"MGM: When the Lion Roars" is a film lovers' fantasy.
This three-part, 71/2-hour production (which begins Sunday at 6 p.m. on TNT) is an exhaustive (and occasionally exhausting) retrospective of the most fabled movie studio in history. A place with "more stars than there are in heaven."Gable, Garbo, Garland and hundreds more. Some of the greatest movies ever - "Ben Hur," "The Wizard of Oz," "Camille," "Mutiny on the Bounty" . . . the list is almost endless.
In 1992, when most Americans have access to 30 or more channels on television, it's hard to imagine the influence wielded by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which dominated the film industry like no other studio while turning out 52 movies a year at its peak.
"Metro had a real magic all its own," says Maureen O'Sullivan. "A power, prestige! It was different from any other studio. When we'd go to a preview, and just the lion was shown before the name of the film, people broke into applause."
"Lion" is not just a look back at MGM's films, although that alone would make it worth watching. (You'll see clips and shorts that will amaze you.) It's also about the people who made MGM:
Irving J. Thalburg, the "boy genius" who was a legend long before he died at the age of 37. Louis B. Mayer, who ran the studio as a paternal dictator for almost three decades.
"I would describe L.B. Mayer as a courtly, polished, evil villain," says Helen Hayes. "He wasn't a bully on the surface. He wasn't villainous on the surface. He wasn't anything negative on the surface. He was just a gentle, soft-spoken man. But he was evil."
Dore Schary, who finally ousted L.B., and then presided over the decline of the MGM empire. Even Ted Turner, who bought MGM in the mid-'80s.
There are also glimpses into the personal lives of the stars, into the "star system" itself, and into the behind-the-scenes work that created the MGM magic.
Stars, directors, producers and studio chiefs are all interviewed (some in old clips). The 71/2 hours cover more than 60 years, from the time Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was organized in 1924 until Turner bought and dismantled the company in 1986.
The only real flaw in the retrospective is the hokey set and dialogue handed to narrator Patrick Stewart (Capt. Picard on "Star Trek: The Next Generation.") Even Stewart's fabulous voice can't overcome some of this silliness.
The sheer length of "When the Lion Roars" may make it inaccessible to some, but it's a fascinating journey. And any real movie buff will want to set that VCR and keep a copy.
(The series airs Sunday through Tuesday at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. on TNT. Each installment runs 21/2 hours.)
THIS WEEKEND ON THE TUBE
MOVIES: Black Magic (Sat., 6 p.m., Showtime) boasts the most weirdos since "Twin Peaks." Judge Reinhold stars as a man haunted by his cousin's (Anthony LaPaglia) ghost, and obsessed with a woman (Rachel Ward) his cousin insists is the witch who murdered him. It's very offbeat. Full of dark humor that's occasionally very funny, often strange. Unrated, but would get an R for strong language; The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake (Sun., 7 p.m., Ch. 2) is a four-hour miniseries trimmed to a three-hour movie - and that doesn't hurt. The special effects are still better than the story; Steve Martin and Michael Caine star in the rather funny Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (8 p.m., Ch. 4), which makes its broadcast TV debut; Double Edge (Sun., 8 p.m., Ch. 5) is a dumb and derivative telefilm with Susan Lucci ("All My Children") again displaying her lack of acting talent, this time playing both an assassin and the police woman hunting her; KXIV reruns American Graffiti (Sun., 8 p.m., Ch. 14); and the 1991 theatrical movie True Colors (Sun., 9 p.m., HBO) makes its pay-cable debut.
- NCAA TOURNAMENT: You'll see seven games in their entirety this weekend - all on Ch. 5 - along with bits and pieces of others and plenty of highlights. On Saturday, it's Duke vs. Iowa (10:10 a.m.), Alabama vs. North Carolina (12:25 p.m.), Connecticut vs. Ohio State (2:35 p.m.) and Indiana vs. LSU (4:45 p.m.). Sunday's games will begin at approximately 10:10 a.m., 12:20 p.m. and 2:45 p.m., but the matchups had not been set at press time. (Please check the sports section of the Sunday Deseret News.)
- OTHER SPORTS: If you're a true football addict, you may be interested that the World League returns with a pair of games - Birmingham at Sacramento (Sat., 6 p.m., USA) and New York/New Jersey at London (Sun., 11 a.m., Ch. 4). Then again you might not; the local NBA franchise is on TV - Jazz vs. Trail Blazers (Sat., 7:30 p.m., Ch. 13); and KSL broadcasts women's gymnastics (8 p.m., Ch. 5) for the first time - a three-way meet featuring Utah, BYU and Iowa.
- REGULAR SERIES: Star Trek: The Next Generation (Sun., 5 p.m., Ch. 13) continues to go "where no one has gone before." Commander Riker gets involved with an alien from an androgynous race - a race that represses differences and forbids male-female relationships.
Also, Angela meets Tony's better-behaved double on Who's the Boss? (Sat., 7 p.m., Ch. 4); Margaret is in a snit after she's left off the White House guest list on The Powers That Be (Sat., 7:30 p.m., Ch. 2); Billy (Sat., 7:30 p.m., Ch. 4) moves to a new night; Luke's father wants to take him away on Growing Pains (Sat., 8 p.m., Ch. 4); The Commish (Sat., 9 p.m., Ch. 4) doesn't believe an accused murderer is guilty; I'll Fly Away (10:35 p.m., Ch. 2) was postponed from its usual Friday time slot; Mary Stuart Masterson hosts Saturday Night Live (11:35 p.m., Ch. 2); and 60 Minutes (Sun., 6 p.m., Ch. 5) reports on a "mob girl" who turned informant.