Louis B. Mayer Picture
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Louis B. Mayer (1884–1957)

Miscellaneous Crew | Producer | Production Manager

Mayer was born Lazar Mayer in the Ukraine and grew up in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada after his parents fled Russian oppression in 1886. He had a brutal childhood, raised in poverty and suffering physical and emotional abuse from his nearly-illiterate peddler father. In the early 1890s, he changed his name to Louis and fudged his birth date to reflect the more "patriotic" date of July 4... See full bio »

Born:

Ezemiel Mayer
in Dymer, Kiev Governorate, Russian Empire [now Vyshhorod Raion, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine]

Died:

(age 73) in Los Angeles, California, USA
12028-1 MGM Group Photo Louis B. Mayer, Katharine Hepburn, Greer Garson, Spencer Tracy, Walter Pidgon, Robert Taylor, etc... C. 1942 Louis B. Mayer, Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney c. 1939
4 photos | 6 videos | 50 news articles »

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Filmography

Hide HideMiscellaneous Crew (52 titles)
1974 That's Entertainment! (documentary) (leadership: MGM)
 
1928 West of Zanzibar (presenter)
 
1926 Memory Lane (presenter)
 
1926 Mike (presenter)
 
1925 The Unholy Three (presenter)
 
1925 Fine Clothes (presenter)
 
1925 The White Desert (presenter)
 
1925 Proud Flesh (presenter)
 
1925 The Sporting Venus (presenter)
 
1925 Man and Maid (presenter)
 
1925 Confessions of a Queen (presenter)
 
1925 The Denial (presenter)
 
1925 Daddy's Gone A-Hunting (presenter)
 
1925 Lady of the Night (presenter)
 
1925 The Great Divide (presenter)
 
1925 Excuse Me (presenter)
 
1924 The Dixie Handicap (presenter)
 
1924 Greed (presenter)
 
1924 The Wife of the Centaur (presenter)
 
1924 So This Is Marriage? (presenter)
 
1924 The Silent Accuser (presenter)
 
1924 The Snob (presenter)
 
1924 He Who Gets Slapped (presenter)
 
1924 Married Flirts (presenter)
 
1924 His Hour (presenter)
 
1924 The Red Lily (presenter)
 
1924 Sinners in Silk (presenter)
 
1924 Wine of Youth (presenter)
 
1924 Tess of the D'Urbervilles (presenter)
 
1924 Bread (presenter)
 
1924 Why Men Leave Home (presenter)
 
1924 Women Who Give (presenter)
 
1923 The Eternal Struggle (presenter)
 
1923 Strangers of the Night (presenter)
 
1923 The Famous Mrs. Fair (presenter)
 
1923 Hearts Aflame (presenter)
 
1922 Rose o' the Sea (presenter)
 
1922 One Clear Call (presenter)
 
1922 The Woman He Married (presenter)
 
1922 A Question of Honor (presenter)
 
1922 The Song of Life (presenter)
 
1921 Her Mad Bargain (presenter)
 
1921 The Invisible Fear (presenter)
 
1921 The Child Thou Gavest Me (presenter)
 
1921 Sowing the Wind (presenter)
 
1921 Habit (presenter)
 
1920 Old Dad (presenter)
 
1920 Harriet and the Piper (presenter)
 
1920 The Woman in His House (presenter)
 
1920 The Fighting Shepherdess (presenter)
 
1919 The Bishop's Emeralds (presenter)
 
1919 A Midnight Romance (presenter)
 
Show ShowProducer (34 titles)
1940 I Take This Woman (producer - uncredited)
 
1925 Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (producer - uncredited)
 
1924 Greed (executive producer - uncredited)
 
1924 Wine of Youth (producer - uncredited)
 
1924 Why Men Leave Home (producer)
 
1924 Thy Name Is Woman (executive producer)
 
1923 The Wanters (producer)
 
1923 Strangers of the Night (producer)
 
1922 Rose o' the Sea (producer)
 
1922 The Woman He Married (producer)
 
1922 A Question of Honor (producer)
 
1921 Her Mad Bargain (producer)
 
1921 The Invisible Fear (producer)
 
1921 Playthings of Destiny (producer)
 
1921 Sowing the Wind (producer)
 
1921 Habit (producer)
 
1920 Harriet and the Piper (producer)
 
1920 The Woman in His House (producer)
 
1920 The Yellow Typhoon (producer)
 
1920 Polly of the Storm Country (producer)
 
1920 The Inferior Sex (producer)
 
1920 The Fighting Shepherdess (producer)
 
1919 In Old Kentucky (producer)
 
1919 Human Desire (producer)
 
1919 Her Kingdom of Dreams (producer)
 
1919 Mary Regan (producer)
 
1919 A Midnight Romance (producer)
 
1918 Virtuous Wives (producer)
 
1917 Somewhere in America (producer)
 
1917 The Great Secret (producer)
 
1916 Lovely Mary (producer)
 
1916 Dimples (producer)
 
1915 Barbara Frietchie (producer)
 
1915 Always in the Way (producer)
 
Show ShowProduction Manager (1 title)
1939 The Wizard of Oz (executive in charge of production - uncredited)
 
