Motion Picture Producer, Studio Executive. Born in New York City, he was raised in Denver and had a brief career as a Vaudeville entertainer before venturing into theatre management. An independent film producer from 1915, he was General Manager of Warner Bros. in the early 1920s and was credited with the discovery of canine superstar Rin-Tin-Tin. In 1924 Rapf joined the newly-formed MGM as one of its top three executives, sharing production chores with Irving Thalberg under Louis B. Mayer. While Thalberg got the prestige assignments, Rapf was put in charge of the B product, supervising westerns, short subjects, and other program filler. He was occasionally allowed to produce an important film and his "Broadway Melody" (1929) won an Academy Award for Best Picture. His other notable credits include "Min and Bill" (1930) and "The Champ" (1931). Although he played a vital role in running the MGM factory and was one of Mayer's most trusted associates, Rapf got little respect from his colleagues because of the bread-and-butter quality of his films. A heart attack forced him into retirement in 1939, but Mayer persuaded him to return to MGM as a producer in 1946. Three years later, a second heart attack proved fatal. He was the father of TV producer Matthew Rapf and screenwriter Maurice Rapf.
Motion Picture Producer, Studio Executive. Born in New York City, he was raised in Denver and had a brief career as a Vaudeville entertainer before venturing into theatre management. An independent film producer from 1915, he was General Manager of Warner Bros. in the early 1920s and was credited with the discovery of canine superstar Rin-Tin-Tin. In 1924 Rapf joined the newly-formed MGM as one of its top three executives, sharing production chores with Irving Thalberg under Louis B. Mayer. While Thalberg got the prestige assignments, Rapf was put in charge of the B product, supervising westerns, short subjects, and other program filler. He was occasionally allowed to produce an important film and his "Broadway Melody" (1929) won an Academy Award for Best Picture. His other notable credits include "Min and Bill" (1930) and "The Champ" (1931). Although he played a vital role in running the MGM factory and was one of Mayer's most trusted associates, Rapf got little respect from his colleagues because of the bread-and-butter quality of his films. A heart attack forced him into retirement in 1939, but Mayer persuaded him to return to MGM as a producer in 1946. Three years later, a second heart attack proved fatal. He was the father of TV producer Matthew Rapf and screenwriter Maurice Rapf.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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