MGM: When the Lion Roars

When I first saw this on TNT back in 1992, I was disappointed. I thought there would be more background on Marcus Loew, Metro, Goldwyn and Louis Mayer's pre-1924 history. I was also (unjustly) critical of Patrick Stewart's hosting, the exclusion of certain favorite films, and the very limited coverage of Cedric Gibbons (not to mention many other MGM luminaries) and the short subject departments.

However, time has been kind to this series. Watching it on DVD has been quite refreshing (even with the Astaire edits harped on by fans). Since '92, I've seen parts of the RKO series (and dying to see more!), enjoyed the 20th Century Fox's "First 50 Years" and its "Blockbuster" sequel (although these utilize too many film clips and not enough back-lot story) and was, once again, a bit disappointed with YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS (Warner Bros.). WHEN THE LION ROARS is as good of a film studio overview as you can get in three two-hour installments.

For one thing, we get a lot more coverage of the Culver City lot than we ever get of the Burbank lot in YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS, despite (and perhaps because of) the fact that so much has been bulldozed to the ground. I visited Warner's twice on their tours and was surprised at how much of it is still intact. I can only imagine how great MGM (the surviving parts owned by Sony) would be today, had anyone listened to Debbie Reynold's suggestion of it being a "ready-made Disneyland".

Although the glory lies in the classic film clips, much of its heart come from the interviews. Margaret Booth's comment that "we never made bad pictures" emphasizes how the art of film editing kept MGM the top dog of the business. Samuel Marx's observation of Louis Mayer crying during LASSIE COME HOME (produced by future adversary Dore Shary) speaks volumes... even if Mayer was the best "actor" of the studio. Earlier footage of Lillian Gish, King Vidor and Eleanor Boardman are cleverly utilized from the BBC's 12-year old Hollywood series in Part 1's coverage of the silent years.

I once thought Patrick Stewart's narration and dramatic introductions a little too... shall we say?... "hammy". Today, they serve as a pleasing initiation into the "make believe" factory. His walk in front of a screen showing 1925's BEN HUR chariot race is as equally effective as any of the interviews; it demonstrates how thin the line between industry "product" and fantasy was during Hollywood's Golden Age.

I first discovered "MGM: When the Lion Roars" on PBS about 5 years ago. Even then I only saw part of the documentary- and out of order, the last section first. I didn't know how much detail of the MGM history it actually covered until I saw the complete, 3-part documentary on Turner Classic Movies 18 months ago. When I finally digested even part one, I was flabbergasted. The documentary, lovingly narrated by Patrick Stewart, starts at the beginning (to coin a phrase from one of MGM's great fantasy films). We see the formation of Metro, Goldwyn, and Louis B. Mayer's "Mayer," starting from 1924 and the silent film "He Who Gets Slapped." We see the union of the brilliant young Irving Thalberg and Mayer as they concoct a bona-fide production factory- replete with school, hospital, police force, fire department, and commissary. The New York stockholders (headed by Marcus Lowe, later by Nicholas Schenck) are the magnates who actually oversee MGM, as well as the theaters who distribute the films made by MGM. And part 1 introduces MGM's first stars: Garbo, Gilbert, Joan Crawford, Wallace Beery, Marie Dressler, Helen Hayes, the Barrymores, Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Norma Shearer Thalberg, and the studio logo- the MGM lion. Remembrances by many of MGM's staff- including Samuel Marx, King Vidor, William Tuttle, and Margaret Booth- give a no-holes-barred outline of just how the studio made (and in some instances broke) their stars.

A lot of the veterans interviewed seem almost hypnotic in their praise of the factory and the tyrannical Mayer- which is curious because there are a few pointed recollections by actors (including double-Oscar winner Luise Rainier and swimming star Esther Williams) who did not particularly care for the bullying, manipulative showman- a man not above fainting on cue to get what he wanted, or reminding his contractors that they were his property to do with as he liked. Part 1 ends with the untimely death of 37-year-old wunderkind Thalberg, and part 2 takes the factory into the 1940's and the war years when Mayer decrees wholesome, pious, family-oriented film only. The child stars are introduced: Jackie Cooper, Mickey Rooney, June Preisser, Freddie Bartholomew, and most of all, Judy Garland (given a particularly long testimony by Rooney, who then curiously denies that MGM was responsible- even in part- for her drug addiction). A sobering begins to creep into the dream factory as stars- particularly the females- are unceremoniously dropped (or at least not picked up) as they begin to age. The new contractors- Lamarr, Allyson, Van Johnson, Greer Garson, James Stewart, Elizabeth Taylor, Tracy & Hepburn- are introduced. A lot of MGM's male stars enlist and go to fight in the war, which annoys Mayer (of course) to no end. Producer Dore Schary (Mayer's political and spiritual opposite) is brought into the fold as "a new Thalberg," thought to improve movie quality while paring the ascending film costs and tolerate the emergence of the new medium of television.

