MGM, Louie B. Mayer, and the Star Factory is very much part of The Maybelline Story

 

My Grandfather, Andrew Mac Donald, known as Mac at MGM started his career in 1915 at Metro Pictures and when Metro joined Goldwyn and Mayer he continued working in the construction department and went on to oversee 7 departments altogether.  Upon his retirement in 1968, MGM gave him this beautiful pin and a gold watch for his lifetime service. He was a Motion Picture and Special Effects Pioneer for over 55 years.

Mac, shown in his white overalls, ran the construction department at MGM. His crew was responsible for building every set and sound stage at the Studio. He was closely connected with Louie B. Mayer and was known for always coming in under budget, after Cedric Gibbons, MGM's Art Directer, gave him the set designs to be used for a picture. I'm very proud of My MGM roots and love this amazing piece of Film Industry History. 
My Great uncle Tom Lyle Williams, founder of the Maybelline Company in 1915 also had a history with MGM and Louie B. Mayer.

Louis B. Mayer, the Godfather of The Hollywood Star System, created Super Stars out of starlets. But not without the help of Tom Lyle Williams and Maybelline.

The star system was the method of creating, promoting and exploiting movie stars in Classical Hollywood cinema.

MGM was one of the most powerful and most prestigious of all the major motion picture studios.

Studios would select promising young actresses and glamorise and create personas for them, often inventing new names and even new backgrounds.

Louis B. Mayer, the most powerful , highest paid man in Hollywood, created the Hollywood myth, "that anything is possible, regardless of class or money."  He didn't want real life scandals to tarnish that dream, and diminish his audiences. 

The star system put an emphasis on the image rather than the acting. Women were expected to behave like ladies, and were never to leave the house without makeup and stylish clothes.

Part of creating the ideal image of emerging stars, was to promote them in Maybelline ads,

Jean Harlow on the cover of Picture Play, would also appear in a Maybelline ad inside the magazine.

Tom Lyle Williams kept his private life hidden from public scrutiny, to protect Maybelline's image.  However, he was as big, if not bigger, than any Hollywood Studio head and like Louis B. Mayer,  created Super Stars, by  grooming and promoting them in Maybelline advertisements.  

Jean Harlow, illustrated in a Maybelline ad, appeared in all the popular gossip, Hollywood movie magazines, in the early 1930s.

Tribute to my childhood idol, Hollywood Legend Ester Williams - dead at 91

Ester Williams was second in box offices sales in the 1940's. However, while Grable sang and danced her way to the top of box office success...the pool and wartime pinup pictures of Williams in bathing suits, made her a Star.  The upswing in home swimming pools during the the 1950 was said to be because of Hollywood's Queen of the Water Ballet.

My parents nicknamed me Ester Williams, when out of the blue, I slid off my float and swam to the edge of the pool.  I was 3 years old and everyone made a big deal out of it. I was born with natural talent for swimming, everyone said.  As I grew older, I hoped to become a water ballet star at MGM, where my grandfather, Andy Mac Donald was head of the prop and construction department for over 50 years.   

"Ester Williams, Get out of the pool NOW!" became my parents mantra, because I'd stay in in the water until my fingers looked like prunes.

Still a Mermaid in 1968, right after the Maybelline Company sold. My dream was to live by the ocean.  It came true when we moved to Newport Beach, that year. 

As a little girl, I imagined being a Bride someday, dressed in a white bathing suit with a veil pinned to my sleeked back hair. I pictured my Groom and I diving to the bottom of the pool, saying a quick "I Do" and coming up a married couple.  All my guests dressed in bathing suits, would joyously jump in and congratulate us. What could be more fun, I thought!!!

I did get married, but not in the pool, of course.  Here I am with my best friend David Van Houten, in 1977, eating tuna sandwiches after a swim across the bay on Lido Isle, in Newport Beach, California.  You can hardly tell I'm pregnant, but, my baby girl, was born just one week after this picture was taken. She too grew up to be a water baby just like me.

1987 at my father's home in Palm Springs California.  Me, my brother Preston, my daughter Georgia and my dad, Bill Williams. After a day of swimming in his giant, Casa De Guillermo pool.

So as a born Mermaid myself, I'm very sad to hear of my swimming Idol, Ester Williams, passing on June 6th, at 91, in her sleep.  I imagine she's probably orchestrating a beautiful water ballet right now..... and when I join her, I hope she will cast me in one of her heavenly productions.

REST IN PEACE ESTER, YOU WILL BE MISSED.

                                 The Million Dollar Mermaid 

Louis B Mayer, TL Williams and Emery Shaver at MGM.

Tom Lyle Williams and his partner, Emery Shaver, conducted business on a regular basis at MGM.  Negotiating Maybelline contracts, with some of Louis B. Mayer's,  most beautiful Stars.

                                          MGM Studio's famous gates.

          Louis B Mayer on the left with Paulette Goddard.

Paulette Goddard in an early 1940's Maybelline ad.

The FACE of Maybelline, in the 1940s, Joan Crawford.

MGM Star Joan Crawford, also Tom Lyle's personal friend.

One of the most beautiful women in the world,
Hedy Lamarr

                    MGM Star, Hedy Lamarr and Maybelline model.

                                                 Exotic Merle Oberon.

Merle Oberon made pictures at MGM for Samuel Goldwyn Productions, and was a Maybelline model.

My father Bill Williams and his mother Evelyn with uncle, Tom Lyle and Emery Shaver, (seated.)  Standing next to TL's 1934 Packard Victoria with the extra long hood.

To be Continued:

Read all about Maybelline and Old Hollywood in
                        The Maybelline Story.


Tom Lyle and Emery were bi-coastal, between Chicago and Hollywood in the 1930's and though Tom Lyle was a Hollywood mogul, contracting the biggest Stars in the world, he remained the Godfather for his family throughout his entire life. 

MGM - Louis B. Mayer - Maybelline - in the 1930s.

Louis B. Mayer, the Godfather of The Hollywood Star System, created Super Stars out of starlets. But not without the help of Tom Lyle Williams and Maybelline.

The star system was the method of creating, promoting and exploiting movie stars in Classical Hollywood cinema.

MGM was one of the most powerful and most prestigious of all the major motion picture studios.

Studios would select promising young actresses and glamorise and create personas for them, often inventing new names and even new backgrounds.

Louis B. Mayer, the most powerful , highest paid man in Hollywood, created the Hollywood myth, "that anything is possible, regardless of class or money."  He didn't want real life scandals to tarnish that dream, and diminish his audiences. 

The star system put an emphasis on the image rather than the acting. Women were expected to behave like ladies, and were never to leave the house without makeup and stylish clothes.

Part of creating the ideal image of emerging stars, was to promote them in Maybelline ads,

Jean Harlow on the cover of Picture Play, would also appear in a Maybelline ad inside the magazine.

Tom Lyle Williams kept his private life hidden from public scrutiny, to protect Maybelline's image.  However, he was as big, if not bigger, than any Hollywood Studio head and like Louis B. Mayer,  created Super Stars, by  grooming and promoting them in Maybelline advertisements.  

Jean Harlow, illustrated in a Maybelline ad, appeared in all the popular gossip, Hollywood movie magazines, in the early 1930s.

TO BE CONTINUED:

The whole exciting saga unfolds in my book, The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It.