Chapters 10-13 Summary and Analysis

Chapter 10, "MGM," details the animated history of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, one of the famous and prolific movie studios in Hollywood. One of MGM's first releases was "Happy Harmonies," an obvious rip-off of Disney's "Silly Symphonies." The characters from MGM went more or less unnoticed until the arrival of Fred Quimby. Quimby, who had no experience in the field of animation, was in charge of the new department and set about to organize a staff. Among those hired were Friz Freleng, Bill Hanna, and Joe Barbera. The latter became a dynamic team that would eventually go out on their own.

The first major success for MGM was Tom and Jerry, which premiered in 1942. The cartoon would be the first shown on a Saturday morning show and would remain a favorite for decades to come.

Chapter 11, "Paramount/Famous Studios" discusses the studio's takeover...