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Louis B. Mayer—The headman in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s triumvirate, Mayer reported directly to Marcus Loew, owner of Loew’s, Inc., MGM’s parent company. Although Loew expected fifteen films to be completed annually, Mayer and his team delivered over forty. MGM was now the industry’s top profit-maker and boasted stars like Conrad Nagel, John Gilbert, Greta Garbo and Lionel Barrymore—none of them more dramatic than Mayer himself. The studio chief and his family had recently moved into a newly built home on the beach at Santa Monica. The four-bedroom Spanish-style house with its thirteen bathrooms cost $28,000. Neighbors included Jesse L. Lasky and Samuel Goldwyn.
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Harry Rapf—After making Rin Tin Tin an international star for Warner Bros., Rapf became an important part of the MGM triumvirate under Louis B. Mayer. Still in charge of many MGM productions, but taking a back seat to Thalberg, he never stopped looking fortalent on-screen or off. Rapf’s latest find was a wordy young man named David O. Selznick, son of Lewis J. Selznick, Rapf’s former boss at Select Pictures. The future producer first worked as a reader who greatly annoyed Mayer with his many long-winded communications. Rapf often kept family and friends on the payroll, as well. While running the wardrobe department, his brother, Joseph, made Rapf a new uncle.
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Joseph M. Schenck—The man in charge of United Artists was a first class Hollywood high roller. Schenck had just established the United Artists Theater Circuit, Inc. and was now scouting building sites in several major cities such as Detroit and Chicago. Still married to popular actress Norma Talmadge, Schenck was a powerful man who also had a hand in banking and real estate. He recently weathered the untimely death of thirty-one-year-old Rudolph Valentino who suffered an infection after undergoing surgery for acute appendicitis and perforated gastric ulcers. Schenck, along with Valentino’s trusted manager, S. George Ullman, kept vigil at the stricken actor’s deathbed. It was a shaken Schenck who broke the shocking news of Valentino’s death to reporters, setting off an unprecedented public frenzy.
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Irving G. Thalberg—At twenty-six, Thalberg was the Academy’s youngest founding member and the most seriously ill. Part of the MGM triumvirate along with Louis B. Mayer and Harry Rapf, the driven Thalberg was quickly distinguishing himself as the studio’s favored producer despite a serious heart condition. His underlings often tapped into his uncanny genius for story telling whenever they needed help. One of Hollywood’s most eligible bachelors, he squired around his favorite date, Constance Talmadge. This past New Year’s Eve, however, he brought MGM actress Norma Shearer to Mayer’s house party. Girlfriends aside, it was his zealous mother who tucked him in at night and doled out his meds.
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Harry M. Warner—As top man at Warner Bros., Harry had his share of headaches. The studio took a financial hit when their first major foray into sound with Barrymore’s Don Juan (1926) didn’t pull in enough profits to cover its cost. Teetering on bankruptcy, Harry nixed any future attempts at making silent movies heard. Brother Sam, a motivated sound advocate, was so disgruntled he accepted a position under Adolph Zukor at Paramount. When the family ganged up on him, however, Sam relented, remaining with his brothers and their financially troubled studio. He soon convinced Harry to take a half-million-dollar gamble, which would ultimately save the studio and turn the film industry inside out.
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Jack L. Warner—The youngest Warner Brother and Vice President in Charge of Production, Jack remained at odds with Harry over the running of their studio and anything else he could think of. Closest to his brother Sam, the two men often teamed up on their filmmaking projects. It was Jack who signed stage actor George Jessel for the lead in Sam’s new talking picture. When the actor demanded more money for singing on-screen, Jack let him go and turned to entertainer Eddie Cantor who refused the part. The four battling brothers managed to unite momentarily in the summer of 1926 in honor of their parents’ golden wedding anniversary—it would be the four men’s last official celebration together.
