Benny Thau

Benny Thau
Name	Benny Thau
Birth date	1898
Death date	1983
Occupation	Studio executive, casting director, talent manager
Years active	1920s–1960s
Employer	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Known for	Casting, talent development, production management

Benny Thau Benny Thau was an American film executive and casting director who served as a central figure at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during the studio era, overseeing talent relations and contributing to the careers of numerous performers and filmmakers. He operated at the crossroads of studio production, publicity, and talent management, interacting frequently with executives, directors, and stars across Hollywood. Thau's career spanned the transition from silent film to sound, and from the studio system's dominance to its postwar transformation.

Early life and education

Thau was born in New York City and came of age amid the cultural scenes of New York City, Manhattan, and the broader Greater New York region, where he encountered early theatrical networks linked to Broadway and vaudeville. His formative years coincided with the growth of firms such as Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., and United Artists, and he developed an orientation toward film administration influenced by institutions like the American Film Institute antecedents and theatrical agencies serving Florenz Ziegfeld-era productions. Thau's early professional steps brought him into contact with talent agencies and exhibitors who worked with producers from Samuel Goldwyn, Louis B. Mayer, and other leading figures of the 1920s and 1930s.

Career at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Thau joined Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and rose through the ranks at a studio that included leaders such as Louis B. Mayer, Irving Thalberg, and later Dore Schary. At MGM he worked alongside producers like Joe Pasternak, Arthur Freed, and executives including Harry Rapf and Nicholas Schenck. Thau's tenure encompassed major MGM productions and collaborations with directors such as George Cukor, Victor Fleming, Billy Wilder, and Vincente Minnelli. He navigated corporate shifts involving entities like Loews Incorporated and negotiations with theater chains including RKO Pictures distribution partners and exhibitors tied to Paramount Publix circuits. His role placed him within the studio’s executive milieu during events such as the industry’s response to the Great Depression (United States), World War II, and the postwar antitrust actions epitomized by United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc..

Role in talent development and casting

Thau functioned as a principal in talent relations, working with stars and directors including Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, and Bette Davis—as well as song-and-dance figures from the MGM musical tradition like Judy Garland collaborators and choreographers connected to Busby Berkeley and Hermes Pan. He participated in casting discussions for vehicles involving screenwriters and composers such as Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, and George Gershwin-affiliated projects, and coordinated with casting directors and agents from firms linked to William Morris Agency and Famous Artists Agency-era predecessors. Thau influenced casting decisions for films associated with producers like Samuel Goldwyn and studio projects featuring directors including Wesley Ruggles and King Vidor, liaising with unions and guilds such as the Screen Actors Guild and organizations related to contract players.

Management style and studio politics

Thau's management style combined personal diplomacy and pragmatic negotiation within a studio hierarchy dominated by figures like Louis B. Mayer and the creative authority of producers such as Irving Thalberg and Mervyn LeRoy. He often mediated disputes among stars, directors, and executives, engaging with publicity chiefs and legal counsels involved with disputes reminiscent of cases with Bette Davis and studios' contract enforcement practices. Thau’s approach reflected the centralized studio control typical of the Hollywood studio system and intersected with labor developments involving entities like the Writers Guild of America and the Director's Guild of America precursors, especially as the system confronted pressures from congressional inquiries and shifting censorship regimes such as the Hays Code enforcement bodies.

Later years and retirement

In his later years, Thau witnessed MGM’s restructuring and leadership changes involving executives such as Dore Schary, Louis B. Mayer's departure, and corporate transactions with interests tied to Loews Corporation and other media conglomerates. He remained a consultant and elder statesman in Los Angeles circles that included former executives from Paramount Pictures and Columbia Pictures, and he observed the decline of contract player systems as television companies like NBC and CBS expanded production. Thau retired from active studio management during the mid-20th century transition and spent his retirement linked socially to cultural institutions in Los Angeles and professional networks centered on classic Hollywood heritage.

Legacy and influence on Hollywood

Thau's legacy is visible in MGM's star-making machinery and the enduring careers of actors and directors whose early development he shaped, with ripple effects across institutions such as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and silent-to-sound era archives preserved by organizations like the Library of Congress film collections. His work is discussed alongside studio-era figures like Louis B. Mayer, Irving Thalberg, Mervyn LeRoy, and producers of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and his career informs studies in film history collected by scholars at UCLA Film & Television Archive and the American Film Institute. Thau is remembered among Hollywood insiders for his role in balancing creative talent, executive priorities, and the commercial imperatives of the studio system during a formative period in American cinema.

Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer executives Category:American film executives Category:1898 births Category:1983 deaths