James T. Aubrey, Jr.

James Thomas Aubrey, Jr. (December 14, 1918–September 3, 1994) was an American television and film executive. President of the CBS Television Network during the early 1960s, he put some of television's most successful series, including Gilligan's Island and The Beverly Hillbillies, on the air and consequently CBS dominated American television: during the 1963-1964 season, CBS had fourteen of the fifteen top-rated prime-time series. The New York Times Magazine in 1964 called him "a master of programming whose divinations led to successes that are breathtaking."

Picked to run MGM

Aubrey resurfaced when Las Vegas businessman Kirk Kerkorian bought Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for the first time. They had been introduced by attorney Gregson Bautzer, who represented both men. Aubrey was Kerkorian's third choice after Herb Jaffe of United Artists and independent producer Mike Frankovich both declined the post.

Related Topics:
Las Vegas - Kirk Kerkorian - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer - United Artists

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Aubrey was named president and CEO on October 21, 1969, replacing the fired Louis Polk, Jr. Aubrey received a salary of $4,000 a week, but had no contract. He said in 1986 "I wanted Kirk to be able to say, `Get lost, Jim,' without obligation if it didn't work." Like most of the big studios in the 1960's, MGM was struggling and Kerkorian said his new president would bring the company back roaring back to its former glory. Instead, Aubrey presided over a bloodbath, bringing the payroll down from 6,200 employees to 1,200, elminiating hundreds of jobs when he relocated corporated headquarters from New York City to Culver City.

Related Topics:
October 21 - 1969 - 1986 - New York City - Culver City

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Aubrey ordered the sale of MGM's historic collection of costumes and props such as the Ruby Slippers from The Wizard of Oz and the suit Spencer Tracy wore in Inherit the Wind. (It was bought by one of the defense attorneys defending Charles Manson, who regularly wore it to court.) The studio's Culver City backlot was sold to developers. He also threw the company's valuable archives into the trash and brought production to a standstill. Aubrey announced plans for faster and cheaper movies, none of which would have a budget above $1 million, but the studio proved you get what you pay for when many of these inexpensive films bombed with critics and audiences. (One success was the Richard Roundtree film Shaft which cost $1 million and sold $12 million worth of tickets.) Aubrey did cut the company's debt from $80 million to $22 million with his moves. Agent Sue Mengers said he was a very tough dealmaker. "I'd rather go to bed with him than negotiate with him."

Related Topics:
The Wizard of Oz - Spencer Tracy - Inherit the Wind - Charles Manson - Richard Roundtree - Shaft - Sue Mengers

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Aubrey again took a hands-on approach to MGM's products, personally ordering cuts on films. The New York Times Magazine wrote "Aubrey's heavy involvement with every creative detail of MGM's pictures far surpassed his immersal in CBS's scripts."

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After he made edits to the film Going Home starring Robert Mitchum, its director, Herbert Leonard, protested publicly. "He unilaterally and arbitrarily raped the picture," he told Time in 1971. Director Blake Edwards was incensed by changes Aubrey made to his film The Wild Rovers with William Holden, telling The New York Times Magazine "Cuts? He doesn't know as much as a first-year cinema student. He cut the heart right out of it." Television producer Bruce Geller, who created ', had his name removed from the credits of his first film, Corky, because "It's not my picture any more." The producer of the film Chandler, Michael S. Laughlin, and its director, Paul Magwood, took out a full page ad, bordered in black, in the trade papers declaring

Related Topics:
Robert Mitchum - Herbert Leonard - 1971 - Blake Edwards - William Holden - Bruce Geller - Paul Magwood

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:Regarding what was our film Chandler, let's give credit where credit is due. We sadly acknowledge that all editing, post-production as well as additional scenes were executed by James T. Aubrey Jr. We are sorry.

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Laughlin told Time "You just can't deal with Aubrey. He realizes that litigation can be a great expense, and that because of legal delays the film will have disappeared long before your case comes to court."

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In 1973, Aubrey announced his resignation, declaring "The job I agreed to undertake has been accomplished." Kerkorian was named as his successor on October 31. Time Magazine declared "Under Aubrey, MGM churned out profitable, medium-budget schlock like Skyjacked (which featured his daughter Skye Aubrey) and Black Belly of the Tarantula; directors often charged him with philistine meddling, and he alienated many of them" but "as a financial auteur, Aubrey may have deserved an Oscar."

Related Topics:
1973 - October 31 - Time Magazine - Skyjacked - Skye Aubrey - Oscar

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Aubrey and Sherry Lansing, who entered the movie business as a script reader at MGM under Aubrey, were struck by a car while crossing Wilshire Boulevard in the mid-1970s. Both were badly hurt and Lansing had to use crutches for a year and a half. Aubrey nursed her back to health. "He came every day. He would say, 'You're not going to limp.' My own mother and father couldn't have given me more support," she told Variety in 2004.

Related Topics:
Sherry Lansing - Wilshire Boulevard - 1970s - 2004

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