The Dark Story Of Louis B. Mayer, The “Monster” Of MGM Studios, Is Shocking People
The "golden age" of Hollywood wasn’t nearly as golden as movies make it out to be. Like everything out of Hollywood, it was largely manufactured. And in that era, there was one man at the helm of it all: Louis B. Mayer. As the founder of MGM Studios, he loved glossing over the truth with the flashiest paint possible, and he did so frequently. Though he appeared strong and capable to the public, those closest to him knew he was concealing some truly dark secrets.
Built From Nothing
Louis B. Mayer once said that a star is “carefully and cold-bloodedly built up from nothing, from nobody.” Mayer may not have been a star of the screen, but he began the exact same way: As a nobody from Russia.
Humble Beginnings
He was born Lazar Meir In 1884, as far from the glamorous lights of show business as it gets. As a child his family moved to New Brunswick for a better life, but his parents’ inability to speak English left them penniless.
Starting Small
Just because they were poor didn’t mean that Mayer put his big dreams on hold. He eventually bought the Gem Theater in Massachusetts, and though he was a mean man, what he did next was the sign of a gifted businessman.
The Gem Theater
He transformed the Gem Theater into a modern film house the likes of which had never been seen before. He offered multiple movies at once, five-cent seats for kids, and ladies-only seating. It was just the beginning of his unprecedented future success…
