Disturbing yet enthralling

Amateur movie with Big budget

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Back in 1972, Dick Cavett narrated a documentary about the history of MGM. Unfortunately, it was crammed into only 50 minutes and seemed way too short for so much material. Well, fortunately, twenty years later, Turner Entertainment made what is the definitive documentary--"MGM: When The Lion Roars". Narrated by Patrick Stewart, it's chock full of wonderful clips and interviews with a bazillion stars. It really is extraordinary and very complete--and a must-see for insane cinemaniacs like myself.By the way, does anyone know why most of Fred Astaire's clips were excised from the DVD release?! IMDb says this is so but never really explains this. Were there legal reasons or did someone hate Mr. Astaire?! What gives?!

This is an excellent documentary for anyone interested in Golden Age Hollywood. It chronicles the rise and fall of MGM, once the biggest studio thanks to its famous and infamous executives, Louis B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg. The mini-series is 6 hours long and full of rare photos, scenes from better and lesser known movies, as well as interviews with stars - many now deceased - about their experiences as part of the studio's stable of cast and crew. Most of the more famous actors get at least a short segment, though if they have an interesting story, they get more screen time - e.g. with Greta Garbo, Judy Garland, Jean Harlow. For a movie buff like me, the docu contained a lot of information I already knew (and just as much I didn't), but even then, I had mostly read my knowledge till then and it was great getting the information again with accompanying sights and sounds. It also led me to greater appreciation of various actors, foremost of which is Judy Garland. I haven't seen many of her movies and so I hadn't heard her sing many of her signature songs beyond Over the Rainbow. Wow, can that girl sing and dance. No wonder she's such a gay icon. It struck me a bit too late that I should start taking down with pen and paper all the movies that I now want to watch - there are puhlenty - so I guess I'll have to watch all 6 hours again at some point, lol.

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.

"MGM: When the Lion Roars" is a 1992 documentary hosted by Patrick Stewart. Shown in three parts on Turner Classic Movies, it tells the story of the monolithic studio from its beginnings, taking us through the influence of the great Irving Thalberg, after his death, during World War II, after the war, the growth of television, and MGM's eventual demise.All of the studios had a particular look to their films and a strong point of view. MGM was known for its huge array of stars, its opulence, its classy musicals, and its family entertainment, especially under the aegis of Louis B. Mayer. Even its "B" movies, such as Dr. Kildare, had "A" movie quality.The studio's main problem was its lack of foresight and lack of awareness that the audience changed over time. The belief was that television was a fad, for instance - major error. And all the studios suffered when the courts broke up studio ownership of the movie theaters.The documentary is highly entertaining, filled with interviews, scenes, and musical numbers. Stewart voices the incorrect information that Jean Harlow died because her mother's religion didn't allow her to have treatment. Jean Harlow died of kidney disease, for which there was no cure, no transplant, no dialysis. She had plenty of medical attention, but there was nothing anyone could do once she developed the disease.Very enjoyable and well worth seeing.