Was Norma Shearer Married into a Hollywood Career without Any Talent?
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- Опубликовано: 7 июл 2024
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I'm sure being married to Irving Thalberg helped her at MGM, but she was a huge star before they met. Also, being married to ''the boss'' meant that she had to work twice as hard as everyone else to prove herself.
One of my favorites ! She had elegance that was very natural and expressive.
My Grandpop LOVED her.
She was wonderful! ❤️
I was channel surfing one evening and I tripped upon this movie "The Women." I was struck by this quick-witted knockout. I couldn't take my eyes off her. After the movie, I went to IMDB and looked at the cast. It was none other than Norma Shearer. I quickly looked up her filmography and snapped up every movie I could find of hers. I'm always amazed at how Hollywood characterizes women, always searching for the slightest imperfection not realizing that it's the imperfections that make them beautiful. Norma Shearer was absolute perfection. Fat legs and all.
Good find! 🙂 What is the next movie you are going to watch from her?
I can’t believe what they thought about this woman......She was ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL and was before her time.....
I also saw The Women which seemed ahead of it''s time but also He Who Gets Slapped on Public Television,.I didn't know she was in it as I didn't become aware of her until a few years after I saw it. it was a very engrossing silent movie with Lon Chaney.
I'm glad others can appreciate her. She had great instincts on screen, and the camera loved her! What's not to like?
Excellent in he who gets slapped
She discovered Janet Leigh at Sugar Bowl in Tahoe and was her Godmother.
Loved her in Marie Antoinette with my Fav Tyrone Power !! 🤩
A class act always .The scene in Marie Antionnete in the end with Tyrone Power was so touching you could feel the pain of her fate and I just loved her.
Shearer was already a star in her own right before she married Thalberg, so no, she did not marry into a Hollywood career, she already had one. However, she probably did get roles that she otherwise would not have got had she not been married to the boss.
She was great in Marie Antoinette and The Women!!
Being married to Thalberg didn't allow the main role in "The Divorcee" to fall into her lap. Her husband thought she was wrong for the role. Shearer had to find a way to get the role on her own. And she got an Oscar.
@@RPowell43 I never heard of the Divorcee! I'll have to check that one out!
Thank you for your comment! 🙂
@@AgeOfVintage You're welcome!
Beauty, screen presence, acting ability, intelligence, humor; she had it all and more. I love the moments in her films when the sensitivity move me to tears.
I love this lady💕💓💞❣️🌹💕💕💕
If that's dumpy, PLEASE LORD LET ME DUMPY
Shearer didn't have the hourglass figure that was sought after; she had broad shoulders and slim hips which made her waist appear to be thick (though it wasn't). Costume designers created clothes that flattered her figure and she learned to stand with her shoulders at an angle to the camera to make them appear less broad.
You and me BOTH!
@@maryh4650 Hi Mary, totally agree with you, it's all in the way u stand. Cheers from Australia 🇦🇺
I did not find her dumpy.
Norma Shearer & Irving Thalberg were Hollywood royalty. She was a wonderful actress.
Really talented and beautiful! 🙂 ❤️
Yes they were enemies in real life and besides making The Women together, made sure that they never crossed each other's path anywhere in the studio or out. In fact while making The Women they both employed elaborate manuvers using MGM staff, to make sure that they didn't see each other until it was time for the camera to roll on their scene together.
Norma Shearer was very talented; she could play femme fatales and prim & proper ladies. She wasn't "dumpy", she had an inverted triangle figure; studio costume designers knew how to flatter her figure. Her marriage to Thalberg may have given her a leg-up over other actresses for some roles but she had already established a successful career prior to their relationship.
Thank you for your comment! 🙂 ❤️
No, her career took off after her marriage to Thalberg. Before the marriage they dated for years and he guided her and gave her lead roles at the studio. Shearer was talented but there is no doubt she would never have become the major star she became without Thalberg.
Norma Shearer was a terrific actress. Both David Belasco and DW Griffiths bluntly told her she was unsuitable for stage and screen but that didn't stop her and I especially admire her pre code performances in A Free Soul, Private Lives and The Divorcee. I'm glad she hasn't been forgotten.
Norma was charming and a graceful presence on the screen. A lady in life ♥️
Thank you for your comment! 🙂
Normal eyes, voice and figure are gorgeous. What are you talking about???
I loved her in "The Women"😁
Without any doubt she is to me one of the best actresses I've ever seen on the screen, I adore her no matter what role she plays
She discovered Janet Leigh while on vacation. She saw her picture on the desk where her mom worked and the rest is history. She also helped George Hurrell get a top spot with MGM , His famous portraits with the stars.
