MGM

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science
Cover of the book MGM by Tino Balio, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Tino Balio ISBN: 9781317429678
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: March 14, 2018
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Tino Balio
ISBN: 9781317429678
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: March 14, 2018
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

The winner of the 2019 Peter C. Rollins Book Award

This is the first comprehensive history of MGM from its origins in 1905 to the present. Following a straightforward chronology corresponding to specific periods of film industry history, each chapter describes how successive managements adjusted their production strategies and business practices in response to evolving industrial and market conditions.

As the production subsidiary of the Loew’s Inc. theatre chain, MGM spent lavishly on its pictures and injected them with plenty of star power. The practice helped sustain MGM’s preeminent position during the heyday of Hollywood. But MGM was a conservative company and watched as other studios innovated with sound and widescreen, adjusted to television, and welcomed independent producers. By the 1960s, the company, sans its theatre chain, was in decline and was ripe for a takeover. A defining moment occurred in 1969, when Kirk Kerkorian, a Las Vegas entrepreneur, made a successful bid for the company. There followed a tumultuous thirty-six-year period when Kerkorian bought and sold MGM three times. Meanwhile, MGM never regained its former status and has functioned as a second-tier company to this day.

Focusing on MGM’s top talent – such as Louis B. Mayer, Irving Thalberg, David O. Selznick, and Arthur Freed; directors King Vidor and Vincente Minnelli; and stars of the screen Greta Garbo, Judy Garland, Clark Gable, and Mickey Rooney – and award-winning films, this book highlights the studio’s artistic achievements and status within the industry.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The winner of the 2019 Peter C. Rollins Book Award

This is the first comprehensive history of MGM from its origins in 1905 to the present. Following a straightforward chronology corresponding to specific periods of film industry history, each chapter describes how successive managements adjusted their production strategies and business practices in response to evolving industrial and market conditions.

As the production subsidiary of the Loew’s Inc. theatre chain, MGM spent lavishly on its pictures and injected them with plenty of star power. The practice helped sustain MGM’s preeminent position during the heyday of Hollywood. But MGM was a conservative company and watched as other studios innovated with sound and widescreen, adjusted to television, and welcomed independent producers. By the 1960s, the company, sans its theatre chain, was in decline and was ripe for a takeover. A defining moment occurred in 1969, when Kirk Kerkorian, a Las Vegas entrepreneur, made a successful bid for the company. There followed a tumultuous thirty-six-year period when Kerkorian bought and sold MGM three times. Meanwhile, MGM never regained its former status and has functioned as a second-tier company to this day.

Focusing on MGM’s top talent – such as Louis B. Mayer, Irving Thalberg, David O. Selznick, and Arthur Freed; directors King Vidor and Vincente Minnelli; and stars of the screen Greta Garbo, Judy Garland, Clark Gable, and Mickey Rooney – and award-winning films, this book highlights the studio’s artistic achievements and status within the industry.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Therapeutic Uses of Rap and Hip-Hop by Tino Balio
Cover of the book The Manipulation of Literature (Routledge Revivals) by Tino Balio
Cover of the book Globalizing Education, Educating the Local by Tino Balio
Cover of the book Japanese Auto Transplants in the Heartland by Tino Balio
Cover of the book Knowledge Management in Healthcare by Tino Balio
Cover of the book American Mythologies by Tino Balio
Cover of the book The Music of Mauricio Kagel by Tino Balio
Cover of the book Global Ethics on Climate Change by Tino Balio
Cover of the book The Performance of Italian Basso Continuo by Tino Balio
Cover of the book Algernon Swinburne by Tino Balio
Cover of the book China’s Climate-Energy Policy by Tino Balio
Cover of the book The Biosphere and the Bioregion by Tino Balio
Cover of the book Assessment and Evaluation for Transformation in Early Childhood by Tino Balio
Cover of the book Art of Judging by Tino Balio
Cover of the book Ultimate Intimacy by Tino Balio
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy