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Louis B. Mayer. Photo by Los Angeles Times.

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Louis B. Mayer

Louis was born in 1884 in Dymer in the Russian Empire which now is in Ukraine in the name of Lazer Mayer.

Louis who for nearly 30 years was the most powerful motion-picture executive in Hollywood died in 1957 of Leukemia. He was interred at the Home of Peace Cemetery in East Los Angeles in California in the United States of America.

As the head of Metro-Goldwin-Mayer (MGM) he had under contract the outstanding screen personalities at the time.

He ended up creating the largest and most prestigious film studio in the day. He created the star system during the 1920鈥檚 and 30鈥檚.

The top 10 fascinating facts about Louis B. Mayer include the following.

1. Louis Mayer Was Born in Poverty

 Louis was born to Jacob Meir and Sarah Meltzer in Dymer in the Russian Empire; now in Ukraine in 1884. He had two sisters Ida and Yeta and two brothers Jeremiah and Rubin.

The family emigrated to the United States in the 1880鈥檚 when he was young and settled on the Long Island where his two brothers were born.

The family later moved to New Brunswick where his father started a scrap metal business. However, because he was unskilled he often failed to make a living from the business.

When Louis dropped out of school, he scavenged the streets for scrap metal and even dived to look for metals from shipwrecks in the Bay of Fundy. The family was basically poor and often faced serious financial struggles.

2. Louis B. Mayer Dropped Out of School at The Age Of 12

Louis was sent to an adoption home in Saint John, New Brunswick from where he completed his primary education at a local school and ended up spending considerable time.

At only 12 years of age, Louis quit to school to help his father at his scrap metal business as his father often failed to make a living from the business.  Within three years he took over his father鈥檚 business to help him make a better living from it.

3. Louis鈥檚 Interest in The Entertainment Industry Started While He Was Still Young

While still young in age, Mayer developed a keen interest in the entertainment industry.  He often paid to watch vaudeville shows during his free time at the York Theater.

Louis showed interest in learning the subtle differences between the two film professions of film production and film directing at a young age.

4. Louis Started His Career in Hollywood At Only 23 Years of Age

In 1907 at only 23 years of age, Louis started his career in the entertainment industry. He renovated the Gem Theatre in Haverhill, Massachusetts which he fondly referred to as the 鈥淕arlic Box鈥�.

 The theatre was nothing but a rundown 600-seater building which he renovated to sit the desires of Italian immigrants. In 1912 he opened his first movie theatre and aired the religious film 鈥淔rom Manager to The Cross鈥�.

Following the film鈥檚 success Louis took over ownership of the five remaining movie theatres in Haverhill. To control the largest theatre chain in New England, in partnership with fellow businessman Nathan H. Gordon, Louis created the Gordon- Mayer partnership.

5. He Founded His Own Production Company At 32 Years of Age

Louis B. Mayer 1919. Photo by Unknown photographer. Wikimedia Commons

Louis Mayer moved to Los Angeles in 1916 and formed his own production company which he named Louis B. Mayer鈥檚 Production Company at 32 years of age.

In 1918 the company released the its first production called 鈥淰irtuous Wives鈥�.  Louis made Irvin Thalberg who previously worked with Universal Pictures, the Vice -president of his production outfit.

By merging Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation, and Louis B. Mayer’s Production Company, Louis formed Metro Goldwyn Mayer studio (MGM) in 1924.

Marcus Loew became the new vice-president while Irvin Thalberg was made co-founder and given part ownership of MGM studio. The company proceeded to become the largest studio in Hollywood within three years.

6. The MGM Studio That Louis Set Up Was Simply Humongous

MGM Studios 1922. Photo by Bobak.

To say MGM studio was huge is an understatement, it was humongous.  

The studio was built on 167 acres of land, it had phony jungles where the movies were set and 30 soundstages.

In part of the 167 acres, the studio owned a real zoo which housed all the animals that were used in the films produced by the studio. 

7. A Lion Appeared at The Start of Every Movie

MGM Lion. Photo by Pacific & Atlantic Photos .

In addition to a real zoo with live animals, the studio further housed a barber shop, a fully armed police force and various eateries.

An MGM lion which was kept in a separate cage inside the zoo made an appearance to thunderous applause in packed theaters at the start of every movie produced by the studio.  

8. MGM Studios Delivered One Movie Hit After Another in the 1930鈥檚

The studio suffered its most devastating blow in the death of Irvin Thalberg who had an excellent mind for quality narratives in 1936.

Nevertheless, the studio went on to deliver one hit after the other as from 1939.

In 1939 Louis produced Oscar winning films which included ‘Gone With The Wind’, ‘The Wizard Of Oz’, ‘Babes In Arms’ and ‘At The Circus’ and ‘Goodbye, Mr. Chips’.

9. Louis Believed in A System of Creating Movie Stars

Greta Garbo 1937. Photo by New York Sunday News. Wikimedia Commons

Louis believed in a system of creating movie stars whom he handpicked.

If he liked the face of someone he took that person and made a star out of them.

He used the help of acting coaches, make-up artists, hairdressers, and clothing designers to make his selected actors into movie stars.

Greta Garbo, Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable, and Joan Crowford are some of the famous starts that were created by Louis.

10. Louis Was A Businessman at Heart and A Great Executive

Apart from being a business man Louis was a great executive.  After Thalberg鈥檚 death, Louis became the studio chief and head of production.

Louis did not have a fixed schedule and worked at the studio always. In the 1940鈥檚 MGM studio reached its peak as over 6,000 employees were in its payroll.

Over 14-16 films were shot simultaneously in a day at the studio and it even owned a rail line.

New actors signed contracts of 2-3 years when they were hired hence becoming part of the MGM family.

To ensure smooth running of the studio, Mayer hired experts to run different departments and never interfered in their job.

All employees felt secure about their jobs under the able guidance of Louis B. Mayer.