Ali Mayer
@aliciamayer.bsky.social
Mayer family historian. Great-grandniece of Louis B. Mayer. 100 years of MGM! Left social media in 2018. Newly back. Let’s see what happens. (TM attorney in 🇦🇺 so forgive occasional British spelling.) HollywoodEssays.com
Pinned
Ali Mayer
@aliciamayer.bsky.social
· Nov 22
Here's great-grandma Ida Mayer Cummings w/ actress, screenwriter & producer Gertrude Berg (The Goldbergs radio & later TV show) and legendary comedian Bob Hope, who once said that Ida "is the only woman I know who can reach thru the phone and grab a man by the lapels!" He often MC'd her events.
Reposted by Ali Mayer
Another set of fabulous photos featuring my grandmother Mitzi Cummings, niece of Louis B. Mayer, for her popular Photoplay column. I adore her outfits - those hats, dresses and shoes! I've often wondered who the photographer was. As far as I know, he or she was assigned to her via the magazine.
May 18, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Another set of fabulous photos featuring my grandmother Mitzi Cummings, niece of Louis B. Mayer, for her popular Photoplay column. I adore her outfits - those hats, dresses and shoes! I've often wondered who the photographer was. As far as I know, he or she was assigned to her via the magazine.
Reposted by Ali Mayer
Hi Folks, hoping to crowdsource an identification -- anyone know who the man on the right is? The man on the left is my grandfather, MGM and later independent producer, Sol Baer Fielding. He came into the family biz by marrying my grandmother Mitzi Cummings, a niece of Louis B. Mayer. Thanks!
September 12, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Hi Folks, hoping to crowdsource an identification -- anyone know who the man on the right is? The man on the left is my grandfather, MGM and later independent producer, Sol Baer Fielding. He came into the family biz by marrying my grandmother Mitzi Cummings, a niece of Louis B. Mayer. Thanks!
Hi Folks, hoping to crowdsource an identification -- anyone know who the man on the right is? The man on the left is my grandfather, MGM and later independent producer, Sol Baer Fielding. He came into the family biz by marrying my grandmother Mitzi Cummings, a niece of Louis B. Mayer. Thanks!
September 12, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Hi Folks, hoping to crowdsource an identification -- anyone know who the man on the right is? The man on the left is my grandfather, MGM and later independent producer, Sol Baer Fielding. He came into the family biz by marrying my grandmother Mitzi Cummings, a niece of Louis B. Mayer. Thanks!
You must listen to @tcmtv.bsky.social's new season of The Plot Thickens! The storytelling is superb & @benmank77.bsky.social's gravelly voice matches the gritty intensity. Of course it's his esteemed brother @joshmankiewicz.bsky.social who's the OG in that dept. But I digress - listen to ep 1 asap.
@joshmankiewicz.bsky.social could you let your much younger brother @benmank77.bsky.social know that his new @tcmtv.bsky.social podcast abt your uncle Joseph Mankiewicz & the making of Cleopatra is excellent & I deeply appreciate how hard it would've been to make. podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/t...
The Plot Thickens
Film History Podcast · Weekly Series · Our sixth season is Cleopatra, a six-episode series about one of the most expensive and infamous movies ever made. Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and starring ...
podcasts.apple.com
August 19, 2025 at 10:55 PM
You must listen to @tcmtv.bsky.social's new season of The Plot Thickens! The storytelling is superb & @benmank77.bsky.social's gravelly voice matches the gritty intensity. Of course it's his esteemed brother @joshmankiewicz.bsky.social who's the OG in that dept. But I digress - listen to ep 1 asap.
Reposted by Ali Mayer
I've been soooo behind...I need to catch up on Alicia's chat with Brandon on Front Row Classics. A fantastic podcast!
PS - Mitzi's writing is always a joy to find in the archives.
PS - Mitzi's writing is always a joy to find in the archives.
In my recent interview with Brandon Davis on his Front Row Classics podcast, I mentioned my glamorous grandmother Mitzi Cummings Fielding, who was a niece of Louis B. Mayer. She was a staff writer at MGM and a popular columnist for Photoplay Magazine, with remarkable access to the stars of the day.
August 2, 2025 at 1:42 AM
I've been soooo behind...I need to catch up on Alicia's chat with Brandon on Front Row Classics. A fantastic podcast!
PS - Mitzi's writing is always a joy to find in the archives.
PS - Mitzi's writing is always a joy to find in the archives.
@joshmankiewicz.bsky.social could you let your much younger brother @benmank77.bsky.social know that his new @tcmtv.bsky.social podcast abt your uncle Joseph Mankiewicz & the making of Cleopatra is excellent & I deeply appreciate how hard it would've been to make. podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/t...