I wish I were this 'dumpy' and 'unremarkable'... Hard to think of a more beautiful actress among her peers.
Super talented to boot.
A canadian pioneer treasure with Mary Pickford...fortunately, she proved that you don't need to be a bombshell to have a career in Hollywood. Unfortunately, her example showed that big talent is not necessary as long as you have the right ties (Mayer-Thalberg). She was a working actress before but these two at MGM made of her a star. That opposite scene in " The women" with Joan Crawford though... unforgettable ! And apparently they were rivals in real life...
Thank you Lindsey for your informative comment! 🙂
Sure, being married to Irving Thalberg opened doors for Norma. But, what she did after walking through those open doors proved that she was a talent. The scene in Marie Antoinette when the revolutionary officials take her son away still grabs at my heart. She was truly a powerhouse!
She was both beautiful and a great actress. I love her in The Women.
Thank you for your comment! 🙂
This is probably the best age of vintage video you have made. Well researched and accurate, also a very well balanced assessment of Norma and her career
She was truly a wonderful actress and a great talent!!! So she was married to a man who was a powerhouse. HOWEVER.....anyone who has seen her movies KNOWS that the lady definitely had IT!!!!!!!!! And she wasn’t afraid to bring in new talent just ask Janet Leigh!!! And I am sure many more!!!
She was a good actress and a classy lady . You don't find that combo often in Hollywood
Thank you for your comment! 🙂
Sir, these videos and your voice are amazing!!!Im obsessed, thank you for the awesome content❤️
Thank you so much! 🙂 I really appreciate your comment! ❤️ Recently I got a lot of negative comments, but you and others who like my work are the ones that makes me wanna continue!!!! 🙂 Thank you!!!!
I like Shearer and enjoy her movies. My favorite being "The Women." I, personally, believe that she wanted to be Mrs. Irving Thalberg for the prestige that it brought and for enviable movie roles that she'd get. I, also, believe that she truly, and deeply, fell in love with him.
Great video!!!! Hello to all our film community, Only real film fans would know who Norma was, to me she had great style, great taste, she was absolutely wonderful in the film The Women, she wasn't tall, she wasn't beautiful, but for me, she came across on the screen as a real person, she had a great energy about her!!!!!!! Rest in peace Norma you have many real fans out there!!!!! 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧Ps keep up the great and well researched videos
Thank you Maria! 🙂 ❤️ I'm glad you liked the video!!! 🙂
@ Maria Evans. Hi Maria, totally agree with your comments. Age of Vintage is in my opinion the best & well researched channel regarding The Golden Years of Hollywood. Cheers Ruth from Australia 🇦🇺🇦🇺 To the stunning UK 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
She was a beautiful lady and great actress no matter what folks think
Well I think she was great!!!! I think she was wonderful in the women!!!! 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Thank you for your comment! 🙂
She was ahead of her time with her unconventional beauty. She was also a huge talent.
Enjoyed Norma Shearer's movies. She was a lady and one dark haired beauty with dignity.❤
A Canadian treasure. She truly embodied the glamour and sophistication of Hollywood's golden era...always a lady and a wonderful actor of that time. Loved her.
Thank you for your comment! 🙂
Let’s not forget that Shearer performed in an era of rampant misogyny; and one in which “The Casting Couch” was common. For any woman to succeed to the extent as Shearer accomplished, required enduring sexism of a level today’s actors couldn’t even imagine.
Thank you for your comment! 🙂
She was my mother’s favourite and believe me , my mother had very good taste.
The few films I was privileged to see were excellent!! I was hoping to see pictures of her children. The other men in her life since they have all passed away I wanted to see who they were ..what does it matter they all passed away
I only found low quality pictures and I did not wanted to worsen the quality of the video. Thank you for your comment! 🙂
She was beautiful and talented! I loved her in The Women, you should watch it and see how fabulous she was!
Apparently some in HW made fun of her looks. One of them was a famous male lead but don’t remember who it was.
I think she was pretty and with HW magic they elevated her looks. Along with her talent.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this WOMAN.....She is my MOST FAVORITE ACTRESS hands down......I have enjoyed all the movies she had been in.....
The only reason I got into classics was because I stumbled across The Divorcee after getting bored of changing the channels. It was the 90s. That is a great film and has been my favorite film sense then. I love Norma Shearer. She is a phenomenal actress, and her face is magical. As I have said before she is the best example of Norma Desmond's line about in her day actresses had faces.
