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Louis B. Mayer

File:Louis_B_Mayer_cropped.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Louis B. Mayer

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Also known as Louis Burt Mayer, Louis Mayer

Canadian-American film producer (1884–1957)

OverviewAI-generated

Louis B. Mayer was an American film producer and screenwriter who worked for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Born in Dymer, he held citizenship in the United States, the Russian Empire, and Canada. His career began in 1907, and he was the owner of Louis B. Mayer Pictures Corporation. Mayer was a member of the Republican Party and spoke Yiddish and English.

He received an Academy Honorary Award, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and recognition on Canada's Walk of Fame. Mayer died of leukemia in Los Angeles in 1957. His daughter was Irene Mayer Selznick.

Synthesized by Vinony from 38 facts across 8 sources: Wikidata, Open Library, MusicBrainz, Crossref, TMDb, Wikiquote, Vinony collections, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Person · Open Library

Born
1885
Died
1957
Works
1

Top works

  • The American Film Institute/Louis B. Mayer oral history collection

via Open Library + Wikidata

Film & TV

Production · Dymer, Kiev Governorate, Russian Empire [now Vyshhorod Raion, Kiev Oblast, Ukraine]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Louis Burt Mayer (born Lazar Meir in the Russian Empire; July 12, 1884 – October 29, 1957) was an American film producer and co-founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios (MGM). Under Mayer's management, MGM became the film industry's most prestigious movie studio, accumulating the largest concentration of leading writers, directors and stars in Hollywood. Mayer…

Known for

  • Gene Kelly - An American in Hollywood — Self (archive footage)2025
  • Rat Pack — Self (archive footage)2022
  • Sid & Judy — Self (archive photos)2019
  • 1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year — Self (archive footage)2009
  • Checking Out: Grand Hotel — Self (archive footage)2004
  • So Funny It Hurt: Buster Keaton & MGM — Self (archive footage)2004
  • Judy Garland: By Myself — Self (archive footage)2004
  • Cole Porter in Hollywood: Begin the Beguine2003
  • James Stewart: A Wonderful Life — Self (archive footage)1987
  • Greta Garbo: The Temptress and the Clown — Self (archive footage)1986

via TMDB

Music · MusicBrainz

Type
Person
Gender
Male
Country
United States
Active from
1884
Active to
1957

via MusicBrainz · CC0

Quotes

  • I will only make pictures that I won't be ashamed to have my children see.
  • You know how I'm smart? I got people around me who know more than I do.
  • The number one book of the ages was written by a committee, and it was called The Bible.
  • Don't make these pictures any better. Just keep them the way they are.

via Wikiquote · CC BY-SA

Key facts

Preceded by
Marshal Hale
Succeeded by
Earl Warren
Born
Lazar Meir , July 12, 1884, Minsk region , Russian Empire
Died
October 29, 1957 (1957-10-29) (aged 73), Los Angeles, California , U.S.
Resting place
Home of Peace Cemetery , Los Angeles County
Party
Republican
Spouses
Margaret Shenberg, ​ ​ ( married</span>"}]]}'>m. 1904 ; divorced</span>"}]]}'>div. 1947 ) ​ Lorena Layson ​ ( married</span>"}]]}'>m. 1948 ) ​
Children
2, including Irene Mayer Selznick
Occupation
Film producer Studio executive
Nicknames
Louis Burt Mayer Ezemiel Mayer Louis Burton Mayer Lazar Mayer Lazar Meir

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Instance of
human
Given name
Louis
Family name
Mayer
Gender
male
Citizenship
Canada
Place of birth
Dymer
Place of death
Los Angeles
Occupation
screenwriter
Languages spoken
English language
Image
Louis B Mayer cropped.jpg
Work location
Los Angeles
Show 10 more facts
Commons category
Louis B. Mayer
cause of death
leukemia
date of birth
1884-06-30
date of death
1957-10-29
manner of death
natural causes
start of work period
1907-00-00
name in native language
Louis B. Mayer
partner in business or sport
Samuel Goldwyn
Sources (4)

via Wikidata · CC0

~40 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Louis Burt Mayer (/ˈmeɪ.ər/; born Lazar Meir; July 12, 1884 – October 29, 1957) was a Canadian-American film producer and co-founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios (MGM) in 1924. Under Mayer's management, MGM became the film industry's most prestigious movie studio, accumulating the largest concentration of leading writers, directors, and stars in Hollywood.

Mayer was born in the village of Dymer, Ukraine, and grew up poor in Saint John, New Brunswick. He quit school at 12 to support his family and later moved to Boston and purchased and renovated a small vaudeville theatre in Haverhill, Massachusetts. He renovated and expanded several other theatres in the Boston area catering to audiences of higher social classes. After expanding and moving to Los Angeles, he teamed with film producer Irving Thalberg and they developed hundreds of films. Mayer handled the business of running the studio, such as setting budgets and approving new productions, while Thalberg, still in his twenties, supervised all MGM productions.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Louis B. Mayer” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (5)