Hollywood East

Louis B. Mayer and the Origins of the Studio System

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by Diana Altman

Type

Stories

Subject

Others persons > Louis B. Mayer

Keywords

Louis B. Mayer, MGM, Studio, Hollywood, history of cinema

Publishing date

2026 (August 11, 2026)

Publisher

Open Road Integrated Media

Language

English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Paperback • 240 pages
6 x 9 inches (15 x 23 cm)

ISBN

979-8-3372-0709-4

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Book Presentation:
“Twentieth-century world history, cinema history, biography, news clippings, and anecdotes come together . . . beautifully . . .[with] sophisticated storytelling.” ―Library Journal

This is the story behind the story: how the movie industry grew up as a business controlled from New York. In the words of author Diana Altman, “Hollywood was a pretty face but New York was the heart and lungs.” Altman, daughter of MGM studio’s early New York talent scout Al Altman, chronicles the studio system as only a film historian with insider access can. Discover how Louis Mayer went from opening a small cinema outside of Boston to becoming a revered movie mogul with a stable of stars. Take a behind-the-scenes look at the screen tests of such luminaries as Joan Crawford and Greta Garbo. Get the real story behind the mobsters Al Capone and Willie Bioff’s influence on the film industry. Watch the rise and fall of William Fox, the avaricious founder of Fox Film, which ultimately became Twentieth Century Fox. Read about Marcus Loew, the head of America’s largest theater chain, as well as such pioneering personalities as Adolph Zukor, Samuel Goldwyn, Cecil B. DeMille, and more. The glamor, the gossip, and the scintillating stories of how Hollywood’s biggest stars rose to fame are all here, alongside fascinating photographs from Al Altman’s one-of-a-kind collection. Hollywood East is a must-read for film fans and history buffs.

“Entertaining.” ―Publishers Weekly

“Altman tells amusing stories about Metro’s stars.” ―Kirkus Reviews

About the Author:
Diana Altman is the author of We Never Told, Hollywood East: Louis B. Mayer and the Origins of the Studio System, and the award-winning novel In Theda Bara’s Tent, which has been described as “sophisticated storytelling” by Library Journal and “enthralling” by Publishers Weekly. Her short stories have appeared in trampset, the Notre Dame Review, StoryQuarterly, Cumberland River Review, and The Sea Letter. Her articles have appeared in the New York Times, Yankee, the Boston Herald, Forbes, and elsewhere. She is the daughter of the late Al Altman, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s talent scout who discovered Joan Crawford, Jimmy Stewart, Ava Gardner, Celeste Holm, and dozens of other unknown actors who became stars. She has appeared on radio talk shows as well as on television, including Entertainment Tonight. She is a member of PEN America, the Authors Guild, and the Women’s National Book Association. She’s a graduate of Connecticut College and Harvard University and lives in New York City.

See the complete filmography of Louis B. Mayer on the website: IMDB ...