M-G-M Studio Tour

1
Let us go behind the motion 
picture screen, into the shadow
land of Make Believe, to meet
the men and women who create 
our photoplays - to follow them
in their work from the birth of
a story to its first showing in
          a theater.

2
Culver City, Calif. - The Metro-
Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, a city
within itself, stretching over vast
acres of stages and departmental
            buildings.

3
The Studio embraces an area of
43 acres, and its 45 buildings,
including 14 big stages, are
connected by 3 miles of paved 
           streets.

4
It would take a "One-Eyed"
Connelly to crash this gate!

5
- Unless these reception
clerks had been tipped
off to Okay your visit.

6
A direct wire keeps
  M-G-M in touch 
  with New York.

7
The main building, stately
and imposing, fronts on
    the boulevard.

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Well, you're inside, so
 let's be on our way!

9
Swinging down the lane -

10
- Toward the rear stages.

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Stage No. 14 is rapidly 
  nearing completion.

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The story is the soul of the 
photoplay - - - the very
foundation upon which is
erected the elaborate series
of scenes which make up
   the finished film.

13
Stories are first read by 
Mrs. M. F. Lee and staff,
who submit them to the 
production executives.

14
Some of the foremost writers
of the day contribute original
     stories to M-G-M:

15
Carey Wilson.

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Howard Hawks.

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Agnes Christine Johnston.

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Frederic and Fanny Hatton.

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Waldemar Young.

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Jane Murfin.

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Max Marcin.

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Stories are passed along 
to the scenario writers
to arrange for screen 
    presentation.

23
The research department
gathers data of any period
    in world history.

24
Miss Underwood, Miss
Remington, et al., make
copies of stories for all
      departments.

25
It is the director who takes
the script and translates the
   written story into the
     animated tableau.

26
  An intimate view of the men
    behind the megaphone:
Directors Seastrom, Buchowetski,
Bell, Hughes, Von Sternberg,
Von Stroheim, Henley, Vidor,
Niblo, Barker, Raboch, Cabanne,
Bentley, Browning, De Sano and
           Wellman.

27
In choosing a star, the
director has his choice 
of this constellation.

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M-G-M includes among its stars
    and featured players
Ramon Novarro,      Mae Murray,
Claire WIndsor,   Conrad Nagel,
John Gilbert, Eleanor Boardman,
Mae Busch,          Lon Chaney,
Lew Cody,       Aileen Pringle,
Norma Shearer,    Carmel Myers,

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Gertrude Olmstead,   Zasu Pitts,
Edward Connelly,   Renee Adoree,
Pauline Starke,      Bert Roach,
Frank Currier,    Estelle Clark,
Paulette Duval,   Helena D'Algy,
Lucille Le Sueur, Sally O'Neill'
George K. Arthur,   Matthew Betz
        and Roy D'Arcy.

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Paulette Duval and 
   Kathleen Key

31
Lew Cody without his
       make-up

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Carmel Meyers in a late 
     Spring Model

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Zasu Pitts and Jack Gilbert -

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Norma Shearer collects 
   her own fan mail

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Claire Windsor -

36
Meanwhile, the casting office 
is the mecca of thousands who
 would appear "in support."

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Where they all started - -
The Casting Office Window

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He picks 'em!
   - Robert McIntyre,
     Casting Director.

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There are 200 dressing 
rooms for the stars and
   supporting cast.

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The women dress on the
"upper deck" - - and a
matron sees that their 
needs are attended to.

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More than 100,000 extras
cash M-G-M checks each
         year.

42
Motor buses are used 
to take the companies 
     on location.

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- Preceded by a fleet
of high-powered trucks
conveying the necessary
      equipment

44
"What will we wear?" That's the
first thought of the women stars.
Here is the wardrobe mistress,
Mrs. E. F. Chaffin, who will
supervise the making of their
            clothes.

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- Assisted by her wardrobe
staff, all experts in the
frills and foibles of milady!

46
  It would make any woman's 
heart flutter just to peep into
  this workshop of fashion.

47
The chic, the smart, the 
unusual in style creations
originate with Romaine de
Tirtoff Erte, the world's
foremost designer, who has
moved Paris to the M-G-M 
           lot.

48
He drapes the beautiful
figure of Lucille Le Sueur,
an M-G-M "find" of 1925.

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The men? Oh, yes, the men!
Almost forgot 'em! Well, they
have a wardrobe all their
own, where they can be
costumed for any role from
    cannibal to king!

50
To attempt a picture without
cameras is like trying to 
make an omelet without an
egg-beater - nothing stirring!

51
 Just a few M-G-M cameramen
trying to grind out a living!

52
Not everything is motion
in motion pictures - - for
instance, the "still" cameras

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"Hold it for a still!" will be
the cry of these boys after 
        every scene.

