His father was ousted from his own company, Goldwyn, in 1922, the year it merged with Metro Pictures and Louis B Mayer Productions. The dreaded Mayer remained at the helm of MGM.

It took until January 1926 to add the de facto studio boss Louis B. Mayer’s handle, and thus was born Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, almost immediately nicknamed MGM. But one name was still missing.

Metro-Goldwyn Mayer studio’s head of production Irving Thalberg, left, joins studio chief Louis B. Mayer, center, and a producer Harry Rapf, right, in a meeting in the early 1930s.

How Irving Thalberg helped turn M-G-M into the world’s most famous movie studio—and gave the film business a new sense of artistry and scale.

It took until January 1926 to add the de facto studio boss Louis B. Mayer’s handle, and thus was born Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, ...

Kenneth Turan’s new book, “Louis B. Mayer & Irving Thalberg: The Whole Equation,” tells the story of the partnership between the two mean helped Metro-Goldwyn Mayer Studio achieve great ...

Metro-Goldwyn Mayer studio’s head of production Irving Thalberg, left, joins studio chief Louis B. Mayer, center, and a producer Harry Rapf, right, in a meeting in the early 1930s.

Metro-Goldwyn Mayer studio’s head of production Irving Thalberg, left, joins studio chief Louis B. Mayer, center, and a producer Harry Rapf, right, in a meeting in the early 1930s.