Metro Pictures

Credits

Compiled by
Logoarto

Background

Metro Pictures Corporation was founded on June 23, 1915, by Richard A. Rowland and Louis B. Mayer, and started out distributing films produced by Solax Studios. However, Mayer left the studio soon after operations began to form his own company, Louis B. Mayer Pictures Corporation, in 1918. Rowland would continue to produce a number of films in New York City, Fort Lee, New Jersey, and Hollywood, where he established a backlot at North Cahuenga Boulevard (which remains open and is today known as Red Studios Hollywood). Marcus Loew, a theater magnate who had been seeking products for his ever-expanding collective of nickelodeons, vaudeville houses, and movie palaces, acquired Metro Pictures in 1920.

Dissatisfied with Metro's output following his purchase of the studio, Loew later purchased Goldwyn Pictures in 1924 and combined the two studios in the hope of creating higher-quality content for his theaters. The same year, Louis B. Mayer sold Louis B. Mayer Productions to Loew for $75,000 (around $1.17 million adjusted for inflation). On April 17, 1924, the three studios were merged to become Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. (MGM).

Logo (1917)

Visuals: On a map of the United States, the word "METRO" is seen in a jagged font.

Technique: A still graphic.

Audio: None.

Availability: Unknown. ^[Examples?] A copy of this logo is preserved in the George Eastman Museum. Many of their output were destroyed in the 1965 MGM vault fire; existing copies often have their logo plastered by either the MGM logo or recreated reissue title cards.

Metro Pictures

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios ►