MGM cinemas - Philip D Turner

While several, selective, accounts of MGMs studio history already abound, little is ever mentioned of its original, or indeed later, connections with cinema exhibition. Highlighted here are several of the (numerous) changes to affect the UK circuit modus operandi following the radical innovations introduced by industry outsider and MGM Cinemas' most recent MD, Mike Sommers. Included too, is an overview of the MGM-developed multiplexes, together with some of the more prestigious refurbished Cannon cinemas deemed worthy of trading as MGMs. These include the disparate Hammersmith, Ealing, Shaftesbury Avenue and Luton cinemas, as well as a brace of multiplex take-overs intended for the short-lived Gallery circuit: the Brighton Marina eightscreen and the London Piccadilly Trocadero flagship. Amply demonstrated throughout is the premier exhibitor's decidedly eclectic identity following a selective treatment of its cinemas' frontages, faades, and auditorium and foyer layouts.