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Eyes of the Navy (1940)
Character: Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Produced by MGM in cooperation with the U.S. Navy, this short film follows U.S. naval aviators through their basic training in Florida and advanced training in California.
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Another Romance of Celluloid (1938)
Character: Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
This second entry in MGM's "Romance of Film" series documents how celluloid movie film is processed and features behind-the-scenes glimpses of current MGM productions.
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Another Romance of Celluloid: Electrical Power (1938)
Character: Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
This short begins at Boulder Dam (now Hoover Dam). The electricity generated here by the Colorado River is sent to Hollywood, where movie studios need it to make movies. After a tour of the MGM studios' power plants, we see short advertisements for upcoming MGM releases.
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Hollywood Goes to Town (1938)
Character: Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
This short shows how Hollywood gets ready for the world premiere of an "important" movie. The film celebrated here is Marie Antoinette (1938), which had its premiere at the Carthay Circle Theatre. We see the street leading to the theatre transformed to suggest a garden that might be seen in a French palace. This includes the placement of trees and other foliage, as well as large statues along the route. Grandstands are set up so fans can see their favorite stars as they arrive for the premiere. Finally, the proverbial "galaxy of stars" arrives in their limousines. Fanny Brice and Pete Smith make remarks at the microphone set up on the carpet outside the theatre.
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The City of Little Men (1938)
Character: Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
The story of Boys Town, founded by Father Edward Flanagan in 1917 as a haven for wayward, homeless, and neglected boys.
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Northward, Ho! (1940)
Character: Narrator (voice)
Behind-the-scenes promotional featurette to publicize the epic outdoor adventure Northwest Passage filmed on location in Idaho.
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You Can't Fool a Camera (1941)
Character: Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
This short starts out as a documentary. In a dramatization, Eadward Muybridge's photographic experiments prove that when a horse gallops, there are times when all four of the animal's feet are off the ground. We are then brought to the present, where MGM directors and their cinematographers are shown working on current productions. The film closes with closeups of the studio's major stars and a tribute to the studio's actors who have joined the armed forces.
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Twenty Years After (1944)
Character: Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
This short celebrates the 20th anniversary of MGM. Segments are shown from several early hits, then from a number of 1944 releases.
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Lest We Forget (1937)
Character: Narrator (voice, uncredited)
MGM hosts a salute to Will Rogers (1875-1935) shortly after his death. After a few words from Gary Cooper and Harry Carey, a look at Rogers' fatal trip with Wiley Post, clips from Rogers' movies, a proclamation from Oklahoma's governor, and a cowboy ballad sung at sunset. Robert Taylor asks the studio audience to contribute to the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital in Saranac Lake, NY, where those in the entertainment industry could go for treatment. This Sanatorium already exists as the National Vaudeville Artist Lodge and then was renamed after Will Rogers timely death. The screen goes black while ushers collect donations.
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The Horse with the Human Mind (1946)
Character: Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
This short film focuses on Bess, considered to be the smartest horse in the movies, as she works with her trainer.
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Personalities (1942)
Character: Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
In this "Romance of Celluloid", MGM showcases performers whose careers are just starting. Excerpts from their recently released films are included. The narrator says that moviegoers will have to decide whether these fledgling actors and actresses have that certain quality that made superstars out of MGM players Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, and Lana Turner.
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America, Preferred (1941)
Character: Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Short documentary pitching sales of U.S. Defense Bonds and Savings Stamps.
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The Old South (1940)
Character: Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
This short film chronicles the importance of cotton to the economy and culture of America's Old South.
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We Must Have Music (1942)
Character: Narrator
A short history of movie music is presented, from silent films accompanied by a single piano, to the elaborate song scores for musicals (with scenes from MGM's musicals) and background music for dramas. Conductor/composer
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Presenting Lily Mars (1943)
Character: Trailer Narrator (voice)
Starstruck Indiana small-town girl Lily is pestering theatrical producer John Thornway for a role but he is reluctant.