The Plot Thickens
Film History Podcast · Weekly Series · Our sixth season is Cleopatra, a six-episode series about one of the most expensive and infamous movies ever made. Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and starring ...
podcasts.apple.com
August 1, 2025 at 10:39 PM
@joshmankiewicz.bsky.social could you let your much younger brother @benmank77.bsky.social know that his new @tcmtv.bsky.social podcast abt your uncle Joseph Mankiewicz & the making of Cleopatra is excellent & I deeply appreciate how hard it would've been to make. podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/t...
Another set of fabulous photos featuring my grandmother Mitzi Cummings, niece of Louis B. Mayer, for her popular Photoplay column. I adore her outfits - those hats, dresses and shoes! I've often wondered who the photographer was. As far as I know, he or she was assigned to her via the magazine.
May 18, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Another set of fabulous photos featuring my grandmother Mitzi Cummings, niece of Louis B. Mayer, for her popular Photoplay column. I adore her outfits - those hats, dresses and shoes! I've often wondered who the photographer was. As far as I know, he or she was assigned to her via the magazine.
Reposted by Ali Mayer
In my recent interview with Brandon Davis on his Front Row Classics podcast, I mentioned my glamorous grandmother Mitzi Cummings Fielding, who was a niece of Louis B. Mayer. She was a staff writer at MGM and a popular columnist for Photoplay Magazine, with remarkable access to the stars of the day.
May 16, 2025 at 10:14 PM
In my recent interview with Brandon Davis on his Front Row Classics podcast, I mentioned my glamorous grandmother Mitzi Cummings Fielding, who was a niece of Louis B. Mayer. She was a staff writer at MGM and a popular columnist for Photoplay Magazine, with remarkable access to the stars of the day.
Reposted by Ali Mayer
Here is a selection of photos of my grandmother Mitzi Cummings for her Photoplay Magazine column with a dazzling array of Classic Hollywood stars. As a niece of Louis B. Mayer she had remarkable access to film sets & actors. I think she dearly wanted to be an actress and was certainly as beautiful.
May 16, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Here is a selection of photos of my grandmother Mitzi Cummings for her Photoplay Magazine column with a dazzling array of Classic Hollywood stars. As a niece of Louis B. Mayer she had remarkable access to film sets & actors. I think she dearly wanted to be an actress and was certainly as beautiful.
Here is a selection of photos of my grandmother Mitzi Cummings for her Photoplay Magazine column with a dazzling array of Classic Hollywood stars. As a niece of Louis B. Mayer she had remarkable access to film sets & actors. I think she dearly wanted to be an actress and was certainly as beautiful.
May 16, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Here is a selection of photos of my grandmother Mitzi Cummings for her Photoplay Magazine column with a dazzling array of Classic Hollywood stars. As a niece of Louis B. Mayer she had remarkable access to film sets & actors. I think she dearly wanted to be an actress and was certainly as beautiful.
In my recent interview with Brandon Davis on his Front Row Classics podcast, I mentioned my glamorous grandmother Mitzi Cummings Fielding, who was a niece of Louis B. Mayer. She was a staff writer at MGM and a popular columnist for Photoplay Magazine, with remarkable access to the stars of the day.
May 16, 2025 at 10:14 PM
In my recent interview with Brandon Davis on his Front Row Classics podcast, I mentioned my glamorous grandmother Mitzi Cummings Fielding, who was a niece of Louis B. Mayer. She was a staff writer at MGM and a popular columnist for Photoplay Magazine, with remarkable access to the stars of the day.
Reposted by Ali Mayer
I left social media in 2018 & shut down ways to access me but last yr an intrepid BBC producer convinced me to be interviewed for MGM's centenary. That experience & a heart to heart w/ @chrisyogerst.com led me to Bluesky & now a delightful interview on the Front Row Classics podcast. Thks, Brandon!
We welcome @aliciamayer.bsky.social to the podcast this week. Alicia is the great niece of Louis B Mayer and granddaughter of Ida Mayer Cummings.
You can find her work at HollywoodEssays.com
LISTEN: linktr.ee/FrontRowClas...
You can find her work at HollywoodEssays.com
LISTEN: linktr.ee/FrontRowClas...
May 15, 2025 at 9:28 PM
I left social media in 2018 & shut down ways to access me but last yr an intrepid BBC producer convinced me to be interviewed for MGM's centenary. That experience & a heart to heart w/ @chrisyogerst.com led me to Bluesky & now a delightful interview on the Front Row Classics podcast. Thks, Brandon!
