Mary Parent

In a long-expected shake-up in the marketing divisions of struggling Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and United Artists studios, Michael Vollman is leaving his job at Paramount Pictures to head marketing at the sister movie companies. As the new executive vice president of worldwide marketing at MGM, he replaces Perry Stahman. At UA, Vollman succeeds Dennis Rice as president of worldwide marketing. He will consult with UA Chief Executive Paula Wagner but will report directly to Mary Parent, the recently installed chairwoman of MGM's Worldwide Motion Picture Group.

If it were a movie, it might be called "Hollywood Parallel Universe." This nail-biting thriller would center on a group of harried movie executives scrambling to push pictures out the door while their studio teeters on bankruptcy and is sold to the highest bidder. The final chapter in Hollywood's longest-playing corporate drama, the saga of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, could soon be written. Movie chief Mary Parent and her team are scrambling to finish and shape the marketing campaigns for what could be the last four movies from the independent studio to bear the famous roaring lion logo.

As if Mary Parent didn't have enough to do trying to transform MGM from an also-ran into a studio that Hollywood can take seriously. Now, the former Universal Pictures executive who was hired in March to turn things around also has to help get movies made at MGM's troubled smaller sister United Artists -- something recently departed Chief Executive Paula Wagner apparently had trouble doing during her truncated tenure.

The Tuesday ouster of Harry Sloan as chief executive of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. underscores the continued turmoil at the debt-ridden independent studio since it was taken over by private equity owners five years ago. MGM, which is struggling to refinance its $3.7-billion bank loan, will be overseen by a newly created "office of the CEO," composed of production head Mary Parent, Chief Financial Officer Bedi A. Singh and Stephen F. Cooper, a...

If it were a movie, it might be called "Hollywood Parallel Universe." This nail-biting thriller would center on a group of harried movie executives scrambling to push pictures out the door while their studio teeters on bankruptcy and is sold to the highest bidder. The final chapter in Hollywood's longest-playing corporate drama, the saga of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, could soon be written. Movie chief Mary Parent and her team are scrambling to finish and shape the marketing campaigns for what could be the last four movies from the independent studio to bear the famous roaring lion logo.

The Tuesday ouster of Harry Sloan as chief executive of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. underscores the continued turmoil at the debt-ridden independent studio since it was taken over by private equity owners five years ago. MGM, which is struggling to refinance its $3.7-billion bank loan, will be overseen by a newly created "office of the CEO," composed of production head Mary Parent, Chief Financial Officer Bedi A. Singh and Stephen F. Cooper, a...

Wilshire Restaurant Group, owner of the Marie Callender restaurant chain, has purchased East Side Mario's Restaurants from PepsiCo Inc. for an undisclosed price, the company said Wednesday. East Side Mario's, with 89 company-owned and franchise locations in the Southeastern and Western states and Canada, is one of several chains that PepsiCo is divesting as it focuses on its core soft drink and Frito-Lay snack businesses.

Still struggling to reestablish itself as a viable movie studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios has hired former Universal Pictures executive Mary Parent as production chief. As chairwoman of the Worldwide Motion Picture Group, Parent will oversee development, production, distribution, marketing and business affairs for MGM's movies. The hiring of Parent signals a shift for MGM to a company focused more on developing and producing its own movies and relying less on distributing films made by outside suppliers such as Weinstein Co. Though MGM doesn't risk its own production funds on those films but rather receives a distribution fee, it's still in dire need of hits after a string of recent duds, among them "Lions for Lambs," made by the studio's United Artists label, headed by Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner, as well as "Awake" and "Charlie Bartlett."

Speculation that his job might be in jeopardy was dashed when Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios announced that Harry Sloan had signed a new three-year deal to continue as chairman and chief executive of the struggling studio. Sloan was hired in October 2005 after the studio was sold to an investment consortium that includes Sony Corp. of America, Comcast Corp., Providence Equity Partners and Texas Pacific Group. Sloan recently hired former Universal Pictures movie executive Mary Parent to try to turn around MGM's box-office fortunes.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, maker of the "Rocky" films, said Chief Operating Officer Rick Sands resigned after more than two years at the company. Sands left "to pursue other opportunities in entertainment and content," the studio said Wednesday. The resignation was effective immediately. Last month, MGM hired former Universal Pictures executive Mary Parent as chairwoman of its worldwide motion picture group.

As if Mary Parent didn't have enough to do trying to transform MGM from an also-ran into a studio that Hollywood can take seriously. Now, the former Universal Pictures executive who was hired in March to turn things around also has to help get movies made at MGM's troubled smaller sister United Artists -- something recently departed Chief Executive Paula Wagner apparently had trouble doing during her truncated tenure.

In a long-expected shake-up in the marketing divisions of struggling Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and United Artists studios, Michael Vollman is leaving his job at Paramount Pictures to head marketing at the sister movie companies. As the new executive vice president of worldwide marketing at MGM, he replaces Perry Stahman. At UA, Vollman succeeds Dennis Rice as president of worldwide marketing. He will consult with UA Chief Executive Paula Wagner but will report directly to Mary Parent, the recently installed chairwoman of MGM's Worldwide Motion Picture Group.

Still struggling to reestablish itself as a viable movie studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios has hired former Universal Pictures executive Mary Parent as production chief. As chairwoman of the Worldwide Motion Picture Group, Parent will oversee development, production, distribution, marketing and business affairs for MGM's movies. The hiring of Parent signals a shift for MGM to a company focused more on developing and producing its own movies and relying less on distributing films made by outside suppliers such as Weinstein Co. Though MGM doesn't risk its own production funds on those films but rather receives a distribution fee, it's still in dire need of hits after a string of recent duds, among them "Lions for Lambs," made by the studio's United Artists label, headed by Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner, as well as "Awake" and "Charlie Bartlett."

Wilshire Restaurant Group, owner of the Marie Callender restaurant chain, has purchased East Side Mario's Restaurants from PepsiCo Inc. for an undisclosed price, the company said Wednesday. East Side Mario's, with 89 company-owned and franchise locations in the Southeastern and Western states and Canada, is one of several chains that PepsiCo is divesting as it focuses on its core soft drink and Frito-Lay snack businesses.

Universal Pictures, which has enjoyed a number of box-office hits in recent years, has rewarded two top production executives with promotions. Mary Parent and Scott Stuber each has been appointed to the newly created position of vice chairman, worldwide production, for Universal Pictures, the studio announced Friday.

* Mary Parent has been promoted to executive vice president of production at Universal Pictures, Universal City. She will develop and supervise feature film products for the studio. Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios. * Theodore Jansen has been named vice president of Disney Travel Online, North Hollywood. He will be in charge of the e-commerce travel business for all the Disney destination entertainment sites. Disney Online is part of Go.