Tayloriona
Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.
Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin
The movie really just wants to entertain people.
Walter Sloane
Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.
jlewis77-1
When I first saw this on TNT back in 1992, I was disappointed. I thought there would be more background on Marcus Loew, Metro, Goldwyn and Louis Mayer's pre-1924 history. I was also (unjustly) critical of Patrick Stewart's hosting, the exclusion of certain favorite films, and the very limited coverage of Cedric Gibbons (not to mention many other MGM luminaries) and the short subject departments.However, time has been kind to this series. Watching it on DVD has been quite refreshing (even with the Astaire edits harped on by fans). Since '92, I've seen parts of the RKO series (and dying to see more!), enjoyed the 20th Century Fox's "First 50 Years" and its "Blockbuster" sequel (although these utilize too many film clips and not enough back-lot story) and was, once again, a bit disappointed with YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS (Warner Bros.). WHEN THE LION ROARS is as good of a film studio overview as you can get in three two-hour installments.For one thing, we get a lot more coverage of the Culver City lot than we ever get of the Burbank lot in YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS, despite (and perhaps because of) the fact that so much has been bulldozed to the ground. I visited Warner's twice on their tours and was surprised at how much of it is still intact. I can only imagine how great MGM (the surviving parts owned by Sony) would be today, had anyone listened to Debbie Reynold's suggestion of it being a "ready-made Disneyland".Although the glory lies in the classic film clips, much of its heart come from the interviews. Margaret Booth's comment that "we never made bad pictures" emphasizes how the art of film editing kept MGM the top dog of the business. Samuel Marx's observation of Louis Mayer crying during LASSIE COME HOME (produced by future adversary Dore Shary) speaks volumes... even if Mayer was the best "actor" of the studio. Earlier footage of Lillian Gish, King Vidor and Eleanor Boardman are cleverly utilized from the BBC's 12-year old Hollywood series in Part 1's coverage of the silent years.I once thought Patrick Stewart's narration and dramatic introductions a little too... shall we say?... "hammy". Today, they serve as a pleasing initiation into the "make believe" factory. His walk in front of a screen showing 1925's BEN HUR chariot race is as equally effective as any of the interviews; it demonstrates how thin the line between industry "product" and fantasy was during Hollywood's Golden Age.
Michael_Elliott
MGM: When the Lion Roars (1992) **** (out of 4)Mammoth, six-hour documentary covering every aspect of the legendary studio MGM from its first picture, He Who Gets Slapped in 1924 until its crumble starting in the late 60s. The documentary is broken up into three parts with the first going from 1924 until Irving Thalberg's death in 1936. The second covers the biggest part of the studios career with projects like The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind but also the studio losing their female stars like Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford. The third and final segment covers the legendary musicals like Meet Me in St. Louis but also founder Mayer getting pushed to the side and the eventual fall from grace of the studio. The film pretty much covers ever aspect to the studio in its six-hour running time and for the most part there's not a single flaw in the film. Some could argue that certain actors or directors should have received more screen time but opinions on this are going to vary from person to person. The only thing I think the documentary overlooked was the fact that the studio did some pretty bad things including killing the career of Buster Keaton and the notorious edits to the film Greed. Both of these subjects are briefly mentioned but they play it off as nothing major. The biggest plus are some great clips from various films but be warned that the ending to a lot of the movies are ruined so you might do yourself a favor and watch some of them before viewing this documentary. Another fun aspect are the various clips from the Academy Awards where we get to see many of the MGM winner getting their prizes including Spencer Tracy. Patrick Stewart hosts and we get interviews with Mickey Rooney, Charlton Heston, Jackie Cooper, Helen Hayes, June Allyson, Richard Chamberlain, Stanley Donen, Roddy McDowall, Debbie Reynolds, Ernest Borgnine, Ricardo Montalban, Freddie Bartholomew, Lew Ayres, Van Johnson and Ester Williams among many others. Countless archival footage is also shown.
russ3503
I am an avid movie fan and pretty much like all the studios, per se. But the treasure of them all is the MGM studio. It is very near and dear to my heart and I am deeply saddened that MGM is no longer around. The original MGM lion lies in an unmarked grave in NJ when it really should be enshrined as the one that adorns MGM Las Vegas.Most of the stars in front of the camera as well as behind the camera are also gone. That makes this trilogy so bitter sweet to watch. "More Stars Than There Are In The Heavens" was its motto and these films bring back the golden era of movies to us once more. An absolute must for any film buff to own.
nickandrew
This is a must for Hollywood film buffs (especially those who love films from the 1920s to the 1950s). It tells the story by narrator/host Patrick Stewart of the history of the famous MGM studios from its beginning in 1924 to its fall in the early 1980s. Includes interviews with many MGM stars such as Helen Hayes, Jackie Cooper, Joan Crawford, as well as directors Clarence Brown and King Vidor. Clips from nearly every MGM film are shown, some you will see are: THE WIZARD OF OZ, GRAND HOTEL, GREED, BEN-HUR, THE WOMEN, GIGI, GONE WITH THE WIND, A WOMAN'S FACE, NINOTCHKA, GRAND PRIX, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, etc. The documentary is very long, but worth seeing. Usually shown on PBS, but is available for purchasing. 4 stars here!
