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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Defunct American film studio}}<br />
{{About|the motion picture production company|the contemporary art gallery|Metro Pictures Gallery}}<br />
{{Refimprove|date=August 2014}}<br />
<br />
{{Use American English|date=July 2016}}<br />
{{Infobox company<br />
| name = Metro Pictures Corporation<br />
| fate = Merged with [[Goldwyn Pictures]] and [[Louis B. Mayer Pictures]] to form [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]<br />
| predecessors = [[Solax Studios]]<br />
| successors = Studio:<br>[[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]<br>Library:<br>[[Warner Bros.]]<br />
| founded = {{Start date|1915|6|23}}<br />
| founder = [[Richard A. Rowland]]<br>George Grombacker<br>[[Louis B. Mayer]]<br />
| defunct = {{End date|1924|4|17}}<br>({{Age in years and days|1915|6|23|1924|4|17}})<br />
| hq_location = Heidelberg Building<br />
| hq_location_city = [[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]]<br />
| hq_location_country = [[United States]]<br />
| industry = [[Film studio]]<br />
| key_people = [[Richard A. Rowland]] (President)<br>[[Louis B. Mayer]] (secretary)<br />
| divisions = Louis B. Mayer Pictures<br />
}}<br />
'''Metro Pictures Corporation''' was a [[Film|motion picture]] production company founded in early 1915 in [[Jacksonville]], [[Florida]]. It was a forerunner of [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]. The company produced its films in New York, Los Angeles, and sometimes at leased facilities in [[Fort Lee, New Jersey|Fort Lee]], [[New Jersey]].<ref name=flf>{{cite web |title=Studios and Films |url=http://www.fortleefilm.org/studios.html |website=Fort Lee Films.org |publisher=Fort Lee Film Commission |access-date=December 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110425014840/http://www.fortleefilm.org/studios.html |archive-date=April 25, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It was purchased in 1919.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
[[File:William Faversham in The Right of Way.jpg|thumb|Advertisement for ''The Right of Way'' (1915) with [[William Faversham]]]]<br />
{{multiple image<br />
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| image1 =Eye for eye - lobbycard 1918.jpg<br />
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| caption1 =Lobby card for ''[[Eye for Eye (1918 film)|Eye for Eye]]'' (1918)<br />
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| image2 =Keaton Convict 13 1920.jpg<br />
| alt2 = <br />
| caption2 =Poster for ''[[Convict 13]]'' (1920)<br />
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| image3 =Alias Jimmy Valentine poster 1920.jpg<br />
| alt3 = <br />
| caption3 =Poster for ''[[Alias Jimmy Valentine (1920 film)|Alias Jimmy Valentine]]'' (1920)<br />
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| image4 =Off Shore Pirate 1921.jpg<br />
| alt4 = <br />
| caption4 =Poster for ''[[The Off-Shore Pirate]]'' (1921)<br />
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| image6 =Peacock Alley poster.jpg<br />
| alt6 = <br />
| caption6 =Poster for ''[[Peacock Alley (1922 film)|Peacock Alley]]'' (1922)<br />
}}<br />
Metro Pictures was founded as a film distribution company in February 1915 by a number of "exchange men"{{huh|date=March 2022}} with [[Richard A. Rowland]] as president, George Grombacher as vice-president and [[Louis B. Mayer]] as secretary.<ref name="Eyman 2008 p. 43">{{cite book | last = Eyman | first = S. | title = Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Legend of Louis B. Mayer | publisher = Simon & Schuster | year = 2008 | isbn = 978-1-4391-0791-1 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Jid5xNh89wgC&pg=PA43 | access-date = 24 June 2018 | page = 43}}</ref> Grombacher owned exchanges in Portland and Seattle. Rowland and Metro's 2nd vice president James B. Clark were from the Roland & Clark company based in Pittsburgh. Metro was capitalized with $300,000 in cash and founded for the purpose of controlling movie productions for the exchanges.<ref>{{Citation |title=The Metro Corporation |url=https://archive.org/stream/motography13elec#page/278/mode/1up |journal=Motography |volume=XIII |issue=8 |page=278 |date=February 20, 1915 |access-date=December 5, 2013}}</ref> Rowland had been an investor in [[Alco Films]] which was a distribution company for a coalition of production companies. Mayer convinced Rowland to set up Metro to replace Alco to avoid being picked up by [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]], [[Mutual Film]], or [[Universal Studios|Universal]]. Metro had [[Rolfe Photoplays]], Inc. and Popular Plays and Players moving over from Alco to Metro. Additional production companies working with Metro were Columbia (1915–1917 [not the current [[Columbia Pictures|Columbia]]], subsequently CBC Sales until 1918), [[Quality Picture Corporation]], and [[Dyreda]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=McMahan |first1=Alison |title=Alice Guy Blaché: Lost Visionary of the Cinema |date=August 22, 2014 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |page=179 |isbn=9781501302695 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mqIMBAAAQBAJ&q=ALCO+Metro+Pictures&pg=PA179 |access-date=December 22, 2014}}</ref> Mayer left to form his own production unit in 1918.<ref>{{cite web |title=Louis B. Mayer |url=http://www.biography.com/people/louis-b-mayer-9403666 |website=The Biography.com |publisher=A&E Television Networks |access-date=December 22, 2014}}</ref><br />
