WI/AHC: MGM remains one of the top movie studios

Once upon a time, a company called Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was one of the major production companies in the movie industry, producing classics such as The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Nowadays, however, the name of MGM isn't really a conversation starter aside from that upcoming Addams family movie. But other than that, there's not much else. So what exactly caused the studio to fall from grace? And how exactly could we keep it from going that route?
 

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Just have to read, the info is there.

As to what they could have done differently....well the movie business is fraught and there are a lot of chances that have to be taken to stay profitable. There is a reason why the movie business is leaning so hard on comic book movies and remakes and sequels.
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Just have to read, the info is there.

As to what they could have done differently....well the movie business is fraught and there are a lot of chances that have to be taken to stay profitable. There is a reason why the movie business is leaning so hard on comic book movies and remakes and sequels.
Yes but it's not like MGM couldn't make similar chances as well. There were a variety of movies MGM could've produced like Kubrick's Napoleon and their own version of Spiderman, so it's not like that success was never gonna be theirs to begin with. Plus from what I read in that wiki article, much of MGM's downfall was contributed to by Kirk Kerkorian, so could preventing him from taking hold of the company work?
 
The three most powerful studios right now are Disney, Universal, and Sony (Columbia) and what they all have in common is that they embraced the new technology called television.
MGM had very little presence in television and they were hurt by the anti trust case that forced the studios to divest themselves of their movie theaters that allowed them keep,other studios products off the screen.
Also they had quite a few movies that were big budget box office has and only for example the 1959 movie Ben Hur saved MGM from going under.
 
The three most powerful studios right now are Disney, Universal, and Sony (Columbia) and what they all have in common is that they embraced the new technology called television.
MGM had very little presence in television and they were hurt by the anti trust case that forced the studios to divest themselves of their movie theaters that allowed them keep,other studios products off the screen.
Also they had quite a few movies that were big budget box office has and only for example the 1959 movie Ben Hur saved MGM from going under.
So what exactly do you suggest? Somehow give them a larger presence in Television?
 
Start with having a television division and MGM had one of the best B movie and short films units in Hollywood, also they were excellent talent scouts for actors, directors and writers that would have given them a huge head start over the other studios.
MGM with its large film library could have better packaging to television studios to maximise revenues and they could have developed the land that they owned in Southern California better.
 
But other than that, there's not much else. So what exactly caused the studio to fall from grace?
Slow reactions to change in the industry didn't help; followed by owners that in turn didn't really know what to do having bought it in a mistaken diversification strategy, were more interested in real estate and it's name recognition than the actual film side of things, an owner who wanted the studio library and sold it back after only a few months, an Italian crook in hock to a French bank - seriously the whole thing was just bizarre, and things going down hill from there.


And how exactly could we keep it from going that route?
I haven't looked at things in a whilst so I can't speak to how to get the studio to change faster but the easiest solution would seem to be someone other than Bronfman buying it in 1966. Failing that you need to keep it away away from Kerkorian. If you can get some decent management installed it at least gives you a fighting chance.


MGM had very little presence in television...
Well they had MGM Television but that seems to have been weakened by problems on the studio side of things and a string of dodgy owners. If you can get sustained period where you have decent managers it would go a long way towards righting the vessel.
 
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