This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(August 2014) |
Metro Pictures Corporationwas amotion pictureproduction company founded in early 1915 inJacksonville,Florida.It was a forerunner ofMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer.The company produced its films in New York, Los Angeles, and sometimes at leased facilities inFort Lee,New Jersey.[1]It was purchased in 1919.
 | |
| Industry | Film studio |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Solax Studios |
| Founded | June 23, 1915 |
| Founder | Richard A. Rowland George Grombacker Louis B. Mayer |
| Defunct | April 17, 1924 |
| Fate | Merged withGoldwyn PicturesandLouis B. Mayer Picturesto formMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Successors | Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Amazon MGM Studios Library: Warner Bros. (throughTurner Entertainment Co.) Public domain |
| Headquarters | Heidelberg Building,, |
Key people | Richard A. Rowland(President) Louis B. Mayer(secretary) |
History
edit
Metro Pictures was founded as a film distribution company in February 1915 by a number of "exchange men"[clarification needed]withRichard A. Rowlandas president, George Grombacher as vice-president andLouis B. Mayeras secretary.[2]Grombacher owned exchanges in Portland and Seattle. Rowland and Metro's 2nd vice president James B. Clark were from the Roland & Clark company based in Pittsburgh. Metro was capitalized with $300,000 in cash and founded for the purpose of controlling movie productions for the exchanges.[3]Rowland had been an investor inAlco Filmswhich was a distribution company for a coalition of production companies. Mayer convinced Rowland to set up Metro to replace Alco to avoid being picked up byParamount,Mutual Film,orUniversal.Metro hadRolfe Photoplays,Inc. and Popular Plays and Players moving over from Alco to Metro. Additional production companies working with Metro were Columbia (1915–1917) [not the currentColumbia], subsequently CBC Sales until 1918),Quality Picture Corporation,andDyreda.[4]Mayer left to form his own production unit in 1918.[5]
In 1919, Metro established its Hollywood studio at Lillian Way and Eleanor St. while building its huge studio covering 4 city blocks at Romaine St. and Cahuenga Blvd, which opened in 1920. Itsback lotwas established in 1920 in Hollywood on N. Cahuenga Boulevard between Willoughby Avenue and Waring Avenue bound by Lillian Way on the east (today home toRed Studios Hollywood).[6]
Metro's first release on March 29, 1915 wasSatan Sanderson,a film produced by Rolfe Photoplays which was originally to be distributed by Alco Film Company.[7]Sealed Valleywas Metro's first production released on August 2, 1915.[8]William Frederick Jurydistributed Metro's films in Britain.
In 1920, the company was purchased byMarcus Loewas a supplier of product for his theater chain. However, Loew was not satisfied with the amount or quality of Metro's output. A few years later in 1924, Loew merged it with the strugglingGoldwyn Picturesand shortlyLouis B. Mayer Productionsthen renamed the new entityMetro-Goldwyn-Mayerthat year with Mayer in charge (who was never an owner, and was only ever an employee).[9]
Stars
editMetro's biggest stars during the World War I period were the romantic teams ofFrancis X. BushmanandBeverly BayneandHarold LockwoodandMay Allison.Also in top echelons of importance were actressesMae MurrayandViola Danaand from the stageLionelandEthel Barrymore,Emmy WehlenandEmily Stevens.Before merging into MGM in 1924, Metro's star roster had expanded to includeLillian Gish,Buster Keaton,Jackie Coogan,Marion Davies,Ramon Novarro,Wallace BeeryandLewis Stone.
Motion Picture Studios
editAlthough the Metro film library and stars were merged into MGM in 1924, a portion of Rowland's Los Angeles film studio continued with a life of its own. Originally spanning four city blocks, one block continued as a studio known simply as Motion Picture Studios through the 1940s, and asGeneral Service StudiosandDesilu Studiosthrough the 1950s and 1960s. It becameRen-Mar Studiosin 1974. In January 2010, Ren-Mar Studios was bought byRed Digital Cinema Camera Company.The complex was renamed "Red Studios Hollywood". It is located on Cahuenga Blvd. north of Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, directly behind the Musicians AFM Local 47 on Vine Street.
David E. Kelleyfilmed several of his TV series there, includingPicket Fences,Ally McBeal,andThe Practice.
Filmography
editA1965 firein an MGM Archive #7 storage facility destroyed originalnegativesand prints, including the best-quality copies of every Metro picture and Louis B. Mayer Picture produced prior to 1924; over half of MGM's feature films from before 1930 are completelylost.On March 25, 1986, Ted Turner and his Turner Broadcasting System purchased the pre-May 1986 MGM films (including Metro Pictures films) fromKirk Kerkorianfor $600 million.
- Filmed in Fort Lee, NJ
- The Eternal Question(1916) Olga Petrova
- The Divorcée(1919) Ethel Barrymore
- What People Will Say?(1915) directed by Alice Guy Blache[1]
- Sealed Valley(1915) Dorothy Donnelly[8]
References
edit- ^ab"Studios and Films".Fort Lee Films.org.Fort Lee Film Commission. Archived fromthe originalon April 25, 2011.RetrievedDecember 20,2014.
- ^Eyman, S. (2008).Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Legend of Louis B. Mayer.Simon & Schuster. p. 43.ISBN978-1-4391-0791-1.Retrieved24 June2018.
- ^"The Metro Corporation",Motography,XIII(8): 278, February 20, 1915,retrievedDecember 5,2013
- ^McMahan, Alison (August 22, 2014).Alice Guy Blaché: Lost Visionary of the Cinema.Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 179.ISBN9781501302695.RetrievedDecember 22,2014.
- ^"Louis B. Mayer".The Biography.com.A&E Television Networks.RetrievedDecember 22,2014.
- ^Monush, Barry; Sheridan, James (June 1, 2011).Lucille Ball FAQ: Everything Left to Know About America's Favorite Redhead.Applause Theatre & Cinema.ISBN9781557839336.RetrievedDecember 22,2014.
- ^"Satan Sanderson".AFI Catalog of Feature Films.American Film Institute.RetrievedDecember 22,2014.
- ^ab"Sealed Valley".AFI Catalog of Feature Films.American Film Institute.RetrievedDecember 22,2014.
- ^International Directory of Company Histories. Vol. 25.St. James Press. 1999.RetrievedDecember 20,2014.