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In 1919, Metro established its Hollywood studio at Lillian Way and Eleanor St. while building its huge studio covering 4 city blocks at Romaine St. and Cahuenga Blvd, which opened in 1920. Its [[back lot]] was established in 1920 in Hollywood on N. Cahuenga Boulevard between Willoughby Avenue and Waring Avenue bound by Lillian Way on the east (today home to [[Red Studios Hollywood]]).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Monush |first1=Barry |last2=Sheridan |first2=James |title=Lucille Ball FAQ: Everything Left to Know About America's Favorite Redhead |date=June 1, 2011 |publisher=Applause Theatre & Cinema |isbn=9781557839336 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vq2Zff8JZZ8C&q=Equity+Studios+on+Cahuenga+Boulevard&pg=PT528 |access-date=December 22, 2014}}</ref> <br />
<br />
Metro's first release on March 29, 1915 was ''Satan Sanderson'', a film produced by Rolfe Photoplays which was originally to be distributed by Alco Film Company.<ref>{{cite web |title=Satan Sanderson |url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=1&Movie=16621 |website=AFI Catalog of Feature Films |publisher=American Film Institute |access-date=December 22, 2014}}</ref> ''[[Sealed Valley]]'' was Metro's first production released on August 2, 1915.<ref name=afi>{{cite web |title=Sealed Valley |url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/AbbrView.aspx?s=&Movie=1839 |website=AFI Catalog of Feature Films |publisher=American Film Institute |access-date=December 22, 2014}}</ref> [[William Frederick Jury]] distributed Metro's films in Britain.<br />
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In 1920, the company was purchased by [[Marcus Loew]] as a supplier of product for his theater chain. However, Loew was not satisfied with the amount or quality of Metro's output. A few years later in 1924, Loew merged it with the struggling [[Goldwyn Pictures]] and shortly [[Louis B. Mayer Productions]] then renamed the new entity [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] that year with Mayer in charge (who was never an owner, and was only ever an employee).<ref>{{cite book |title=International Directory of Company Histories. Vol. 25 |date=1999 |publisher=St. James Press |url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/metro-goldwyn-mayer-inc-history/ |access-date=December 20, 2014}}</ref><br />
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== Stars ==<br />
Metro's biggest stars during the World War I period were the romantic teams of [[Francis X. Bushman]] and [[Beverly Bayne]] and [[Harold Lockwood]] and [[May Allison]]. Also in top echelons of importance were actresses [[Mae Murray]] and [[Viola Dana]] and from the stage [[Lionel Barrymore|Lionel]] and [[Ethel Barrymore]], [[Emmy Wehlen]] and [[Emily Stevens (actress)|Emily Stevens]]. Before merging into MGM in 1924, Metro's star roster had expanded to include [[Lillian Gish]], [[Buster Keaton]], [[Jackie Coogan]], [[Marion Davies]], [[Ramon Novarro]], [[Wallace Beery]] and [[Lewis Stone]].<br />
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== Motion Picture Studios ==<br />
Although the Metro film library and stars were merged into MGM in 1924, a portion of Rowland's Los Angeles film studio continued with a life of its own. Originally spanning four city blocks, one block continued as a studio known simply as Motion Picture Studios through the 1940s, and as [[General Service Studios]] and [[Desilu Studios]] through the 1950s and 1960s. It became [[Ren-Mar Studios]] in 1974. In January 2010, Ren-Mar Studios was bought by [[Red Digital Cinema Camera Company]]. The complex was renamed "Red Studios Hollywood". It is located on Cahuenga Blvd. north of Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, directly behind the Musicians AFM Local 47 on Vine Street.<br />
<br />
[[David E. Kelley]] filmed several of his TV series there, including ''[[Picket Fences]]'', ''[[Ally McBeal]]'', and ''[[The Practice]]''.<br />
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== Filmography ==<br />
{{Main|List of Metro Pictures films}}<br />
<br />
A [[1965 MGM vault fire|1965 fire]] in an MGM Archive #7 storage facility destroyed original [[negative (film)|negatives]] and prints, including the best-quality copies of every Metro picture and Louis B. Mayer Picture produced prior to 1924; over half of MGM's feature films from before 1930 are completely [[lost film|lost]]. On March 25, 1986, Ted Turner and his Turner Broadcasting System purchased pre-May 1986 MGM films (including Metro Pictures films) from [[Kirk Kerkorian]] for $600 million.<br />
<br />
; Filmed in Fort Lee, NJ:<br />
* ''[[The Eternal Question]]'' (1916) Olga Petrova<br />
* ''[[The Divorcee (1919 film)|The Divorceé]]'' (1919) Ethel Barrymore<br />
* ''What People Will Say?'' (1915) directed by Alice Guy Blache<ref name=flf /><br />
* ''Sealed Valley'' (1915) Dorothy Donnelly<ref name=afi /><br />
<br />
== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
== External links ==<br />
{{Commons category|Metro Pictures}}<br />
* AFI Catalog<br />
** [http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/SearchResult.aspx?s=1&Type=DI&Tbl=&CatID=&ID=4660&Value=&searchedFor=Metro%20Pictures%20Corp.&SortType=ASC&SortCol=RELEASE_YEAR Metro Pictures Corporation] distribution<br />
** [http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/SearchResult.aspx?s=1&Type=PR&Tbl=&CatID=&ID=4660&Value=&searchedFor=Metro%20Pictures%20Corp.&SortType=ASC&SortCol=RELEASE_YEAR Metro Pictures Corporation] production<br />
* [http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/companies/M/metroPicturesCorp.html Metro Pictures Corporation] at Silent Era<br />
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{{MGM}}<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
[[Category:Mass media companies established in 1915]]<br />
[[Category:Mass media companies disestablished in 1924]]<br />
[[Category:Silent film studios]]<br />
[[Category:Defunct American film studios]]<br />
[[Category:Film production companies of the United States]]<br />
[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|.]]<br />
[[Category:1915 establishments in Florida]]<br />
[[Category:American silent films by studio]]<br />
[[Category:1924 mergers and acquisitions]]<br />
[[Category:1924 disestablishments in New York (state)]]</div>GOTV>AnomieBOT