14 M PS E . O R G
F ROM TH E VAU LT
O F TH E
H O L LY WOO D
SOU N D M U S E U M
The Man Who Built MGM's Sound
BY STEVE LEE, THSM
DOUGLAS SHEARER
In the past few issues of
MPSE Wavelength, I've
had the pleasure of looking
at a few legendary sound
people—including Jimmy
Macdonald at Disney and
Treg Brown at Warner Bros.
But just over the hill in
Culver City, another pioneer
was quietly shaping the
way Hollywood movies
would sound. His name
was Douglas Shearer, and
his influence at MGM—and
indeed all of Hollywood—
would be felt for generations.
Douglas Shearer with his Oscar-winning
actress sister, Norma. Photo courtesy of
The Hollywood Sound Museum archives.
