One of the great things about older Hollywood documentaries like this (1992) , is that many of the real, key people were still alive, and keen to share their personal recollections with breathtaking honesty.
Some highlights for me are JJ Cohn, former MGM production manager, who describes events surrounding the ORIGINAL chariot race in the silent Ben Hur; Samuel Marx, producer and story editor, offers fascinating insights into the suspicious death of producer Paul Bern, husband of Jean Harlow, and how the power wielded by the studio impacted the police investigation. King Vidor, pioneering director, talks about the creative process in silent film, and artists like Helen Hayes, Maureen O'Sullivan, Esther Williams, Van Johnson, Ricardo Montalban and others talk about the movies, and the people, in the golden age of the Hollywood studio system.
The filmmakers manage to deftly navigate the tricky problem that is LB Mayer himself, are honest about his faults, yet give his admirers sufficient time to create an overall balanced picture. It explores the breakdown in the relationship between LB and his protege, production genius Irving Thalberg, and how as a result, the studio separated into two factions depending on personal loyalties. My only reservation, and it's minor, is that the impression left is that Thalberg, in chronically poor health, was a defenseless victim of Mayer's greed and disloyalty, having been removed from the post of head of all production while away from the studio recuperating from illness. This may be true to a degree, but other sources suggest that Thalberg himself wasn't averse to some corporate maneuvering and excessive demands. Both were tough men, and as Samuel Marx recalled, "It was a tough time."
The story of MGM is the story of the movies, of Hollywood and the cliched rise and fall. Patrick Stewart's rather eccentric narration enhances the drama and helps to make this series something quite special, that can be watched time and again.
Some highlights for me are JJ Cohn, former MGM production manager, who describes events surrounding the ORIGINAL chariot race in the silent Ben Hur; Samuel Marx, producer and story editor, offers fascinating insights into the suspicious death of producer Paul Bern, husband of Jean Harlow, and how the power wielded by the studio impacted the police investigation. King Vidor, pioneering director, talks about the creative process in silent film, and artists like Helen Hayes, Maureen O'Sullivan, Esther Williams, Van Johnson, Ricardo Montalban and others talk about the movies, and the people, in the golden age of the Hollywood studio system.
The filmmakers manage to deftly navigate the tricky problem that is LB Mayer himself, are honest about his faults, yet give his admirers sufficient time to create an overall balanced picture. It explores the breakdown in the relationship between LB and his protege, production genius Irving Thalberg, and how as a result, the studio separated into two factions depending on personal loyalties. My only reservation, and it's minor, is that the impression left is that Thalberg, in chronically poor health, was a defenseless victim of Mayer's greed and disloyalty, having been removed from the post of head of all production while away from the studio recuperating from illness. This may be true to a degree, but other sources suggest that Thalberg himself wasn't averse to some corporate maneuvering and excessive demands. Both were tough men, and as Samuel Marx recalled, "It was a tough time."
The story of MGM is the story of the movies, of Hollywood and the cliched rise and fall. Patrick Stewart's rather eccentric narration enhances the drama and helps to make this series something quite special, that can be watched time and again.