MGM: When the Lion Roars

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.

The meteoric rise (and lamentable fall) of, perhaps, the most legendary Hollywood movie studio is documented here, in a dazzling three-part mini-series as lavishly designed as the best of the MGM films themselves. Pure gold for movie buffs (and as easily accessible to the average viewer); "When the Lion Roars" combines a grippingly-told account of MGM's history, rich with tons of vintage film clips, interviews with studio stars, and a fascinating look at such legendary figures as L.B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg - all ably hosted by Patrick Stewart, who is clearly enjoying himself throughout.

And well he should be. There are scores of documentaries out there about Hollywood's Golden Age, but none even REMOTELY approaching the quality and craftsmanship of "When the Lion Roars". This is quite possibly one of the finest documentaries ever made. It has been released on video and, though not the easiest thing to find after seven years, is well worth the search.

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.

A great documentary, beautifully detailed and put together with great style. Many of the people interviewed are gone, so this is indeed a treasure of the ages. I purchased the three cassette tape of the series and recommend to any avid movie fan to do the same. It's something that can be viewed again and again.

This series is fascinating, but also very sad. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the greatest studio of them all, is no more. It's heartbreaking that Columbia Pictures, once considered the ‘poverty row' of studios, now occupies the site of MGM.

Part One.

I have heard the story of how MGM began, but never in such rich detail. This film dove into the daily inter-workings of the studio in the early days and I found it fascinating. I especially enjoyed the insight of Margaret Booth, a film editor at MGM, and specifically her recollection at Douglas Shearer's attention to detail (he could tell when a film was one projection pin out of sync with the sound).

This part of the film uses a lot of footage from silent movies and gives background detail on these films. My knowledge of silent films is poor, so I learned a lot in just a few minutes of watching this documentary. I also enjoyed how they talked about the struggle for silent stars to transition to talkies.

I had (of course) heard the story of John Gilbert's star falling like a lead balloon, but I never heard the juicy reasons why: he punched LB Mayer when Greta Garbo left him (Gilbert) at the altar and Mayer returned the favor a few years later during a disagreement over a movie.

When Part One ended I was struck most by a feeling of "what if?". What if Irving Thalberg hadn't died at just 37? Where would he have taken MGM and what kind of movies would he have given us? I also wonder what Norma Shearer performances we missed out on due to his death (she left Hollywood six years after he died).

Part Two.

I felt that Part Two wasn't quite up to the standard set by part one. Most notably, part two includes a Hollywood myth that has been debunked: that Jean Harlow died because her mother refused to allow her treatment for uremic poisoning. The fact is that Harlow would have died regardless of when she saw a doctor due to the limitations of medicine in the 1930's.

Part Two also details the rising stars of Clark Gable (and his subsequent tragedy when his wife Carole Lombard was killed in a plane crash), Lana Turner, Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Judy Garland and Hedy Lamarr. As with Part One, I loved the interviews with people from that era and how they enhanced the story. Mickey Rooney's recollections of Garland were particularly touching.

Another highlight of Part Two was the small segment on Luise Rainer. I had never heard of her, but she is the first person to win back to back Oscars. And then she walked away from it all due to the constraints of the studio system. Just hearing this story would have been wonderful, but having it told by Rainer herself brings this film to a whole new level.

Part Two ends with a sense of foreboding (brought on by the narrator, Patrick Stewart): Storm clouds are swirling off in the distance. Could the happy days at MGM be coming to an end?

Part Three.

Part Three begins in the heyday of MGM's legendary musicals and they cover the best of the best in detail: Singin' In The Rain, An American In Paris and Gigi. There are numerous interviews with Vincente Minnelli and he talks about his movies and about Judy Garland. As with all of the interviews in this film, I love hearing his insights and opinion.

Part Three seemed to contain more interviews than the other two parts of this movie. (I have no idea if this is true, it was just my impression.) Besides recalling specific movies, many of the interviewees talked about Louis B. Mayer. These opinions confirmed what I already suspected: people either loved or hated the man; he was either a wonderful father figure or an evil manipulator.

After the musical era, MGM began its slow decline. I knew the rough facts of how and why this happened, but I had never heard the gory details. As a lover of classic movies, I found the last hour or so of this film to be very melancholy. The golden age of Hollywood had to end, but it was still sad to watch it unfold on the screen.

Summary.

The absolute highlight of this movie was all of the interviews. Besides actors, we hear from directors, producers, writers, film editors, studio executives and contract dancers. These are the people who were there during the golden era of MGM and having their remembrances on film is truly priceless.

I almost didn't watch MGM: When The Lion Roars because it's six hours long and I doubted that anything could hold my attention for that long. I am so glad I took the time to watch all three parts of this movie. It was well worth it. Not only did I learn a lot, but it was very entertaining. I saw clips from many of my favorite movies and the clips from movies I haven't seen left me with a list of movies that I want to see.

Bottom line: if you love classic movies, this is a must see.