THE DIRECTORS
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Cecil B. DeMille—One of Hollywood’s most highly regarded directors, DeMille was just finishing up work on another biblical epic, King of Kings (1927) written by Jeanie Macpherson. By now, he had left Paramount and the tight-fisted Zukor to establish his own production company, DeMille Pictures Corporation. His brother, William, soon joined him. Sinking $2,500,000 into the King of Kings, DeMille was once again accused of flagrant spending. As his company struggled to meet its financial obligations, the private DeMille juggled three women—his wife, Constance, who continued to immerse herself in charity work, and his two main mistresses, the ever-faithful Macpherson and actress Julia Faye.
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Henry King—The director who once risked a climb to Mt. Vesuvius was now working for producer Samuel Goldwyn. King’s first film with Goldwyn was the classic mother-daughter drama Stella Dallas (1925) featuring Belle Bennett who supposedly gained weight for the role. Just released under the Goldwyn banner was another one of King’s major films, The Winning of Barbara Worth (1926) with the now popular mustachioed man, Ronald Colman. Shot on location in northern Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, the company built a town for filming purposes and set up tents to accommodate living arrangements for more than 1,000 people. The group affectionately referred to their new settlement as “Barbara Worth.”
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Frank Lloyd—The Scottish-born director was currently working at Paramount with flapper Clara Bow on the romantic drama Children of Divorce (1927). In addition to making movies, he had recently been in charge of an elaborate Fourth of July pageant that took place the summer before. He worked with members of the Chamber of Commerce to stage the celebration at Los Angeles’s Coliseum where famous people and moments from U.S. history were remembered. An outdoorsman, he also enjoyed flying, golfing, hunting, fishing and horseback riding. When his good friend actor Wallace Beery married actress Aleta Gillman, the nuptials took place at Lloyd’s home with the director giving away the bride.
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Fred Niblo—The former world traveler and theatrical entertainer had some pretty impressive films under his directorial belt—The Mark of Zorro (1920) and The Three Musketeers (1921) both with the swashbuckling Douglas Fairbanks, as well as Blood and Sand (1922) starring the late lover Rudolph Valentino. He also helmed MGM’s first epic, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925). A Mayer favorite, Niblo was also known for his fine public speaking skills. A much-sought-after master of ceremonies, he hosted many high-profile Hollywood events like the official opening of Sid Grauman’s Egyptian Theater. Niblo and his actress wife, Enid Bennett, recently added son Peter to their still growing family.
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John M. stahl—The MGM director’s latest release was a romantic drama called The Gay Deceiver (1926). The movie starred actor Lew Cody as a French matinée idol surrounded by scandal. Several weeks later Stahl dealt with his own personal drama. His wife of twelve years, Irene, collapsed in early November 1926 at the Ambassador Hotel where the couple lived. One week after undergoing surgery, she unexpectedly died in the hospital. The widower would soon leave Mayer and MGM to start his own production company with Tiffany Pictures. The company would be renamed Tiffany-Stahl as the director temporarily traded in the megaphone for a producer’s hat.
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Raoul Walsh—Back at Fox, Walsh’s classic war drama What Price Glory (1926) was now playing to enthusiastic audiences. The realistic battle scenes complete with teeth-rattling explosions so disturbed the neighbors during filming that, on several occasions, they called the police. According to Walsh, an assistant would take the blame and then be arrested. Once the fall guy was carted off to jail, Walsh would resume working. At least one man, twenty-five-year-old actor Jack Fay, died from injuries received during filming. Walsh’s private life was just as chaotic. He and his wife, actress Miriam Cooper, were in the midst of a bitter divorce. She claimed that her wayward husband admitted “he
never should have married.”
