Los Angeles County
Biographies
LOUIS BURT MAYER
Louis Burt Mayer, motion picture producer, was born in Minsk, Russia, July 4, 1885; son of Jacob and Sarah (Meltzer) Mayer.
He obtained his education in the public schools of St. John, New Brunswick, Canada; received the LL.D. degree from University of New Brunswick in 1939. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1912.
Mr. Mayer was in ship and industrial plant salvaging business until 1906. His career in motion pictures began in 1907 as an operator of a theater in Haverhill, Massachusetts, and later controlled all the theaters in Haverhill, controlled the New England right for D. W. Griffith’s “Birth of a Nation”; former proprietor of American Feature Film Company, a film booking agency in New England; an organizer and vice president of metro Pictures Corporation; producer of motion pictures, as Louis B. Mayer Pictures Corporation, until merged with Metro Pictures Corporation in 1924, which merged with Goldwyn company, becoming the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corporation, of which he is first vice president in charge of production.
In 1928 he was delegate to the Republican National Convention; vice chairman of California Republican State Central Committee. Trustee of Los Angeles Jewish Orphans Home: Member of National Housing Committee for Congested Areas, and Commercial Board of Los Angeles. He was decorated Officer Legion of Honor in 1937 and with the Cross of White Lion (Czechoslovakia) in 1938.
Member of Chamber of Commerce of United States; Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce; Community Welfare Federation of Los Angeles (member of Board); of Jewish religion; Mason (Shriner); member of Hillcrest Country Club and All Year Club of Southern California.
Mr. Mayer married Margaret Shenberg on June 14, 1904; children: Edith (Mrs. William Goetz), Irene (Mrs. David O. Selznick).
Home: 625 Ocean Front, Santa Monica, California.
Offices: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Culver City, California.
Transcribed 10-11-13 Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: Eminent
Californians 1953, by Lee E. Johnson & C. W. Taylor. Page 108, C. W. Taylor
Publ., Palo Alto, California, 1953.
© 2013 Marilyn R. Pankey.
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