What a historical month it is for fans of movie trivia. The mighty MGM lion first roared in April 1924 when Marcus Loew brought together Metro Pictures Corp, Goldwyn Pictures and Louis B. Mayer Productions – merging more than there initials to form a lasting company. This studio went on to produce many blockbusters and award winners. A particularly memorable year was 1939 when both Wizard of Oz and the eventual winner, Gone With the Wind were nominated for Best Picture. Among the other Best Pictures Oscars awarded to the company are Rebecca (1940), Best Years of Our Lives (1946), Marty (1955), The Apartment (1960), West Side Story (1961), Tom Jones (1963), In the Heat of the Night (1967), Midnight Cowboy (1969),Rain Man (1988), Dances with Wolves (1990), The Silence of the Lambs (1991).
On April 30, 1927 American’s Sweetheart Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks were the first to imprint their feet in cement outside the historic Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Other notables to leave their impressions during the month of April include Bing Crosby in 1936, Fredric March in 1937, Ray Miland in 1947 and Roy Rogers and Trigger in 1949.
Of course none of this would be possible without some earlier inventions. Inventors including Thomas Edison were experimenting with film cameras in the later part of the 19th century. In fact, Edison had been developing film cameras in conjunction with other inventors since the late 1880s. These early strips featured personalities such as Annie Oakley and were shown in arcades on individual viewing devices called Kinetoscopes. It wasn’t until 1902 that the first American movie theatre opened in April in Los Angeles. Admission cost about 10 cents for a one-hour show.
If you are interested in early films the Library’s collection does contain some silent films. Follow the link to see the selection.