THE ACTORS
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Richard Barthelmess—Despite his insistence that his marriage was not over, Barthelmess’ wife, dancer Mary Hay, filed for divorce once she got to Paris. The marriage officially ended on January 15, 1927. Custody arrangements for their daughter, Mary, stated she must spend six months of the year with each parent. At the moment, however, the two-year-old girl was living with Barthelmess while her mother was away. Despite the scandal, Barthelmess remained one of the public’s favorite matinée idols. He was soon to be seen on-screen in one of his best films, The Patent Leather Kid (1927), which explored the world of boxing—both the good and the bad.
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Douglas Fairbanks—Everyone’s favorite sword-wielding swashbuckler was between pictures. Fairbanks’s last release was The Black Pirate (1926) with actress Billie Dove. His next film would be The Gaucho (1927), which placed him opposite sizzling teen Lupe Velez. At the studio, he worked out in a private gymnasium that boasted the latest exercise equipment, as well as a personal trainer. He also relaxed in his own Turkish bath where he entertained guests, such as Chaplin, Barrymore and even the King of Thailand. Married to “America’s Sweetheart,” Mary Pickford, for the past seven years, the actor and actress were Hollywood’s first super couple and treated like royals wherever they went.
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Jack Holt—Brawny star of the silent saddle, Holt was riding high at Paramount. Starring in several adaptations of author Zane Grey’s western novels, he epitomized the Hollywood cowboy and was known off-screen for his highly skilled polo playing. Due to his energetic approach to the game, he often took spills from his horse causing his friends to rib him about wearing a parachute while he played. He recently finished filming The Mysterious Rider (1927) starring in the role of Grey’s Western hero, Bent Wade. At home, Holt was still married to Margaret, his wife of ten years, and raising three children, stepdaughter Imogene, seven-year-old son Charles John, Jr. and daughter Elizabeth, six.
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Harold Lloyd—The man with the glasses was one of Hollywood’s highest paid actors pulling in about $40,000 per week, or $2,000,000 each year. His just-released comedy, The Kid Brother (1927), proved to be Lloyd’s favorite of all his films and his last motion picture with his popular leading lady, Jobyna Ralston. After losing two directors, one to other contractual obligations and another to illness, Lloyd took over directing responsibilities along with his brother, Gaylord, who acted as his assistant. Now a member of the Masons, Lloyd and his wife, former actress Mildred Davis, were building a home in Beverly Hills. The lavish estate, eventually known as Greenacres, would include a dozen gardens with as many fountains.
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Conrad Nagel—The handsome blue-eyed, blond actor was one of MGM’s busiest leading men. In 1926, he starred in six features beginning with Dance Madness, which was released on January 4, 1926, and ending with Tin Hats, which hit theaters on November 28, 1926. Nagel was just as hardworking in 1927. Currently filming Heaven on Earth, the movie was slated to begin its run on March 5, 1927. He starred in five more productions that same year. His last film released in 1927 was a Warner Bros. feature, If I Were Single, costarring actress Myrna Loy. The tired actor lived in Beverly Hills with his wife, Ruth Helms, and six-year-old daughter Ruth Margaret.
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Mary Pickford—The most powerful woman in Hollywood, Pickford continued acting in and producing films for United Artists. Her latest movie, Sparrows (1926), in which the thirty-five-year-old actress played yet another impoverished child, proved to be a classic. At home, she and Douglas Fairbanks lived a hectic life on their eighteen-acre Beverly Hills estate, Pickfair. Second in popularity only to the White House, their magical home drew VIPs from around the world including lady flyer Amelia Earhart, scientist Albert Einstein and Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Kings and queens, dukes and duchesses, lords and ladies from Alba to Vienna came calling on America’s favorite couple.
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Milton Sills—A newlywed, Sills had just divorced his first wife, Gladys, in a California court and, the very next day, married actress Doris Kenyon in Ausable Forks, New York. Following their honeymoon, Sills had recently returned to Hollywood where he was building a home in Brentwood Heights. The new Mrs. Sills would soon leave for New York due to her pregnancy. On-screen, Sills’ film The Silent Lover (1926) was currently in theaters while his next movie, The Sea Tiger, was scheduled for release on February 27, 1927. The drama, written by Carey Wilson and based on a novel by author Mary Heaton Vorse, paired up the scholarly actor with leading lady Mary Astor.
