Product Details

• Actors: Patrick Stewart, Samuel Marx, June Allyson, Lew Ayres, Freddie Bartholomew
• Directors: Frank Martin
• Writers: Frank Martin
• Format: Color, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
• Subtitles: English, French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• DVD Release Date: January 20, 2009
• Run Time: 366 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001I2EQUO
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,180 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "MGM: When the Lion Roars" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Clad in an array of elegant outfits, Patrick Stewart hosts TCM's three-part profile of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer--better known as MGM. As he proclaims in his best stage diction, "There's magic in the very name!" Part one, "The Lion's Roar," examines the partnership Louis B. Mayer and Irving G. Thalberg formed in 1924, leading to a vast Culver City back lot, crowd-pleasing productions like Grand Hotel, and legendary stars, such as Greta Garbo and Lon Chaney. "The Lion Reigns Supreme" picks up the story after Thalberg's passing in 1936 (the brilliant, fragile production head would go on to inspire F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Last Tycoon). Afterwards, Mayer assembles a new creative committee, and the milestones continue, namely The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, and an all-out support of the war effort. The concluding chapter, "The Lion in Winter," covers MGM's masterful musicals, the arrival of socially-conscious producer Dore Schary, and the ouster of Mayer (TCM’s Ted Turner also figures in the narrative). Along with a cavalcade of clips, each part presents exclusive and archival interviews with the likes of Katharine Hepburn, Charlton Heston, and Stanley Donen. If the Emmy-winning series starts out as a glorified puff piece, director Frank Martin doesn't overlook the studio's biggest blunders, from their resistance to sound to their mishandling of the outsized talents of Erich Von Stroheim, Buster Keaton, and two-time Oscar winner Luise Rainer, who felt like a mere cog in Mayer's star-making machinery. Missteps aside, he and Thalberg were two of the key architects behind Hollywood's Golden Age, and When the Lion Roars stands as a fitting testament to their creation. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Product Description

On April 24, 1924 the movies changed forever: the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio opened and soon assembled “more stars than there are in the heavens.” Patrick Stewart hosts this enthralling Emmy winner as Best Informational Series, a 3-part story of MGMs reign as Hollywoods class act and legendary entertainment empire. Bursting with memorable film clips, rare interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and insider info, this is a mother lode for film fans, profiling perfectionist moguls, glamorous and charismatic actors, innovative filmmakers and landmark movies. Experience the dramatic and romantic fire, singing and dancing magic, and sweeping epic adventure of Hollywoods greatest studio in this must-have 2-Disc Deluxe Edition DVD.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Unfortunately, the revised version, January 24, 2009

By 

Hisato Masuyama "Kaede" (LA, CA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: MGM: When the Lion Roars (DVD)

Back when TNT aired this series in the early 90's, it was one of the best documentary series that was produced. However, almost immediately after its broadcast, Robin Astaire (Fred's wife) forbade the usage of any of his clips on ANY documentary, suggesting that his image in such capacity will ruin his integrity- or a facsimile there of. So, when issued on Laserdisc in the 90's, all the Astaire sequences were either cut or replaced- i.e., the clip from Ziegfeld Follies, the Babbit and the Bromide number with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly was replaced with Judy Garland's The Great Lady Has An interview. The version released on the DVD, unfortunately, is still that one. While TCM aired the series right before the DVD release, it was indeed the original version with Fred Astaire intact- you can either keep both, or just keep the TCM recording, since it would be more complete... such a pity for a great documentary.

40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST-SEE FOR FILM LOVERS, January 8, 2009

By 

M. Cooper "Know It All" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: MGM: When the Lion Roars (DVD)

I am thrilled to learn MGM: When the Lion Roars is finally available on DVD! I've been patiently waiting to add it to my collection for years. This documentary originally aired on TNT in the early 90's when I was a teenager, and it is undoubtedly the reason I am an avid fan of classic cinema today. It is one of the single best documentaries I have seen about the studio system and the origins of the entertainment industry as a whole. Not only does it provide a glimpse into the by-gone era of Hollywood's Golden Age, but it reveals the stories behind some of the greatest films ever made. Bottom line: it is a must-see for fans of classic films.

42 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The MGM Story, October 16, 2008

By 

William Slaughter "Bill Slaughter" (Anaheim,California USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: MGM: When the Lion Roars (DVD)

Fantastic Documentary about the MGM studio. Its great films. Its great stars and the people who made them. Out for the first time on DVD. Patrick Stewart is superb as host and narrator. Extremly enjoyable to watch over and over. Anyone who loves the great films and its great stars will love it! MGM the greatest move studio of all time. After viewing it, you to will know why.
Bill Slaughter
Anaheim , CA USA