Asking for advice about film companies

It’s Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

The world-famous “roar” of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is a patent

Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer

Film Company. On May 17, 1924, M. Lowe, the boss of Rockwell Company in the United States, merged the company's Metro Film Company with Galwin Film Company and L.B. Meyer Production Company to form MGM. During the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s, MGM was the largest film company, producing 40-50 films every year. During this period, MGM had the most popular movie stars and directors in the United States, such as G. Garbo, C. Gable, J. Harrow, S. Tracy, R. Taylor, J. Crawford, N. Sheila, etc., directors such as E. von Strauchen, K. Vidor, F. Lange, G. Gu Ke, V. Fleming, etc. From the 1930s to the end of World War II, MGM produced hundreds of films, except for a few films such as "The Last of Us", "Mutiny on the Ship" (1935), and "La Traviata" (1939). , "The House of the Brave" (1942), "A Tale of Two Cities", etc., 90% of them are mediocre works, with shallow content and divorce from reality. They often use fictional stories, happy endings, and big stars who are popular with the audience. and high filming skills to attract audiences. MGM mass-produced such films day after day like an assembly line in a factory producing industrial products, which contributed greatly to Hollywood's "reputation" as the "Dream Factory". From the late 1940s to the early 1950s, MGM once focused on shooting large-scale musicals and produced several distinctive musicals, such as "Singin' in the Rain" (1952). In the 1950s, there was a crisis in the American film industry. By the early 1960s, the company was losing money year after year, and its film output was declining year by year. From the early 1970s to the 1980s, only three or four films were made each year. In the early 1970s, K. Kerkorian, a big capitalist in Las Vegas, bought MGM. The new managers auctioned off all MGM's props and costumes, and invested the funds in real estate, hotels and other profitable areas in Las Vegas, Reno and other casino cities. By the end of the 1970s, MGM was once again prosperous, but production was only one of the company's broad business scopes. In 1981, MGM funded the purchase of United Artists and changed its name to MGM-United Artists Entertainment.

80 Years of MGM

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was founded on May 17, 1924. The company’s screen logo is the bird waking up from a dream. roaring lion. With a history of 80 years since its establishment, it is one of the oldest existing film companies in Hollywood. The following is a chronology of major events in the 80 years since MGM was founded.

1924: Marcus Love, owner of Metro Film Company, acquires Goldwyn Film Company and merges legendary producer Louis Mayer's production company Under the umbrella, MGM Film Company was announced, Meyer became MGM's first general manager, and Irving Thalberg became the production director. "He Who Gets Slapped" was the first film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

1928: The roaring lion appears in theaters for the first time, and together with the motto "Ars Gratia Artis" (Ars Gratia Artis), it becomes a registered trademark of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

1930: Film superstar Clark Gable signed a contract with MGM, becoming the first movie star signed under MGM's "studio system".

1936: Irving Thalberg died. Subsequently, Louis Meyer made MGM the largest film company in Hollywood.

1939: MGM released "The Wizard of Oz" and "Gone with the Wind", two films that had a huge impact on later generations.

1951: Musicals continued to decline, and Louis Meyer was forced to retire.

1957: Louis Meyer died.

1959: "Ben-Hur" released by MGM was not only a huge success at the box office, but also won a record of 11 Oscars that no film has ever broken.

1962: United Artists released the first 007 film "Dr. No".

1969: Midnight Cowboy, released by MGM, becomes the first X-rated film to win the Oscar for Best Picture.

1970: Billionaire Kirk Kerkorian acquires MGM.

1976: United Artists released another legendary series - "Rocky".

1981: MGM merged with United Artists to form MGM United Artists.

1986: Kirk Kerkorian sells MGM to Ted Turner for $1.45 billion, who quickly sells United Artists and part of MGM Sold back to Kirk Kerkorian, and sold most of what was left of MGM to Reno, but retained all of MGM's films from before 1948 to flesh out his own television programs .

1990: Kerkorian sold his stake in MGM to an Italian consortium headed by Giancado Paretti for US$1.3 billion.

1992: MGM is auctioned off by a French bank after Paretti was accused of fraudulently obtaining control of MGM.

1993: Frank Macasso took over MGM, and his team subsequently released blockbuster films such as "Get Shorty" and "GoldenEye".

1996: Kerkorian regained control of MGM for $1.3 billion.

1999: Makasso was replaced by Kerkorian's deputy Alex Yemenidye.