I left social media in 2018 & shut down ways to access me but last yr an intrepid BBC producer convinced me to be interviewed for MGM's centenary. That experience & a heart to heart w/ @chrisyogerst.com led me to Bluesky & now a delightful interview on the Front Row Classics podcast. Thks, Brandon!
We welcome @aliciamayer.bsky.social to the podcast this week. Alicia is the great niece of Louis B Mayer and granddaughter of Ida Mayer Cummings.
You can find her work at HollywoodEssays.com
LISTEN: linktr.ee/FrontRowClas...
You can find her work at HollywoodEssays.com
LISTEN: linktr.ee/FrontRowClas...
May 15, 2025 at 9:28 PM
I left social media in 2018 & shut down ways to access me but last yr an intrepid BBC producer convinced me to be interviewed for MGM's centenary. That experience & a heart to heart w/ @chrisyogerst.com led me to Bluesky & now a delightful interview on the Front Row Classics podcast. Thks, Brandon!
Reposted by Ali Mayer
Such a pleasure to speak with Brandon on his Front Row Classics podcast about my family and their role in Hollywood! Thank you, Brandon, for such a lovely conversation and for your dedication to Classic Hollywood history.
We welcome @aliciamayer.bsky.social to the podcast this week. Alicia is the great niece of Louis B Mayer and granddaughter of Ida Mayer Cummings.
You can find her work at HollywoodEssays.com
LISTEN: linktr.ee/FrontRowClas...
You can find her work at HollywoodEssays.com
LISTEN: linktr.ee/FrontRowClas...
May 15, 2025 at 8:06 AM
Such a pleasure to speak with Brandon on his Front Row Classics podcast about my family and their role in Hollywood! Thank you, Brandon, for such a lovely conversation and for your dedication to Classic Hollywood history.
Such a pleasure to speak with Brandon on his Front Row Classics podcast about my family and their role in Hollywood! Thank you, Brandon, for such a lovely conversation and for your dedication to Classic Hollywood history.
We welcome @aliciamayer.bsky.social to the podcast this week. Alicia is the great niece of Louis B Mayer and granddaughter of Ida Mayer Cummings.
You can find her work at HollywoodEssays.com
LISTEN: linktr.ee/FrontRowClas...
You can find her work at HollywoodEssays.com
LISTEN: linktr.ee/FrontRowClas...
May 15, 2025 at 8:06 AM
Such a pleasure to speak with Brandon on his Front Row Classics podcast about my family and their role in Hollywood! Thank you, Brandon, for such a lovely conversation and for your dedication to Classic Hollywood history.
Reposted by Ali Mayer
I am yet to get to Saint John where my great uncle Louis B Mayer was raised w/ my great grandmother Ida & where my grandmother Mitzi was born. Later, LB would come to LA, bringing Ida & her children. The rest is history. But first Saint John shaped them all. And Walter Pidgeon, as LB would discover.
The fateful moment Walter Pidgeon and Louis B. Mayer both realized they were from the same far-flung town in Canada
Happy heavenly birthday to Walter Pidgeon who was born 120 years ago in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. The same city my great-great grandparents, Sarah and Jacob Mayer, fleeing pogroms in Ukrai…
hollywoodessays.com
March 28, 2025 at 8:52 PM
I am yet to get to Saint John where my great uncle Louis B Mayer was raised w/ my great grandmother Ida & where my grandmother Mitzi was born. Later, LB would come to LA, bringing Ida & her children. The rest is history. But first Saint John shaped them all. And Walter Pidgeon, as LB would discover.
I am yet to get to Saint John where my great uncle Louis B Mayer was raised w/ my great grandmother Ida & where my grandmother Mitzi was born. Later, LB would come to LA, bringing Ida & her children. The rest is history. But first Saint John shaped them all. And Walter Pidgeon, as LB would discover.
The fateful moment Walter Pidgeon and Louis B. Mayer both realized they were from the same far-flung town in Canada
Happy heavenly birthday to Walter Pidgeon who was born 120 years ago in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. The same city my great-great grandparents, Sarah and Jacob Mayer, fleeing pogroms in Ukrai…
hollywoodessays.com
March 28, 2025 at 8:52 PM
I am yet to get to Saint John where my great uncle Louis B Mayer was raised w/ my great grandmother Ida & where my grandmother Mitzi was born. Later, LB would come to LA, bringing Ida & her children. The rest is history. But first Saint John shaped them all. And Walter Pidgeon, as LB would discover.
Ah, fellow family historians, the struggle is real. Particularly when you receive these breathless notifications from genealogy sites that make your head explode... Huh?
