Mayer, Louis B

Mayer, Louis B

▪ American producer
original name  Eliezer Mayer , or  Lazar Mayer 
born July 4, 1885, Minsk, Russian Empire
died Oct. 29, 1957, Los Angeles

      most powerful motion-picture executive in Hollywood for 30 years. As the head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.), the largest and most prestigious film studio, he created the star system during the 1920s and '30s and had under contract the outstanding screen personalities of the day.

      The son of immigrant parents, Mayer worked in his father's ship-salvaging and scrap-iron business from the age of 14. In 1907 he opened his first small nickelodeon in Haverhill, Mass., and by 1918 owned the largest chain of motion-picture theatres in New England. To increase the supply of pictures for his theatres, he opened in Hollywood Louis B. Mayer Pictures and the Metro Pictures Corporation. Six years later MGM was formed by a merger with Goldwyn Pictures Corporation, with Mayer as the controlling head of the new company.

      Under Mayer's influence, MGM productions seldom dealt with controversial subject matter. They were characterized, rather, by elaborate sets, gorgeous costuming, and pretty girls. The emphasis was on the glamorous stars, many of whom, such as Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Rudolph Valentino, and Clark Gable, were Mayer discoveries. Such pictures as Ben-Hur (1925), Grand Hotel (1932), Dinner at Eight (1933), and The Good Earth (1937) gained MGM the reputation for entertaining films of consistently high quality. Mayer relinquished control of the studio in 1948 and retired completely three years later.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • MAYER, LOUIS BURT — (1885–1957), U.S. motion picture executive. Born in Russia, he was taken to Canada at the age of two. In 1907 Mayer bought a burlesque theater in Haverhill, Massachusetts, began showing films there, and soon owned all the theaters in the city.… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Mayer, Louis B(urt) — orig. Eliezer Mayer or Lazar Mayer born July 4, 1885, Minsk, Russian Empire died Oct. 29, 1957, Los Angeles, Calif., U.S. Russian born U.S. film executive. He immigrated to Canada and then the U.S. with his family and worked in his father s scrap …   Universalium

  • Mayer, Louis B(urt) — orig. Eliezer Mayer o Lazar Mayer (4 jul. 1885, Minsk, Imperio ruso–29 oct. 1957, Los Ángeles, Cal., EE.UU.). Ejecutivo cinematográfico estadounidense de origen ruso. Emigró junto a su familia primero a Canadá y luego a EE.UU. A la edad de 14… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Mayer,Louis Burt — May·er (māʹər), Louis Burt. 1885 1957. Russian born American motion picture producer who formed a film company (1918) and merged with Samuel Goldwyn to form Metro Goldwyn Mayer (1924). His productions include Ben Hur (1926) and Dinner at Eight… …   Universalium

  • Mayer, Louis (Mayer, Lazar) — (1885 1957)    American film producer, of Russian origin. Born in Minsk, Russia, he went to Canada with his parents. In 1904 he worked in the scrap metal business in Boston. Several years later he invested in a small theatre in Haverhill,… …   Dictionary of Jewish Biography

  • Mayer, Louis Burt — (1885–1957)    US film producer. As head of Metro Goldwyn Mayer (formed in 1924), ‘L.B.’ was one of the most powerful movie moguls in Hollywood. Among the stars he established were Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, Judy Garland and Elizabeth Taylor. He… …   Who’s Who in Jewish History after the period of the Old Testament

  • Louis Burt Mayer — Louis B. Mayer (* angeblich 4. Juli 1885 in Minsk, Weißrussland; † 29. Oktober 1957 in Los Angeles, Kalifornien; eigentlich Lazar Mayer oder Eliezer Meir) war ein US amerikanischer Filmproduzent. Mayer ist bekannt als Erfinder des Star Systems in …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Louis b. mayer — Mickey Rooney ,Judy Garland ,et Louis B. Mayer Naissance …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Louis B. Mayer — junto a Joan Crawford. Nombre real Lazar Mayer Nacimiento 12 de julio de 1884 …   Wikipedia Español

  • Louis B Mayer — [Louis B Mayer] (Louis Burt Mayer 1885–1957) one of the people who established the US film company ↑MGM in 1924. As head of the company (until 1951) he became one of the most powerful men in ↑Hollywood. He also helped to create the ↑Academy of… …   Useful english dictionary

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