MGM Founder Marcus was the founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), one of the most iconic and influential film studios in the world. His name was Marcus Loew, and he was born in New York City in 1870. He started out as a theater owner and eventually built a chain of movie theaters across the United States. In 1924, he merged his theater chain with Metro Pictures Corporation and Goldwyn Pictures to form MGM. Under his leadership, MGM became one of the most successful and powerful film studios in Hollywood, producing some of the most iconic films of all time.