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Arsène Lupin Returns (1938)
Character: Radio Broadcaster (voice) (uncredited)
A woman and a man vying for a woman's affection: the usual love trio? Not quite so since the belle in question is Lorraine de Grissac, a very wealthy and alluring society woman, while one of the two rivals is none other than Arsène Lupin, the notorious jewel thief everybody thought dead, now living under the assumed name of René Farrand. As for the other suitor he is an American, a former F.B.I. sleuth turned private eye by the name of Steve Emerson. Steve not only suspects Farrand of being Lupin but when someone attempts to steal a precious emerald necklace from Lorraine's uncle, Count de Brissac, he is persuaded Lupin is the culprit. Is Emerson right or wrong? Which of the two men will win over Lorraine's heart?
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The Grand Bounce (1937)
Character: Radio News Announcer (voice) (uncredited)
A man writes a check for $1,000 to cover a gambling debt. The problem is that he doesn't have enough money in his bank account to cover it. The check was written on Friday afternoon, but cannot be cashed before the following Tuesday. The check is used to pay several debts until...
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Babes in Arms (1939)
Character: Trailer Announcer (voice) (uncredited)
Mickey Moran, son of two vaudeville veterans, decides to put up his own vaudeville show with his girlfriend Patsy Barton. But child actress Rosalie wants to make a comeback and replace Patsy both professionally and as Mickey's girl.
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Man Of The People (1937)
Character: Radio Announcer (voice)
An Italian immigrant studying the law gets mixed up with crooks.
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Fingers at the Window (1942)
Character: Trailer Announcer (Voice) (uncredited)
In Chicago, an unemployed actor aims to solve the mystery concerning a string of ax murders, apparently committed by a lunatic.
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Hollywood: Style Center of the World (1940)
Character: Narrator
An MGM short promoting the studio's impact on fashion through film through their chief of costume design, Adrian; in rural America, a mother and daughter are shopping and observe a designer dress worn by Joan Crawford in a recent movie.
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The Romance of Celluloid (1937)
Character: Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Several behind the scenes aspects of the movie-making business, which results in the enjoyment the movie going public has in going to the theater, are presented. They include: the production of celluloid aka film stock, the materials used in the production of which include cotton and silver; construction crews who build sets including those to look like cities, towns and villages around the world; a visit with Jack Dawn who demonstrates the process of creating a makeup design; the screen testing process, where many an acting hopeful gets his/her start; the work of the candid camera man, the prying eyes behind the movie camera; a visit with Adrian, who designs the clothes worn by many of the stars on screen; and a visit with Herbert Stothart as he conducts his musical score for Conquest (1937). These behind the scenes looks provide the opportunity to get acquainted with the cavalcade of MGM stars and their productions that will grace the silver screen in the 1937/38 movie season.
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The Ice Follies of 1939 (1939)
Character: Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Mary and Larry are are a modestly successful skating team. Shortly after their marriage, Mary gets a picture contract, while Larry is sitting at home, out of work.
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Young Tom Edison (1940)
Character: Narrator (voice)
Inventor Thomas Edison's boyhood is chronicled and shows him as a lad whose early inventions and scientific experiments usually end up causing disastrous results. As a result, the towns folk all think Tom is crazy, and creating a strained relationship between Tom and his father. Tom's only solace is his understanding mother who believes he's headed to do great things.
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Edison, the Man (1940)
Character: Trailer Narrator (voice)
In flashback, fifty years after inventing the light bulb, an 82-year-old Edison tells his story starting at age twenty-two with his arrival in New York. He's on his way with the invention of an early form of the stock market ticker.
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The Mortal Storm (1940)
Character: Trailer Announcer (voice)
The Roth family leads a quiet life in a small village in the German Alps during the early 1930s. After the Nazis come to power, the family is divided and Martin Breitner, a family friend, is caught up in the turmoil.
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