Joseph Vogel (executive)
Joseph Vogel | |
---|---|
Born | New York, U.S. | September 7, 1895
Died | March 1, 1969 Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. | (aged 73)
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Film studio executive |
Known for | President of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Spouse | Lena Lloyd |
Children | 1 |
Joseph Richard Vogel (September 7, 1895 – March 1, 1969) was an American executive best known for his stint at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, including a reign as president from 1956 to 1963.
Biography
Vogel was born in New York and attended
In 1954 following a government decree separating Loew's production and distribution actives from the exhibition company, Vogel was elected president of Loew's Theatres Inc.[3][1]
MGM presidency
In October 1956 Vogel replaced Arthur M. Loew, son of founder
MGM had been loss-making and had to deal with a significant corporate turmoil, including a takeover attempt in 1957 from former president Louis B. Mayer in association with two board members, Stanley Meyer and Joseph Tomlinson. Mayer attacked Vogel calling him a "fool" and not "capable of filling the post – no more capable of filling it than you would be fighting the heavyweight champion."[6] However Vogel managed to fight off the takeover attempt and Mayer died of leukemia in 1957.[7]
Vogel and his head of production
However he also oversaw a number of expensive flops, such as the remakes of
Vogel was forced to resign in January 1963, replaced by
In 1959 he was made Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic following completion of Ben-Hur.[5]
Notable films under his presidency
- The Reluctant Debutante (1958)
- Imitation General (1958)
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof(1958)
- Torpedo Run (1958)
- The Badlanders
- The Tunnel of Love (1958)
- Some Came Running (1959)
- Green Mansions (1959)
- North by Northwest (1959)
- Ben-Hur (1959)
- Never So Few (1959)
- The Last Voyage (1960)
- Home from the Hill (1960)
- Bells Are Ringing (1960)
- BUtterfield 8 (1960)
- Where the Boys Are (1960)
- Cimarron (1960)
- The Honeymoon Machine (1961)
- King of Kings (1961)
- Bridge to the Sun (1961)
- Bachelor in Paradise (1961)
- The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse(1962)
- Light in the Piazza (1962)
- Sweet Bird of Youth (1962)
- Lolita (1962)
- Ride the High Country (1961)
- The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962)
- Two Weeks in Another Town (1962)
- How the West Was Won (1962)
- Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)
- Billy Rose's Jumbo(1962)
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "JOSEPH VOGEL, 73, OF M-G-M IS DEAD". The New York Times. March 2, 1969. p. 80.
- Archive.org.
- ^ a b "Joseph Vogel, Ex-President and Chairman of MGM, Dies at 73". Los Angeles Times. Mar 2, 1969. p. B.
- ^ "Joseph Vogel New President of Loew's Inc". Los Angeles Times. Oct 19, 1956. p. 7.
- ^ a b c d e f "Proxy Battle-Scarred Joe Vogel, Of Metro No-Fun Era, Is Dead". Variety. March 5, 1969. p. 4.
- ^ "Mayer Denies Role in MGM Power Struggle: Former Studio Head Calls ...". Los Angeles Times. July 24, 1957. p. 14 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "CORPORATIONS: Gun Fight at the M-G-M Corral". Time Magazine. Aug 5, 1957. Archived from the original on October 19, 2011.
- ^ "MGM to Make Huge Schedule of New Films". Los Angeles Times. Jan 22, 1958. p. B20 – via ProQuest.