Fade Out Calamitous Final Days of Mgm - Hardcover

Peter Bart

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0671710605 ISBN 13: 9780671710606

Publisher: William Morrow & Co, 1990

Synopsis

A behind-the-scenes account of the decline and fall of a once great studio, tracing MGMs corporate convulsions from 20 years ago, when Kirk Kerkorian bought control to the present, the financial disasters of "Yentl", "Mrs Soffel" and "2010" and the final "take over" by Pathe. In 1983 MGM\UA was in the midst of a comeback. Under the new management of Frank Yablans the company had secured assurances of financial backing from CEO-financier Kirk Kerkorian and a series of dazzling new movies was in development. Top stars like Jack Nicholson, Barbara Streisand and Mel Gibson were on the programme, a sequel to the cult classic "2001" was planned and "Wargames" was in release. What nobody anticipated was that Kerkorian, ever the smart Las Vegas game-player, had evolved his own scheme to harness Hollywood's myth making machinery to his own personal ends. The end result was that Kerkorian emerged a billionaire and his companies emerged a shambles. The films anticipated to be immense successes - "Yentl", "Mrs Soffel" and "2010" - turned out to be financial disasters of immense proportions. The Nicholson movie never even got made and the success of "Wargames" couldn't compensate for the extent of the disaster.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly:

Here's a book for the film history shelves that belongs alongside Indecent Exposure , David McClintick's damning examination of Tinseltown politics and corruption. Readers may find this highly detailed expose difficult to digest, however, a result of the author's decision to tell his story in a disjointed and unchronological fashion. Written by one of the most qualified insiders to aim a pen at major league moviemakers, Bart ( Destinies ), a former reporter for the New York Times and Wall Street Journal and current editor of Variety , paid ample dues behind the closed doors of Hollywood studios as production chief at Lorimar, Paramount and, apparently much to his dismay, at MGM during its dying days. Zeroing in on the last 20 years of the once magnificent studio, which brought us such screen gems as Meet Me in St. Louis and Dr. Zhivago , the author paints a picture of monumental corporate chaos and incompetence as a result of poor top management appointments made by MGM owner Kirk Kerkorian. Photos not seen by PW .
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal:

Bart, currently editor of Variety, was a senior vice-president at MGM/UA from 1983 until 1985. This experience forms the basis for an examination of financier Kirk Kerkorian's 20-year ownership of MGM. (The book's subtitle is a bit premature, as MGM is not dead: Kerkorian is still trying to sell the eviscerated company.) Most of the book focuses on the period when Bart was at the company and Frank Yablans was president. During this time the studio produced Yentl, Mrs. Soffel, and 2010 , among other films. As is usual in books of this sort, the author admits to few if any mistakes, but the book appears fair, and it is well written. A good choice for larger libraries and special collections.
- John Smothers, Monmouth Cty. Lib., Manalapan, N.J.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: William Morrow & Co
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 0671710605
• ISBN 13: 9780671710606
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1