The MGM Project

  FREE AND EASY Release Date March 22, 1930 History Known for being the studio that had "more stars than there are in Heaven", MGM was not only always looking for new talent, but also established talent that it could acquire. Some of these new contracts pushed an established star further in an amicable relationship between them and the studio, and sometimes it was a decision both would later regret. The latter was the case between MGM and Buster Keaton. While Keaton had worked for other production companies and directors early in his career, the 1920s had been spent producing, co-writing, and co-directing his films. Being a part of the creative process was part of his craft as a performer. Now, under contract for MGM, Keaton was forced to kowtow to a larger machine, and perform on command. Input would be discouraged and he'd be forced to star in films he didn't want to. On top of this, the studio would make him recreate his routines for other actors as they were mimic...

MONTANA MOON Release Date March 20, 1930 History Known as the first cowboy musical, Montana Moon  was also the first musical for actress Joan Crawford, minus a cameo where she played herself in Hollywood Revue. She would star in a handful of other musicals in her career including Dancing Lady , Ice Follies of 1939, and Torch Song.  The film reunited Crawford with star John Mack Brown, who co-starred with her two years earlier in the synchronized sound film Our Dancing Daughters, giving audiences a treat to see the two now paired up in a film with dialogue.  Established with a repertoire of silent films, Malcom St. Clair directed Montana Moon , starting a new phase in his career directing sound films. But he'd also be facing a new obstacle in directing the picture-- the newly formed Production Code, which was enforced in 1930. While not as strict as the 1934 Hayes Code and these films still contained suggestive 'Pre-Code Cinema' moments, suddenly studios were faced with ch...