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 through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
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 ...
'' (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'' (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 ...
'' (1967) and ''
2001: A Space Odyssey'' (1968).
A series of flop films such as ''
The Shoes of the Fisherman'' 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 ...
'' 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