MGM!
Film Talk
This talk will trace the history of the film studio which boasted “more stars than there are in heaven,” including clips from some of their greatest hits.
Please note revised start time of 13:30
In 1930s Hollywood, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) was a by-word for glamour, sophistication and high-gloss entertainment. Among the five major studios, it was the biggest, the most profitable, and had the most impressive roster of stars: Garbo, Tracy, Gable.
It had the glossiest films too: ‘Ben-Hur’, ‘The Philadelphia Story’, ‘Ninotchka’ and, in the 1950s, it became the home of the best musicals, from ‘Meet Me in St. Louis’ to ‘Singing in the Rain’. From humble beginnings in the birth of the motion-picture business to the fatal onslaught of television in the 1950s, MGM rose to the very pinnacle of the movies and fell equally spectacularly.
Distinguished film historian Nick Smedley leads us on a journey through the history of MGM on the 100th anniversary of the studio’s founding. Replete with extracts from the rich MGM archive, this promises to be an entertaining and informative two hours.
Please note revised start time of 13:30 as opposed to the incorrect time in the printed brochure.