Mervyn LeRoy

LeRoy was born on October 15, 1900[2] in San Francisco to Jewish parents,[3] Edna (née Armer) and Harry LeRoy.[4][5] The 1906 earthquake, which destroyed his father's import-export business, left his family in financial ruin. After his dad's death, in 1910, young Mervyn worked selling newspapers in front of the Alcazar Theater. From this sales location, he was given a bit part for a play. Through his winning a Charlie Chaplin impersonation contest, he moved into vaudeville, then minor parts in silent movies.[2]

LeRoy worked in costumes, processing labs and as a camera assistant until he became a gag writer and actor in silent films, including The Ten Commandments in 1923. LeRoy credits Ten Commandments director, Cecil B. DeMille, for inspiring him to become a director: "As the top director of the era, DeMille had been the magnet that had drawn me to his set as often as I could go."[6] LeRoy also credits DeMille for teaching him the directing techniques required to make his own films.[6]

His first directing job was with First National Pictures on 1927's No Place to Go.[2] LeRoy ended up working at Warner Bros. after they took control of First National.[7] When his movies made lots of money without costing too much, he became well received in the movie business. He directed two key films which launched Edward G. Robinson into major stardom, the Oscar-nominated critique of tabloid journalism Five Star Final (1931), and the classic gangster film Little Caesar (1931), which made his mark.[2] From that point forward, LeRoy would be responsible for a diverse variety of films as a director and producer. The following year's I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang was also nominated for the Academy Award for Outstanding Production as was his Anthony Adverse (1936).

In 1938 he was chosen as head of production at MGM,[7] where he was responsible for the decision to make The Wizard of Oz.[8] He was responsible for discovering Clark Gable, Loretta Young, Robert Mitchum and Lana Turner.[2] His 1941 film Blossoms in the Dust was nominated for the Academy Award for Outstanding Motion Picture. His first big hit as a director with MGM was 1942's Random Harvest which was their biggest of the season earning worldwide rentals of $8 million[9] and for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Directing. The film was also nominated for the Academy Award for Outstanding Motion Picture. He hit big again two years later with Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo with rentals of $6 million.[9]

In 1951, he scored his biggest hit with Quo Vadis[10] earning worldwide rentals of $21 million as well as a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture. In the early 1950s, LeRoy directed such musicals as Lovely to Look At, Million Dollar Mermaid, Latin Lovers and Rose Marie.

He returned to Warner Brothers in 1955.[1] He took over from John Ford as director on Mister Roberts, another big hit[10] which was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture. He also directed films for Warners such as The Bad Seed, No Time for Sergeants, The FBI Story, and Gypsy.

He received an honorary Oscar in 1946 for The House I Live In, "for tolerance short subject", and the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1976.[2]

A total of eight movies Mervyn LeRoy directed or co-directed were nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, one of the highest numbers among all directors.

LeRoy married three times and had many relationships with Hollywood actresses. He was first married to Elizabeth Edna Murphy in 1927, which ended in divorce in 1933. During their separation, LeRoy dated Ginger Rogers, but they ended the relationship and stayed lifelong friends. In 1934, he married Doris Warner, the daughter of Warner Bros. founder, Harry Warner. The couple had one son, Warner LeRoy and one daughter, Linda LeRoy Janklow, who is married to Morton L. Janklow.[2] His son, Warner LeRoy, became a restaurateur. The marriage ended in divorce in 1942. In 1946, he married Kathryn "Kitty" Priest Rand, who had been previously married to Sidney M. Spiegel (the co-founder of Essaness Theatres and grandson of Joseph Spiegel); and to restaurateur Ernie Byfield).[11][12] They remained married until his death. LeRoy also sold his Bel Air, Los Angeles home to Johnny Carson.[13]

On February 8, 1960, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1560 Vine Street, for his contributions to the motion pictures industry.[14][15]

LeRoy retired in 1965 and wrote his autobiography, Take One, in 1974. After being bed ridden for six months, LeRoy died of natural causes and heart issues in Beverly Hills, California at age 86. He was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.[2]

A fan of thoroughbred horse racing, Mervyn LeRoy was a founding member of the Hollywood Turf Club, operator of the Hollywood Park Racetrack[2] and a member of the track's board of directors from 1941 until his death in 1987.[16] In partnership with father-in-law, Harry Warner, he operated a racing stable, W-L Ranch Co., during the 1940s/50s.

LeRoy directed or produced:

(As director, unless otherwise noted)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mervyn LeRoy.

• Mervyn LeRoy on IMDb
• 112377|111088 Mervyn LeRoy at the TCM Movie Database
• Mervyn leRoy at Virtual History