Show ShowSelf (8 titles)
1938 Hollywood Goes to Town (documentary short)
Himself
 
1938 Another Romance of Celluloid (documentary short)
Himself (uncredited)
 
1937 Screen Snapshots Series 16, No. 8 (documentary short)
Himself
 
1937 The Candid Camera Story (Very Candid) of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures 1937 Convention (documentary short)
Himself
 
1931 Screen Snapshots Series 10, No. 6 (short)
Himself
 
1930 Screen Snapshots Series 9, No. 18 (short)
Himself
 
1925 1925 Studio Tour (documentary short)
Himself - MGM Vice President
 
1922 Seeing Stars (documentary short)
Himself
 
Show ShowArchive Footage (39 titles)
2009 1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2008 Gable and Crawford (video documentary short)
Himself
 
2007 Trumbo (documentary)
Himself
 
2007 Royal Wedding: June, Judy and Jane (video documentary short)
Himself
 
2007 The Pirate: A Musical Treasure Chest (video documentary short)
Himself
 
2007 Girl 27 (documentary)
Himself
 
2006 Private Screenings (TV series)
 
2006 Stardust: The Bette Davis Story (TV documentary)
Himself (uncredited)
 
2005 Garbo (documentary)
Himself
 
2005 Facing the Past (video documentary short)
Himself
 
2005 Irving Thalberg: Prince of Hollywood (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2004 So Funny It Hurt: Buster Keaton & MGM (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2004 On Your Marx, Get Set, Go! (video documentary short)
Himself (photo)
 
2004 Love Find Andy Hardy Intro (video documentary short)
Himself
 
2004 Cecil B. DeMille: American Epic (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2003-2004 American Masters (TV series documentary)
 
2004 Checking Out: Grand Hotel (video documentary short)
Himself - At the premiere
 
1997-2003 Biography (TV series documentary)
 
2003 Begin the Beguine (video documentary short)
Himself
 
2001 Captured on Film: The True Story of Marion Davies (TV documentary)
Himself (uncredited)
 
1999 The Rat Pack (TV series documentary)
Himself
 
1998 Junket Whore (documentary)
Himself
 
1998 Hollywoodism: Jews, Movies and the American Dream (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1997 Judy Garland's Hollywood (video documentary)
 
1997 Sobbin' Women: The Making of 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers' (TV documentary short)
Himself
 
1996 Great Performances (TV series)
 
1995 The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1995 The Casting Couch (video documentary)
 
1992 MGM: When the Lion Roars
Himself
 
1990 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1988 The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind (TV documentary)
Himself - Head of MGM
 
1987 Hollywood the Golden Years: The RKO Story (TV series documentary)
 
1986 Greta Garbo: The Temptress and the Clown (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1982 Showbiz Goes to War (TV movie)
 
1980 Hollywood (TV mini-series documentary)
 
1976 Hollywood on Trial (documentary)
Himself
 
1972 Hollywood: The Dream Factory (TV documentary)
Himself - film clips
 
1969 Hollywood: The Selznick Years (TV documentary)
Himself (uncredited)
 
1952 Actor's and Sin
Himself (Woman of Sin sequence)
 

Related Videos

Biography: : -- Part 2 of "Biography: Louis B. Mayer" Biography: : -- One of the three founders of MGM Studios, Mayer is also credited for the inception of the "Star System." Biography brings you a full episode on the life of L. B. Biography: : -- Part 4 of "Biography: Louis B. Mayer"
See all 6 »
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Personal Details

Publicity Listings:

7 Print Biographies  | 1 Article  | See more »

Alternate Names:

Louis Mayer

Height:

5' 3" (1.60 m)
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Did You Know?

Personal Quote:

[when told that television would be a serious competitor to the film industry] That's a lot of crap. Our position has never been more secure. Who in hell is going to look at those pigmy screens? See more »

Trivia:

Father of Irene Mayer Selznick. See more »

Nickname:

"the old gray Mayer" See more »

Star Sign:

Cancer