MGM Studios opened in April of 1924 with the merger of Metro Pictures Corp., Goldwyn Pictures (who brought over the logo of the roaring lion), and Louis B. Mayer Productions. Under the guidance of Mayer and production supervisor Irving Thalberg, the studio became a Hollywood powerhouse right from the get-go, pulling both on-screen and behind-screen talent from other studios. This included personnel from the other big production house in town--United Artists.
During the heyday of the movie industry, MGM had two roles. One was a distributor of films, like "The Wizard of Oz," to movie theaters. The other role was production company for full-length films, shorts and cartoons--like those of the "Tom and Jerry" series--from the studio's animation wing. The company also became distributor and producer when television began to take away movie audiences in the late 1950s.
Though combining three successful companies into one large studio was significant enough, MGM was also important for its talent and technical savvy. During its first decade, the studio gathered a group of soon-to-be-well-known performers to act in its films--people like Clark Gable, Judy Garland, Joan Crawford, Spencer Tracy and Jimmy Stewart. Technically, the studio was among the first to experiment with the use of color. As early as 1925, it used some form of Technicolor in movies like "Ben-Hur" and "The Big Parade." By 1928, the company had produced its first full-color film, "The Viking," complete with music and sound effects.
Between 1924 and 1954 (known as the studio's golden age) MGM ruled the movie industry in both the talent it acquired and the films it produced and/or distributed. The studio established its first major hit in 1925 with the World War I drama "The Big Parade," which grossed $15 million from a $250,000 investment. In 1939, MGM had one of its biggest years with "Wizard of Oz," "Gone with the Wind," and "Goodbye Mr. Chips," raking in 25 Oscar nominations and 13 wins.
Though not producing the big-budget movies and musicals it did during its three decades of superiority, MGM Studios exists today as an independent, privately-owned company. It still produces and distributes movies and television shows. With the invention of the VCR and the DVD player, MGM took on the role of home video distributor. After purchasing the original United Artists in 1981, MGM now boasts of owning the world's largest film library.