2002: MGM released the 20th James Bond film "Die Another Day."

2004: Kerkorian sells MGM again.

The old Hollywood film company has changed hands again and MGM has become a "Japanese product"

Excerpted from Xinhuanet Source: Information Times

Time Warner competes with Sony Group There has been a breakthrough in the acquisition of Hollywood film company MGM. MGM confirmed on Monday that it had reached an in-principle agreement on the acquisition with a group headed by Japanese company Sony, agreeing that Sony would acquire MGM at a price of US$12 per share and a total debt of nearly US$5 billion.

According to sources, the investment group headed by Sony includes private investment funds Texas Pacific Group and Providence Equity Partners, and will also seek other investment partners. People familiar with the matter pointed out that Comcast, the world's largest cable television system, may invest US$300 million after being acquired by MGM. MGM later issued a statement stating that it had reached in-principle agreements with groups including Sony America, Providence Equity Partners, Texas Pacific Group and DLJ Merchant Banking Partners on acquisition conditions. After American media giant Time Warner decided to withdraw from the bidding war for MGM, it triggered a lot of speculation, prompting MGM to break its silence and put an end to the rumors. Sources familiar with the acquisition told AFP earlier: "This is an agreement in principle, and the two parties have not finalized the final agreement."

MGM said that according to the aforementioned agreement, Sony will lead The investors will pay $12 per share in cash for MGM stock, or a total of $2.93 billion, and will assume about $2 billion in liabilities from MGM, which is owned by billionaire Kirk Kerkorian. . MGM also announced that it had received a $150 million guarantee on September 13, clearing the way for the acquisition to be recommended to the board of directors. Management is scheduled to recommend to the board of directors to accept the acquisition on September 27. According to Variety, the group headed by Sony raised the acquisition price to US$12 per share last weekend and agreed to assume MGM's US$2 billion in liabilities. Sony's move led to Time Warner's decision to back off on Monday and refuse to acquire MGM at a price of more than $11 per share, leaving Sony as the sole bidder.

Once MGM is purchased, the size of Sony's film library will double to approximately 8,000, including the "007" series and "Pink Panther" series owned by MGM, which will help Sony improve its DVD Sale. David Miller, a media and entertainment analyst in Los Angeles, pointed out that this combination is good. What Sony wants is the film library, and the greater the number of films, the lower the cost. Neither Sony spokesperson Ann Moffogen nor MGM spokesperson Janet Jankijian would comment on the news.

Sony acquires MGM, a veteran Hollywood film company, for US$4.8 billion

Japanese electronics giant Sony has finally acquired MGM, a veteran Hollywood film company in the United States. MGM said on Friday that an international consortium led by Sony had completed the acquisition of MGM at a total cost of $4.8 billion. Sony thus obtained MGM's database of more than 4,000 films, and through the acquisition, Sony became an "upstart" in the global private independent animation, television and home entertainment industries.

MGM said that day that an international consortium led by Sony took over MGM with a cash payment of US$3 billion. The transaction was carried out in accordance with the agreement reached by the two parties at the end of last year, priced at US$12 per share, and Sony and others will also bear MGM's US$1.8 billion in debt.

After the acquisition is completed, MGM will be run by Dan Taylor, the company's former chief financial officer, who will report directly to a board of directors composed of Sony and other members of the consortium. For MGM's current 1,400 employees around the world, Taylor will work with the new board of directors to develop a new employment plan, and there will be no large-scale layoffs.

For Sony, it did not hesitate to spend a lot of money to acquire MGM, mainly because of its database of more than 4,000 movies and more than 10,000 TV series. These classic films are a huge asset to Sony, which is determined to develop and expand the home entertainment market.

After eight years of retirement, Garbo came back in 1949, planning to play the role of "The Duchess of Lanzes", and even auditioned. Still amazed by the footage, Barry Paris wrote in his 1995 biography, "Garbo proved that she was still as charming as she had been." Unfortunately, the producers walked away from the contract due to skyrocketing budgets. Garbo was shocked by the result; it was probably the film she was most excited about since her retirement.

Even when she was filming her last film, The Lady, in 1941, Garbo apparently never considered officially retiring from the film industry. But it was this humorless comedy that frustrated Garbo. In the play, she tried every means to make her husband's love for her never fade away. Garbo had never really failed before. Although Garbo was a major draw at the U.S. box office nearly 10 years ago, she maintains a strong reputation and her popularity abroad is undeniable.

