The Leading Men of MGM

By Jane Ellen Wayne

Book Overview

Gable, Tracy, Stewart, Ol' Blue Eyes, the King. They were Hollywood gods; men wanted to be them, women just plain wanted them. As celluloid royalty and soldiers in Louis B. Mayer's box office army, the men of The Leading Men of MGM captured the hearts and imaginations of the movie-going public during a thirty-year stretch encompassing three wars and the ultimate downfall of a studio empire. And while their roles onscreen are some of cinema's most memorable, they often pale in comparison to the lives these men lived behind the scenes. The Leading Men of MGM exposes these legendary figures in all of their salacious gloryfrom Clark Gable's clandestine homosexual encounters in bistro bathrooms to Elvis's pill-popping and Sinatra and Lawford's icy post-Kennedy jousts. Also profiling such stars as Ramon Novarro, Billy Haines, and Van Johnson, the collection offers complete filmographies, photographs, and insightful looks at the nature of stardom during an era when the phenomenon was being minted. Offering a warts-and-all look at fifteen-plus legendary Tinseltown stars in addition to exploring their successes as genuine Hollywood talent, author Jane Wayne has written a must-have volume for film buffs of all stripes."

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786714751
• ISBN13: 9780786714759
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.83 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.6" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

True Leading Men of Yesterday

I loved this book! This is the the all-male version of Jane Ellen Wayne's other book, The Golden Girls of MGM. The Leading Men of MGM also provides individual biographies of old school leading men of MGM. I had a great time reading about the behind the scenes exploits of these leading men. Again, Jane Ellen Wayne painted entertaining portraits of these men without being overly salacious. Jane's style of writing is so down to earth, you almost feel like you're traveling back to an era when people truly knew what it meant to be discreet and keep it classy. Like all of her other books, The Leading Men of MGM is (a good) time well spent!

When Hollywood had style

There was a time when movie stars were respected. There was a time when we left the cinema with a smile on our faces. There was a time when producers and directors worked for their art, not for money. It's all here in Jane Ellen Wayne's "The Leading Men of MGM" ("The Golden Guys of MGM" in the UK).I loved this book and gave it a five star rating.

The MGM Story

Using the biographies of MGM's leading men, Jane Ellen Wayne has written about Metro Goldwyn Mayer from its birth to its pathetic death. The films of each star are listed at the end of each chapter. It is a book worth reading if you are a movie buff. Great historical information about Hollywood and the really great actors who were naughty and talented and, unfortunately, not with us anymore except for Mickey Rooney and Van Johnson.

The ONLY Leading Men of Hollywood

I never get tired reading about the Hollywood of yesteryear and this book tells it all about Gable, Rooney, Presley and the other great stars. It was my first introduction to the silent era actors like John Gilbert and Ramon Novarro. I think that Jane Ellen Wayne covered MGM and the golden era from beginning to end.It was fun reading.

Nostalgic

I have read every book by Jane Ellen Wayne. Her writing has an easy flow to it and plenty of wit. "The Leading Men of MGM" is a follow up to Wayne's "The Golden Girls of MGM." I bought "The Golden Guys of MGM" in Europe so I am able to review the American version in advance. I especially liked the chapters on Louis B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg. These men founded MGM and are forgotten unfortunately. All and all, the book is the story of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, how it became so powerful and how it was destroyed by greed.

LIVELY, ENTERTAINING AND INFORMATIVE

I read this book under the title "The Golden Guys of MGM" that was published in England. There will never be a roster of handsome talented leading men as there were in Hollywood's Golden Era. These stars will endure forever and will never be replaced. Under contract to the greatest movie studio in the world, they were protected - their lives and antics kept a secret. MGM strived for perfection and their leading men were just that on the surface. What wasn't known about them comes forth in this book. They don't come across as disappointing, however. I saw them as human, after all. It's easy and enjoyable reading.