I'm not loving the tone of this program. I guess there is no accounting for taste.
LOVED HER💞💕💯🌹🌹🌹🥰😍😊🙂🥂💞 VERY AWESOME ACTOR 👏💞
Norma had enjoyed a measure of success before she found favour with Thalberg but her career didn’t really take off until after he took special interest in her and assigned much better roles. Thalberg genuinely believed that she could play any part. Part of Norma’s fascination is that she wasn’t beautiful but she and Thalberg knew that Hollywood dealt in illusions. She learned how to disguise her flaws and how it’s careful use of makeup, lighting and camera angles to appear beautiful and of course she WAS attractive. Feminist pioneer? I don’t see it that way. Norma wanted to play sexually liberated women because she enjoyed playing those parts. After Thalberg’s death Norma could have continued to work well into the 1940s but she was not willing to play the roles that suited her age which is why she turned down Mrs Miniver in favour of Her Cardboard Lover. I think she really needed Irving Thalberg. She is not really up there with Bette Davis, Barbara Stanwyck or even Joan Crawford who re-invented herself in the 1940s but she remains a fascinating star who didn’t deserve the trashing of career by critics like Pauline Kael from the 1960s. onward.
The movie is called "The Women" - there are more than one.
I think that movie is one of my FAVORITE and the other ladies in that movie.....
Based on a successful play written by Clare Boothe Luce.
@@deefitzgerald2906 Not sure? One of one?
I love her as Elizabeth Barrett! Wonderful movie! She made the best of what she had. A timeless inspiration!
11:26 "She turned down the leads in 'Gone with the Wind'..."
Say what? My understanding was David O'Selznick conducted an open 2-year search for an actress to play Scarlett O'Hara with the 4 finalists ending up: Paulette Goddard, Jean Arthur, Joan Bennett, and Vivian Leigh. In fact, Paulette Goddard was almost offered the part but due to her scandalous relationship with Charlie Chaplan, O'Selznick didn't feel comfortable offering it and the search continued until his brother Myron introduced him to Leigh. Nowhere have I heard or come across any information stating Norma Shearer was offered the lead.
In "Bring on the Empty Horses", by David Niven, he tells of the night of a big Hollywood gala, the guests were asked to attend wearing black and white, the men in black suits to accompany ladies in white. Then Irving and Norma entered, he in requested black suit and Norma in a scarlet red dress! I think she ruffled some feathers that night.
Reminds me of the movie Jezebel with Bette D.
Could you do a biography on another wonderful actress of the 1930's era "Kay Francis".
From silent films to talkies Miss Shearer was sophistication personified !
Great video ,and another top class presentation by yourself
Thank you so much! 🙂
No question: Norma Shearer was goddess-class and she managed to find and marry her male equivalent (in terms of unerring sheer creativity) Irving Thalberg.
From the very first time I ever set eyes on her gorgeous visage, I was floored, my spats knocked right off me!
I am amazed at the here-cited near catalog of proposed defects of appearance, of which I never noticed a one.
As usual, plethoras kudos and thanks are due our genial host of "Age of Vintage" which, in grateful humility, are hereby offered him.
The title of this video is offensive to the memory of Norma Shearer. Of course Norma Shearer was a very talented actress and has an impressive list of films and awards to prove it without question.
Norma Shearer had her own beauty and was definitely talented.
A kitten of steel. The thing that carries her performances is the sense of an indominable will beneath the beauty and the sensuality. And I think that was her personality coming through.
Norma may have been married to Irving but it didn't mean she lacked talent. She won an Oscar and was nominated an additional five times. She was a beautiful and talented actress often overlooked. The late Robert Osborne who hosted TCM was a huge fan of hers.
I thought she was an excellent actress as well as beautiful. I believe she would have been a star no matter who she married.
One of my favorites! I love my Edith Norma so so much!!! 💛💛💛 I adored every movie of hers with Robert Montgomery, undeniably, they were a match.
Who has decided this great star was untalented?What a pointless reason for a "tribute".All the great ladies of the golden era had their own style.Are we now going to have similar questions as to their talent?I hope not.
I'm sorry if the video disappointed you. I only wanted to start a discussion about the topic since some people are actually think she got her roles because of Thalberg and I wanted people to defend her. Anyways, I hope you'll like my other videos.
@@AgeOfVintage Thats good to hear.I was concerned your site was just going to try to ruin reputations!Thank you for replying and good luck with your future postings.