Finally, MGM's legendary musicals make up a significant part of Act 3. One of the most pointed revelations is the contrast in musical film styles between sophisticated Arthur Freed and schmaltzy, sentimental Joe Pasternak (and they're absolutely right). The 1950's arrive and Mayer's 20-year feud with boss Schenck reaches an unimaginable climax when an "office coup" of sorts terminates Mayer from his own studio- and replaced by Schary, who puts an end to all the sweetness and virtuosity and concentrates on gritty message dramas. Many wonderful, stupendous film clips are shown- but amazingly, none of dancer Fred Astaire in the DVD release. (Despite having made some of the greatest musical films from 1948 to 1957- it appears that his widow holds the release rights to all his images, decreeing license fees for the use of his image. Consequently she had all his footage removed from this documentary, which is unforgivable.) The studio shifts management several times in the next dozen or so years, until the factory is more or less liquidated in 1974 and turned over to the MGM Grand Hotel project of Kirk Kerkorian. A particularly sad image is seeing the MGM sign removed from the executive office building in 1986. But what a time it once was.

This documentary was made back in 1992, and does a very good job of detailing the history of MGM. Part one starts in 1924 with the opening of the studio in 1924 and and ends with the death of wonder boy Irving G. Thalberg in 1936. Part two concentrates on what are considered "the golden years" from 1936 to 1946. Part three is about the decline of the studio after 1946. Patrick Stewart narrates, and there are some particularly interesting although not surprising revelations, such as Helen Hayes describing studio head Louis B. As a gentle yet evil person.

I guess I enjoyed part one the most because I really disagree about 1936-1946 being MGM's peak years. I think they were at their best from 1924 up to shortly after the death of Irving Thalberg. His foresight and creativity are what fueled the silent film and early sound projects that really put the studio on the map. At any rate, if you enjoyed the much shorter "Universal Horror" documentary on the Carl Laemmle years of Universal Studios, you'll enjoy this one too. Highly recommended.

After all these years I still remember this documentary vividly. I haven't seen it since it originally aired on TV in 1992 - and boy was I disappointed when I found out I couldn't borrow it from my local library, because some jerk had stolen the videotapes! I think that just proves this mini-series should be made available on DVD, eh? There's obviously great demand for it.

"When The Lion Roars" was fascinating and made me want to see all of MGM's classic films (so the documentary achieved it's goal!). Warner Bros owns MGM's films now (and this mini-series) and I suspect they're not doing all they can to keep MGM's history alive - they're much more inclined to release their own Warner films on DVD, it seems to me!

Anyway, I'm just dying to watch "When The Lion Roars" again - it would be even more interesting now that I'm older and would recognize more of the film clips and people being interviewed! But the fact that a clueless youngster like I was, still found it so entertaining and memorable, certainly says a lot about the quality of this documentary... and the quality of MGM's classic movie legacy.

"MGM: When the Lion Roars" is a 1992 documentary hosted by Patrick Stewart. Shown in three parts on Turner Classic Movies, it tells the story of the monolithic studio from its beginnings, taking us through the influence of the great Irving Thalberg, after his death, during World War II, after the war, the growth of television, and MGM's eventual demise.

All of the studios had a particular look to their films and a strong point of view. MGM was known for its huge array of stars, its opulence, its classy musicals, and its family entertainment, especially under the aegis of Louis B. Mayer. Even its "B" movies, such as Dr. Kildare, had "A" movie quality.

The studio's main problem was its lack of foresight and lack of awareness that the audience changed over time. The belief was that television was a fad, for instance - major error. And all the studios suffered when the courts broke up studio ownership of the movie theaters.

The documentary is highly entertaining, filled with interviews, scenes, and musical numbers. Stewart voices the incorrect information that Jean Harlow died because her mother's religion didn't allow her to have treatment. Jean Harlow died of kidney disease, for which there was no cure, no transplant, no dialysis. She had plenty of medical attention, but there was nothing anyone could do once she developed the disease.

Very enjoyable and well worth seeing.