On April 14, 1924 movie history was made with the release of the silent comedy “Mademoiselle Midnight,” starring Mae Murray. While the film itself might not be remembered, it marked the first theatrical release by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer—aka MGM—and for the next 90 years, they would become a permanent presence on the movie landscape. And even if their fortunes in recent years saw them nearly disappear (they filed for bankruptcy in 2010), they bounced back and are ready to celebrate an anniversary.
Today, MGM has dropped a 2-minute anniversary trailer highlighting their rich catalogue of films—well, at least those in color. Focusing on the more contemporary hits, with very little of their black-and-white classic films (though “Some Like It Hot” sneaks in there), the spot is a trip down memory lane, focusing on the box office hits, the Oscar winners and more. But this isn’t all weepy eyed nostalgia as there is a product to sell with MGM rolling out 4K restorations of “Rocky,” “Rain Man,” “Fargo,” “RoboCop” and “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” (all now available for pre-order) with more in the pipeline including “In the Heat of the Night,” “A Chorus Line,” and “The Birdcage.” There will be a commemorative book and more coming too.
But until that arrives, here’s the 90th anniversary trailer.