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Well, all is set - the picture
is ready to "shoot" - so meet
   the production manager,
          J. J. Cohn.

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- And his staff, whose motto is:
   "Nothing is impossible!"

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Cedric Gibbons, art director.

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- and his aides, who have
designs on the world, blue-
   printically speaking.

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The drafting room, where 
plans for sets are drawn.

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  Old world streets and
architecture are re-created
  on the studio grounds.

60
Planning a set and building
it are two different things -
so we hasten to make known
 C. F. Wilhelm, the con-
   struction manager.

61
The carpenter shop boasts
of being able to turn out
anything from a toothpick
   to an ocean liner!

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"Toot! Toot!" goes the 
whistle, and they're off 
    to build a set.

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- And here they're at it.

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It is now up to the plaster 
shop to add the finishing 
        touches.

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Carl Bolzic, head plasterer.

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Women haven't any monopoly 
on paint. These boys use it
every day - - dolling up the
           sets.

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The boss painter and
decorator, E. H. Tate.

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The Art Studio - built
 to accommodate huge
      canvases -

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Ferdinand Pinney Earle

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The sets are now ready 
to dress - - so to the
  property building.

71
Wherein are stored enough
   modern and antique
furnishings to outfit the
  homes of many a city.

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- What collector wouldn't 
  be green with envy?

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Which do you want, a gentle
zephyr or a cyclonic blow?
It's all the same to these 
      wind machines.

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The camera repair shop
is an important cog in 
      the wheel.

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We're waiting on you, Louis
Kolb, for the "juice" that
 will turn night into day.

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"Shock Troops" is the appropriate
name given to this corps of
skilled electricians who handle
switchboards, spotlights and other
 studio lights and equipment.

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One of several power houses
that generate the "shocking"
amount of electricity used
         by M-G-M

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  The combined output of
the electrical substations is
sufficient to light a city of
        8,000 homes.

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These generators can be 
moved to any set or on
location to serve elec-
     trical power.

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Here is one employed 
on location -- and the
   lighting effect.

81
Director Tod Browning
and assistants taking
night scenes for "The
       Mystic."

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It will look like this
 on the silver sheet.

83
Edmund Goulding directs a
scene with Conrad Nagel
and Lucille La Verne for
       "Sun Up."

84
A portable camera is 
used to take a scene 
     like this.

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As you will see it 
 in your theater.

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Weepy music or that of jazz;
a snappy march or a dreamy
waltz --- melody helps the
director and his cast. Here
are several of the orchestra
           units.

87
"We'll teach anyone who 
can walk to dance!" is
the motto of the M-G-M 
    dancing school.

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Fanchon, the noted
danseuse, has a corps
de ballet ready to buck
and wing or seven veil
at a moment's notice.

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-- And this "shot" of the
girls you saw rehearsing
  just about proves it!

90
The film now goes to the labora-
tory for developing and printing.
More than 40,000,000 feet of
stock is handled here yearly.
Unwound, it would stretch three
 times across the continent!

91
In these fireproof vaults
is stored the film of
productions running
well into the millions.

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John Nickolaus, in charge
   of the laboratory.

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  -- And the workers who
breathe life into the film.

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"Cutters," they're called.
And their job is to edit
        the film.

95
Now meet the boys who 
project the film in the
various studio theaters.

96
The story is now ready 
for the world -- and the
release room hums with
activity as the prints are
assembled for shipment.

97
Now the world must know about 
the story - the cast, the director,
the titbits of interest during its
making - and that's where the 
publicity department comes in.

98
Accidents are likely to 
happen, so the studio
maintains an Emergency
Hospital, with Miss
Emma Peterson, head
 nurse, in charge.

99
A bob, a shave, a mani-
cure, a shine -- the Studio
barber shop keeps M-G-M
employees looking young.

100
Contrary to general belief, actors
do eat - and here you see those
who prepare and serve their food.
The Studio restaurant feeds over
      2,000 people a day!

101
Madame Glyn discusses her
next story with Director
      Jack Conway.

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Eleanor Boardman

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Conrad Nagel enjoying one
of Rupert Hughes' after
    dinner stories.

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Can you beat it! Last, but not
least, the studio actually pays
people to engage in this interest-
ing work, not with California
sunshine and promises, but in cold
dollars and cents. Here's the
folks in charge of the payroll

105
Behind this vast organization are 
three executives responsible for 
its progress, its success, its future
- three men who pull the strings.
Raising the curtain you see - -

106
Louis B. Mayer,
Vice-president.

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Irving G. Thalberg,
associate executive.

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Harry Rapf, associate
     executive.

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Off to delight millions! The
completed story, in the making
of which has figured the brain 
and brawn of thousands, is
shipped away to the marts of
   cinema entertainment.