If you took a good look at this documentary, you'd see why Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is easily my most favorite movie studio ever. I was not born during their empire years, but I sure wish I was sometimes.
I remember imitating Leo the Lion very well. I did what he did and I roared just like he did, but I could never get my roars to be as fierce as Leo's were. Probably 'cause I was a little tyke.
It's amazing that MGM's over 80 years old. It's also amazing that a studio that none of the other ones could hold a candle to could be brought to its knees so slowly and so badly. It's also sad that Sony Pictures is now on MGM's old Culver City property (this was their headquarters from the start until 1986).
My favorite MGM lion is Tanner. He's the one that was used on most of MGM's cartoons and all of their full-color features from the '30s to the mid '50s. To me, he was a symbol of their status in the movie industry. Whenever you saw him on the screen, you knew you were in for a real treat. MGM has used their current lion for 52 years now, but he can't compare to Tanner. I drop by YouTube everyday, sometimes just to see Tanner roar, and he has lots of fans.
I also remember racing to the TV set to watch Tom & Jerry. I tried really hard never to miss the lion at the very start of each episode.
Now, Ted Turner/Warner Bros. juggle three-fourths of MGM's entire catalog (1924-1986). WB owns WAY too much as it is and they'd do well to give at least some of it up. Various companies and businessmen bought and gave away MGM for 2 decades. They couldn't deal with losing their old theater chain (Loews). And as the studio system collapsed, so did MGM (which was the hardest hit). I'm surprised they're not totally a thing of the past already because they are still buried in so much debt, 40 years after they started going broke.
I'd really like to get a taste of MGM's true Lionpower. But in time, I think I will.
I remember imitating Leo the Lion very well. I did what he did and I roared just like he did, but I could never get my roars to be as fierce as Leo's were. Probably 'cause I was a little tyke.
It's amazing that MGM's over 80 years old. It's also amazing that a studio that none of the other ones could hold a candle to could be brought to its knees so slowly and so badly. It's also sad that Sony Pictures is now on MGM's old Culver City property (this was their headquarters from the start until 1986).
My favorite MGM lion is Tanner. He's the one that was used on most of MGM's cartoons and all of their full-color features from the '30s to the mid '50s. To me, he was a symbol of their status in the movie industry. Whenever you saw him on the screen, you knew you were in for a real treat. MGM has used their current lion for 52 years now, but he can't compare to Tanner. I drop by YouTube everyday, sometimes just to see Tanner roar, and he has lots of fans.
I also remember racing to the TV set to watch Tom & Jerry. I tried really hard never to miss the lion at the very start of each episode.
Now, Ted Turner/Warner Bros. juggle three-fourths of MGM's entire catalog (1924-1986). WB owns WAY too much as it is and they'd do well to give at least some of it up. Various companies and businessmen bought and gave away MGM for 2 decades. They couldn't deal with losing their old theater chain (Loews). And as the studio system collapsed, so did MGM (which was the hardest hit). I'm surprised they're not totally a thing of the past already because they are still buried in so much debt, 40 years after they started going broke.
I'd really like to get a taste of MGM's true Lionpower. But in time, I think I will.