Mancuso Brings 2 Ex-Paramount Execs to MGM

Newly installed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Chief Executive Frank G. Mancuso on Sunday named two trusted former Paramount colleagues to senior corporate posts at MGM, in the first of what is expected to be several key appointments by Mancuso.

Michael S. Hope, former executive vice president at Paramount Communications Inc., and A. Robert Pisano, former general counsel at Paramount Pictures, have been appointed executive vice presidents at the Hollywood studio.

Hope, 50, will oversee finance and administration, and Pisano, also 50, will be in charge of the business and legal affairs department, in addition to all non-film business activities. Both executives report to Mancuso.

But the two most plum jobs at MGM--heads of the separate MGM and United Artists production arms--have yet to be filled. Hollywood has been playing a guessing game over who will be named to those coveted posts ever since Mancuso was named chief executive almost three weeks ago.

Among prominent Hollywood executives reportedly tapped for new senior posts at MGM are David Kirkpatrick and Gary Lucchesi, both former colleagues of Mancuso at Paramount.

Mancuso succeeded Alan Ladd Jr., who ran MGM for the last 2 1/2 years as the studio struggled to stay afloat in the wake of a nearly ruinous takeover by Italian businessman Giancarlo Parretti. Ladd’s departure is also expected to trigger the exit of senior MGM executives once affiliated with him.