Turner Entertainment, after failing to buy MGM outright, settled for ownership of the library, including the Popeye cartoons, in 1986.

In 1969, millionaire Kirk Kerkorian bought MGM and proceeded to dismantle the studio.

In 1996, Mr. Kerkorian bought MGM again.

In July 1996, Mr. Kerkorian moved to buy MGM for a third time, for $1.3 billion.

Polygram, which already produces films, hopes to amortize the cost of running a film company as well as gain leverage in the marketplace by buying MGM.

Sony, though, faces several risks in buying MGM.

SPT co-distributed the film on television for a short time after a Sony-led partnership bought MGM.

If buying MGM was too expensive, as he had said, how would he justify making an even higher offer later?

Columbia became involved in the remake once parent company Sony led a partnership that bought MGM in 2005.

In 1989, Australian-based Qintex attempted to buy MGM from Kerkorian, but the deal collapsed.