March 25, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Ah, fellow family historians, the struggle is real. Particularly when you receive these breathless notifications from genealogy sites that make your head explode... Huh?
With the 97th Academy Awards just days away, it's crazy to think they nearly didn't survive the 21st Oscars. When Hamlet (1948) won almost every major category, Hollywood's biggest studios were ready to walk away from their night of nights. #oscars #academyawards #ampas #hollywood
How Hamlet nearly killed Oscar: The big studio revolt that almost ended the Academy Awards
It would take just a week after the shocking awards ceremony for the response from the big studios to hit the headlines, as they did on the 1st of April, 1949 and read like April’s Fool Day j…
hollywoodessays.com
February 28, 2025 at 1:59 AM
With the 97th Academy Awards just days away, it's crazy to think they nearly didn't survive the 21st Oscars. When Hamlet (1948) won almost every major category, Hollywood's biggest studios were ready to walk away from their night of nights. #oscars #academyawards #ampas #hollywood
Happy birthday to legendary Danish explorer Peter Freuchen, shown here w/ wife Dagmar Cohn in a remarkable photo by Irving Penn. Somehow it reminds me of this iconic photo of Greta Garbo taken in 1926 w/ another imposing character, Leo the Lion, after my great uncle Louis B. Mayer brought her to MGM
February 20, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Happy birthday to legendary Danish explorer Peter Freuchen, shown here w/ wife Dagmar Cohn in a remarkable photo by Irving Penn. Somehow it reminds me of this iconic photo of Greta Garbo taken in 1926 w/ another imposing character, Leo the Lion, after my great uncle Louis B. Mayer brought her to MGM
Here's another from the head shot collection, this one of actress Marie Wilson & signed to Mitzi, "Dear Mitzi, Thanks so much. Love, Marie". I wonder what Marie was thanking my grandmother for? Their paths likely crossed during the making of MGM's Babes in Toyland (1934). How about those eyelashes?
February 16, 2025 at 2:47 AM
Here's another from the head shot collection, this one of actress Marie Wilson & signed to Mitzi, "Dear Mitzi, Thanks so much. Love, Marie". I wonder what Marie was thanking my grandmother for? Their paths likely crossed during the making of MGM's Babes in Toyland (1934). How about those eyelashes?
Of the head shots in the archive, many of which are signed to my grandmother Mitzi Cummings (niece of LB Mayer), this one of Danish explorer Peter Freuchen was the most mystifying until I realised he had starred in MGM's pre-code film Eskimo (1933) based on his book. Seems he adored 5' tall Mitzi?
February 16, 2025 at 2:36 AM
Of the head shots in the archive, many of which are signed to my grandmother Mitzi Cummings (niece of LB Mayer), this one of Danish explorer Peter Freuchen was the most mystifying until I realised he had starred in MGM's pre-code film Eskimo (1933) based on his book. Seems he adored 5' tall Mitzi?
My grandfather Sol Baer Fielding was the most precious person in my life & I miss him terribly. My core values came from him. Here he is w/ actor/singer Harry Belafonte a few yrs after he produced Bright Road ('53) (dir by cousin Gerald Mayer). Maybe they're talking abt another film or just visiting
February 16, 2025 at 2:18 AM
My grandfather Sol Baer Fielding was the most precious person in my life & I miss him terribly. My core values came from him. Here he is w/ actor/singer Harry Belafonte a few yrs after he produced Bright Road ('53) (dir by cousin Gerald Mayer). Maybe they're talking abt another film or just visiting
I'm sure you've always wondered if Charo ever crossed paths w/ Groucho Marx? Uh, yes, actually. Here they are at a gala event in the 70s for the LA Jewish Home for the Aged (as it was known) w/ Mary Mann, who I think was a writer. My great-grandmother Ida Mayer Cummings began these galas in the 30s.
February 1, 2025 at 10:10 PM
I'm sure you've always wondered if Charo ever crossed paths w/ Groucho Marx? Uh, yes, actually. Here they are at a gala event in the 70s for the LA Jewish Home for the Aged (as it was known) w/ Mary Mann, who I think was a writer. My great-grandmother Ida Mayer Cummings began these galas in the 30s.
I adore this photo of my great uncle Louis B. Mayer with actress Marion Davies and Sid Grauman, owner of Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Sid kept theatre hours so when he was once forced to get up early he said, "The birds were singing. How long has that been going on?" Not sure of the year or occasion.
February 1, 2025 at 9:23 PM
I adore this photo of my great uncle Louis B. Mayer with actress Marion Davies and Sid Grauman, owner of Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Sid kept theatre hours so when he was once forced to get up early he said, "The birds were singing. How long has that been going on?" Not sure of the year or occasion.