But with the outbreak of World War II, the European market was no longer the place of choice for its films. According to rumors, she decided to wait until the war was over before making movies. But the longer Garbo waited, the harder it became to return to the screen and portray those shy characters. At the age of 36, Garbo decided to retire. But in the eyes of people who love movies, Garbo will always be young and beautiful.

Did she choose the right time to retire? Has she left the screen too soon? Like much of what we know about his life, these questions are mysteries. Just like John Gilbert said to Garbo in "The Queen of Sweden": "You will always be a mystery." Williams is one of the many fans who deeply regrets Garbo's premature departure from the artistic stage. In his autobiography, he described his disappointment at Garbo's steadfast refusal to accept suggestions to return to the screen. Williams wrote: "How sad it is for an artist to give up the career she loves: I think it is more painful than death..." Garbo died in 1990 at the age of 84. Since then, Garbo has become just a legendary name to most people. However, the longer she stayed away from the screen, the more people missed her.

The charm has not diminished for decades

In an era where celebrities are racking their brains and doing their best to appear in the public eye, it is difficult to understand a serious star. Celebrities at the peak of their careers can actually be indifferent to fame and fortune, stay away from flowers and applause, and resolutely retreat! Is she tired of playing the role of a "symbol" and just wants to return to a normal life as a "human"? (Garbo's lines in "The Queen of Sweden" may be the most accurate portrayal of her in the film.) Perhaps she is so fragile that she is worried that she will not be able to face the camera if she suffers a setback one day?

The only existing basis for evaluating Garbo is the films she left to the world. Compared with other fictional characters like Marilyn Munroe or James Dean, Garbo at least still has works. Although her performances in early works such as "Romance" or "Thunder" were indeed silly, her performances in "Camille", "Queen of Sweden" and "Ninochka" were indeed remarkable, It’s still unforgettable.

Perhaps no movie star can still be recalled by the audience for so many years after retiring from the screen, but Greta Garbo did it! (

MGM Film Company Logo

Film Company. On May 17, 1924, M. Lowe, the boss of the American Rockefeller Company, transferred the company's Metro Film Company to Merged with Galwin Film Company and L.B. Meyer Production Company to form MGM. During the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s, MGM was the largest film company, producing 40-50 films every year. This period had the most popular movie stars and directors in the United States, such as G. Garbo, C. Gable, J. Harrow, S. Tracy, R. Taylor, J. Crawford, N. Sheila, etc. etc., directors such as E. von Strauchen, K. Vidor, F. Lange, G. Gu Ke, V. Fleming, etc. From the 1930s to the end of World War II, MGM filmed. He has produced hundreds of films, except for a few films such as "The Last of Us", "Mutiny on the Ship" (1935), "La Traviata" (1939), "The House of the Brave" (1942), "A Tale of Two Cities", etc. In addition, 90% of them are mediocre works with shallow content and divorce from reality. They often use fictional stories and happy endings, coupled with popular celebrities and high-level filming techniques to attract audiences. The mass production of this kind of film like an assembly line in a factory producing industrial products day after day has contributed greatly to Hollywood's "reputation" as a "dream factory". From the late 1940s to the early 1950s, MGM was once famous for its filming. Focusing on big-scene musicals, it produced several distinctive musicals, such as "Singin' in the Rain" (1952). In the 1950s, the American film industry was in crisis. By the early 1960s, the company had been losing money year after year, and its film output was declining year by year. From the early 1970s to the 1980s, only three or four films were made each year. In the early 1970s, K. Kerkorian, a big capitalist in Las Vegas, bought MGM. All the company's props and costumes were auctioned off, and the funds were invested in real estate, hotels and other profitable areas in Las Vegas, Reno and other casino cities. By the end of the 1970s, MGM was once again prosperous, but Production is only one of the company's broad business scopes. In 1981, MGM invested in buying United Artists and changed its name to MGM-United Artists Entertainment Company.

MGM Film Company in 2002. Video:

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Die Another Day Barber Shop "Barber Shop"

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Windtalkers "Windtalkers"

Deuces Wild "Wild Youth"

40 Days and 40 Nights "40 Days of Love" 》

Hart's War "Hart's War"

Rollerball "Rollerball"

MGM Films 2001:

Kate & Leopold "Love in Another World"

Amelie "Amelie"