THE WRITERS
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Joseph W. Farnham—One of the top nine title writers in the film industry, Farnham was the wordsmith behind many of Hollywood’s greatest films such as Charley’s Aunt (1925) and The Big Parade (1925). His most recent titles were featured in the comedy Tell It to the Marines (1926) starring Lon Chaney. In one scene where Farnham described a newly enlisted private named George Robert “Skeet” Burns, he wrote: “The greatest public improvement ever made to Kansas City was when George Burns left to join the marines.” Farnham, a former newspaperman, recently signed a contract that reserved his pen exclusively for MGM films. He even had a sandwich named after him in the studio commissary.
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Benjamin F. Glazer—Another MGM writer who had been with Mayer before the merger, Glazer had recently finished penning those sweltering love scenes between actor John Gilbert and his leading lady Greta Garbo in her breakout role as Felicitas in Flesh and the Devil (1926). With a big box office hit to brag about, Glazer was now recognized as one of the motion picture industry’s finest photoplaywrights. His most recent credit, just released on New Year’s Day, was The Lady in Ermine (1927). He was now working on 7th Heaven (1927), which would soon prove to be one of his greatest efforts. It wouldn’t be long, however, before he dropped his pen and plunged into the hectic role of producer.
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Jeanie Macpherson—Still working and cuddling with DeMille, the pretty Macpherson’s current project was The King of Kings (1927), scheduled for an April release date. Highly paid for her writing services, she was also in charge of DeMille’s scenario department where she not only developed photoplays, but also worked on the set alongside the intimidating director. Macpherson recently told the press: “It is on the sets, as production on a picture progresses, that the photoplay is completed and made to faithfully cling together. It is there that director, supervisor, star and scenarist get together in informal confab to thrash out the various situations of a picture.”
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Bess Meredyth—One of several women leading the writing pack in Hollywood, Meredyth was a top scenarist at Warner Bros. After working in Italy on MGM’s spectacle, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925), she signed a lucrative contract with Warner Bros. There, she recently penned the soon-to-be released Don Juan (1926) featuring the dashing and bottle-bearing John Barrymore. Her next film, When a Man Loves (1927), was another historical romance with Barrymore once more the lover and hero. Newly divorced from actor-husband Wilfred Lucas, and raising her son, John, Meredyth had just met someone new—Hungarian director Mihály Kertész who was also employed by Warner Bros.
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Carey Wilson—Now working as a scenarist for First National, Wilson’s latest feature, The Sea Tiger (1927), starred highbrow actor Milton Sills. Wilson believed that a good photoplay included five important pieces—a solid theme; story advancement through pantomime; a good plot that depicts the theme by manipulating the characters and storyline; characters with individuality that demonstrate the human touch; and finally, development as the story builds from the beginning to its climax or crisis. At home, the writer was still married to wife Nancy. In addition to their six-year-old daughter, Nancy Hope, the couple recently welcomed a new son, Carey Anthony, Jr.
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Frank E. Woods—At sixty-six years old, Woods was the Academy’s oldest foundin
g member. In 1922, he had resigned from his position with Famous Players-Lasky to team up with two other writers, Elmer Harris and Thompson Buchanan. The three men established their own production company, Associated Authors. Their films would be released through the Allied Producers and Distributors Corporation, a subsidiary of United Artists where Woods’ old boss, D.W. Griffith, was a partner. Woods’ brother, Arthur, was now a research director for Douglas Fairbanks and had worked on several of the swashbucklers including Robin Hood (1922) and The Thief of Baghdad (1926) ensuring their historical accuracy.
Bringing Up Oscar: The Story of the Men and Women Who Founded the Academy Page 22
