Edward Arnold once considered running for Republican Senator from California. Brawny Wallace Beery entered show business as a chorus boy. At 61, Marie Dressler made a comeback and became MGM's highest paid star. A clerk in MGM'S Legal department saw young Ava Gardner's photo in the window of a New York photographer and distributed 60 copies throughout MGM. Stewart Granger's real name is James Stewart (wonder why he changed it?). These are just a few of the thousands of cinematic facts in The MGM Stock Company: The Golden Era. This reference directory to gigantic MGM is a cornucopia of film lore, with carefully detailed biographies and career studies of nearly 150 MGM greats from June Allyson to Robert Young. Open to any page in this massive volume (alphabetically arranged for instant reference) and find yourself enthralled by the true-to-life career of a marquee name. Film historians James Robert Parish and Ronald L. Bowers combed the archives, screened thousands of films, searched here and abroad for rare stills. Rich in quotes from the stars themselves, replete with fascinating salary statistics and contemporary reviews, this giant book is the anatomy of a lion's pride. Leo the Lion, that is. A MONUMENT OF FILM RESEARCH • Over 800 pages • Nearly 150 career studies and film lists, from the silent era to today • Over 350 photographs • Complete history of MGM Oscars and nominations • Almost 7,000 films Source: OpenLibrary