Robert H. O'Brien (1907–1997) was a businessman and Hollywood executive who was president of

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

during the 1960s. He took over the position in the wake of the debacle of ''

Mutiny on the Bounty The mutiny on the Royal Navy vessel occurred in the South Pacific Ocean on 28 April 1789. Disaffected crewmen, led by acting-Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, seized control of the ship from their captain, Lieutenant William Bligh, and set h ...

'' (1962). Under O'Brien's regime, in partnership with head of production Robert M. Weitman, MGM produced its last run of classic films, including ''

Dr Zhivago ''Doctor Zhivago'' is the title of a novel by Boris Pasternak and its various adaptations. Description The story, in all of its forms, describes the life of the fictional Russian physician and poet Yuri Zhivago and deals with love and loss during ...

'' (1965), ''

The Dirty Dozen ''The Dirty Dozen'' is a 1967 American war film directed by Robert Aldrich and starring Lee Marvin with an ensemble supporting cast including Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Richard Jaeckel, George Kennedy, Ralph M ...

'' (1967) and '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'' (1968). A series of flop films such as ''

The Shoes of the Fisherman The Shoes of the Fisherman may refer to: * ''The Shoes of the Fisherman'' (novel), a 1963 novel by the writer Morris West * ''The Shoes of the Fisherman'' (film), a 1968 film based on the novel {{disambiguation ...

'' and ''

Ice Station Zebra ''Ice Station Zebra'' is a 1968 American espionage thriller film directed by John Sturges and starring Rock Hudson, Patrick McGoohan, Ernest Borgnine, and Jim Brown. The screenplay is by Alistair MacLean, Douglas Heyes, Harry Julian Fink, and W ...

'' saw him removed from his position as president in 1969. He was replaced by Louis F. Polk Jr. and was instead appointed chairman. In May 1969 as MGM was headed towards a $6 million loss for the first half of the year, O'Brien resigned as chairman and was replaced by Edgar Bronfman, Sr., the largest shareholder of MGM.

Awards

*1965 – Pioneer of the Year (Motion Picture Pioneers Assn) *1966 – humanitarian awards from both the March of Dimes and the Anti-Defamation League

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:OBrien, Robert 1907 births 1997 deaths American film studio executives Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer executives 20th-century American businesspeople