from her contract. Mickey Rooney's comments are particularly insulting regarding how only Judy was to blame for her fate, when he had mawkishly cried of his unconditional adoration of her in Part 2. June Allyson sweetly says Judy had too many demands on her and got "lost". In 1951 Mayer is fired after he gives an ultimatum to New York office that either Schary goes or else. The studio produces some of its greatest musicals in Show Boat, On The Town, Singin' in the Rain, and An American in Paris, and introduces Cinemascope in an attempt to battle it's greatest challenge - television. But it becomes a losing battle and soon the roster of stars are let go. In 1956 Schary too is fired as the studio can only make an occasional profit - Blackboard Jungle, Gig, Ben-Hur, and it's creator Mayer dies in 1957 a broken man. Things worsen when the government destroys the studio's monopoly of ownership of their exhibition theatres, MGM continues as a space for hire before Kerkorian buys the company, sells off the back lots (the footage of their destruction is obscene ) and auctions props like Dorothy's ruby red slippers. All that is left for Ted Turner to salvage is MGM's back catalogue.