@@daviddixon1011 Thank you! 🙂 I hope to see you around in the future
@@daviddixon1011 Hi David, this fabulous channel would never put down any of the great talent from The Golden Years of Hollywood, it's always classy & factual. Great comment from yourself & reply from Age of Vintage. Cheers from Australia 🇦🇺🇦🇺
@@AgeOfVintage I understand where you're coming from. I'm sure people were making those kinds of accusations when she was getting those parts.
She was a wonderful talent. Loved her in The Women, Idiot's Delight, A Free Soul, my God, The Barrets of Wimpole Street. Lillian Hellman was jealous.Thalberg was her soulmate.
All those people that ridiculed her looks...who tf were they looking at? Because I think Norma Shearer is one of the most beautiful stars from that era. And of course she was talented. She won over a man who's job it was to find talent and she won an Oscar. "The Women" is one of my all time favorites.
One of the first movies I saw was her version of Romeo and Juliet. I loved her because in that movie, she reminded me of me: dark curly, poofy hair, big eyes, big nose and small mouth. I felt like I could be glamorous like her one day.
I've always like her acting !!! Thanks for all the info.
I saw “The Women” and wondered how Norma was such a main character considering she was not beautiful physically (in my opinion) . However, her acting and persona in the movie won me over. She had a maturity and confidence beyond her years that I admired .
I totally agree with your assessment of Norma Shearer. One of my favorite actresses of Old Hollywood.
I remember the beautiful and elegant Miss Shearer in "Marie Antoniette" (1938) with the great and unforgettable Tyrone Power as Count Axel Fersen. Both are so lovely in this spectacular and marvelous movie! Thanks!
Thank you for your comment! 🙂 I love those movies too!
she was beautiful n great actress,
If this lady was no talent then give me more of that. I have watched her movies and I loved her in many of roles. My favorite is actually the one she won the Academy Award for - "The Divorcee."
I loved Norma she's a great talent filled actress
She definitely walked through obstacles to get her dream. Always thought, how do I say, very different looking for Hollywood royalty. She became more beautiful through her career.. Unique! That is the proper word. Thanks for the video. I always heard her and Joan Crawford had a beef. Now I know why. She stepped in and asked for a part Crawford was offered and got it..
She wasn't bad, but her acting was stylized to the extent that I could never forget that I was watching "An Actress", and not the person she was playing. Perhaps it was a hangover from her silent period. As an aside; She was way too old to be playing Juliet. So was Katherine Cornell, but on stage, with no closeups, one could get away with it.
She was a wonderful lady and great actress
What??? She had more talent then 100 of todays stars.
I enjoyed her acting very much. Agree with your summation of her acting style.
I think shes gorgeous.
Love her as Marie Antoinette
I think that was her best film.
Love those Beautiful Black and White photos her Blue Eyes grab you with the power she had as an excellent actress
It is said that sometimes when Garbo would turn down a role from MGM, she would suggest that the studio offer it to Norma Shearer. What greater compliment in Hollywood's Golden Age ?
She hit her marks and did her best.
Correct!!!! 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Thank you for your comment! 🙂
@@mariaevans7811 Hi Maria, Totally agree with you. Cheers from Australia 🇦🇺🇦🇺 To the stunning UK 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
I think she was beautiful! I have seen many of her movies!
Hi, I don't think I've seen her movies but obviously made her mark in Hollywood. Clearly worked hard to achieve her fame. Thank again Brenton.
Try 'Idiot's Delight', it is really good! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
No talent, no looks. She was married to one of the most powerful men in Hollywood. He died young, goodbye Norma.
Interesting. I don’t see anything wrong with her eyes, I think she looked good.
She wasn't like real acting, but most poise. She married the 2nd highest guy at MGM and that's all she could do. Both their children are deceased, not sure how many grandchildren she had and now great grandchildren are left. Her daughter, lived in Colorado, had a store there, and then retired and eventually passed away. I saw a picture of the daughter and she looked more like her father Irving. The boy, looked more like Norma.
Utter nonsense. You really should get your facts right. Go have a look at some of the roles she played.
You can't become a star just because you married someone important. The audience is not going to like you because you know important people! It's the audience who makes someone a star. A producer and studio can only do so much. The rest is up to the individual and the people buying the tickets.
She was a star before she dated and married Thalberg.
She was in the top 10 from 1931-1934. How do you do this if you don't have something the audience wants?
My Mom and I thought she over acted in most of her movies and therefore made the characters unbelievable. There were a couple movies she was great in. The Women was one of them.
I think it was because she was self-conscious & thus so focused & careful of how to hold her face/head/neck to distract the audience from her cast eye issue, that she did often project over-animation in a scene ...this effort to distract from her facial flaw could be interpreted as over-acting, however.
One fascinating film of hers is ‘’Private Lives’’ with Robert Montgomery. The two of them are absolutely nuts; they hardly let up for a second, so manic and batty. Carole Lombard could do that kind of thing, too (‘’20th Century’’), but this one takes it for sheer lunacy.
In ‘’Marie Antoinette’’ the scene where she’s about to be executed is heartbreaking; the panic and terror is palpable. The lady could act.
Absolutely agree about the 1931 "Private Lives". Played at a cracking pace that I think Coward would have approved. She caught the comedy and the brittleness of Amandas character perfectly.
The best version on film.
I think she was beautiful.
My favorite movie of hers was Private Lives.
She wasn't offered the lead in Gone With the Wind.
Norma Shearer was incredibly talented and made a lot of great films. As for Thalberg, a truly gifted producer, making her career, she wouldn't have made it on that alone. Consider Hearst's attempts to make Marion Davies a huge star.
No star from that time "made it on their own." They had major studios, publicity campaigns, fan magazines and the lot to help them.
However, in the end, it was up to the audience and no one else. The star couldn't just rely on the studio either. They had to develop their skills and work hard.
Norma Shearer was a star before she dated Thalberg. Her silent movies from 1924 onwards were all box office smashes and she didn't even marry Thalberg until 1927!
As for Marion Davies, audiences weren't even aware of their relationship. Davies is often thought of as having been a B grade actress now, but that's a myth. Davies was in the top ten box office draws in 1921, 1923, 1924 and 1925. In both 24 and 25, she's number 2 and 3 respectively.
Dissenting vote: I am an old movie buff and have never really cared for Norma Shearer's acting.
You don't consider that face a striking physical feature you're out of your mind
I have seen almost all of Norma's pictures ( some exceptions being her early silents) and for me to pick out a favorite here is like trying to pick your favorite child over another. She certainly had diversity and acting chops. She could play sultry complicated women ;The Divorc'e, and The Last of Mrs. Cheney, hilarious comedy with brilliant timing ; Private Lives, Idiot's Delight, and tragedy; A Free Soul, Marie Antoinette , Romero and Juliet and combinations of all of them in films like The Women to name just a few. Did she use her marriage to Thalburg to her advantage? Of course, what ambitious actress wouldn't ? But Norma was serious about her work and it showed. Thalburg did everything he could to dissuade Norma from taking the role in The Divorc'e, thinking it a scandalous role and unbefitting his wife, but she insisted, knowing what an important part it was. She was right and won the Oscar for her performance. Norma was the epitome of the "Golden Age of Hollywood", and watching her films is a delight!
Omg if She Was considered "not beautiful" What can we expect? Her eyes remind me a bit of Carol Lombard's
AofV,
Norma did have the advantage being married to Irving Grant Thalberg/Boy Genius. She had what Garbo, Crawford, and Harlow didn't have and All had talent in their own way.
RCJ/LEO
She was a great actress and a very beautiful woman
Yes, she was very beautiful! 🙂 Thank you for your comment
They make her out like she was Quasi Moto or something, but I think she’s so beautiful! She’s simultaneously uniquely beautiful while also having a an earthy approachability. I just don’t get it. 🤣 She looks even still like a cool alternative, Indy band kind of girl, if you catch the vibe?
I think she had a great name for an actress. I may be biased as my dad's name was norman and so is my middle name. I also had a wonderful neighbor named Norma.
She had talent but more than that she had star quality & more than beauty she looked fabulous .. watch her do high comedy in IDIOT'S DELIGHT
I love that movie! 🙂
@@AgeOfVintage Totally agree, fantastic film. ❤❤
I own a lot of her films but the one I watch most often is Idiot's Delight. Don't want to spoil it if you haven't seen it, just want to recommend it.
Her brother Douglas won seven Oscars for sound..I also read that she had a brief.affair with Mickey Rooney.
Thank you for sharing this! 🙂
I live her in Marie antionette, the women, and in the barrettes of whimpole Street. And let's not forget she discovered Janet Leigh
I've enjoyed her acting in the films I've seen. I also think she was a beauty. Her acting and beauty certainly surpassed that of Joan Crawford!!
She made an appearance at a 1930s Hollywood white party in a flaming red dress. Carole Lombard wisecracked ‘what the f..k has Norma come as, the house madam?’
she was great