Norma Shearer - A Timeless Class Act

[bhryun]

My favorite film actress of all time had passed away almost two years before I'd ever seen her in a single film.

 

It's been exactly 20 years since I saw my first Norma Shearer movie. It was January 1985 and was only 14 at the time. A local NBC station in Philly used to show B&W MGM movies from the early 30's at 1:00 AM (Don't ask what I was doing up at that hour since I had school the next morning). The movie I saw was "Private Lives" from 1930 with Madame Shearer and Robert Montgomery. I thought Ms. Shearer was absolutely amazing and I felt so honored to have "discovered" such a marvelous talent.

 

With the zeal only a teenage girl can possess, I had to find out everything about my favorite new actress from the local library since it would be another 10 years before the Internet became accessible to the masses. I also fell in love with the classic movie genre and used to astound people three times my age with my knowledge on the subject...This was the 80's and kids my age weren't supposed to have a clue who Cary Grant and Norma Shearer even were. I even went through a phase when I wanted to be a movie star and change my last name to Shearer in honor of Norma.

 

Over the next few years with the advent of VCR's and the TNT cable channel, I managed to view almost all of Ms. Shearer's films. I've often referred to her as "The Meryl Streep" of her day. She had class, versatility and a true screen presence that you almost never see in today's film actresses. To this day, my favorite Shearer films have been "The Women", "Marie Antoinette" and - of course - "Private Lives".

 

I'm 34 now and I still look back on the work of Ms. Shearer with great fondness. It saddened me during my 20's to hear some rather negative things printed about her in various Hollywood biographies. Someone tarnishing the image of your screen idol is never easy for any fan.

And with a family of my own now I no longer have the time to watch as many classic films on TCM as I used to. But every now and then I'll pop my copy of "Private Lives" or "The Women" into the VCR and for about 90 minutes I'm 14 years old again, captivated once more by the unmistakable luminosity of one the greatest film actresses of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

 

[brackenhe]

I'm (almost) old enough to be your mother and I didn't discover her until TCM came on the air in 1994. But I especially love her in The Women. When she gets that phone call from Steven at the divorcee ranch, it's enough to break your heart, because you know she still loves him and that he loves her too (even though we never see him.) But all turns out well at the end. I love it when she says "Mother, I've grown some claws--JUNGLE RED." Wow!! It's just a great movie with great supporting characters, even Joan Fontaine.

[vecchiolarry]

Hi,

 

Bkrudy -

You have certainly picked a lady with class and poise and elegance as your favourite star.

Miss Shearer was "The Queen of MGM" from 1928 - 1942 and was often billed as "The First Lady of the Screen"...

 

Some personal information:

- owned massive amounts of MGM stock

- discovered Janet Leigh and Robert Evans

- very good friend of Merle Oberon

- her brother, Douglas Shearer, was head of the Sound Dept. at MGM (you see his name on more MGM films than Norma's)

- her sister, Athole, was once married to Howard Hawks

- her daughter, Katherine, was once married to Richard Anderson

 

Larry

[deborahwakid11]

Hi, Larry:

 

I also love Norma Shearer. I've seen almost every one of her movies. It's hard for me to pick a favorite. However, I think I would pick "Marie Antoinette." What a wonderful film. She was a perfect queen of France. She ages from being a young, naive girl to a queen, wife, and mother, protective of her family until the end. Tyrone Power is another favorite of mine.

 

Norma holds her own against the great John Barrymore as Louis XV. I also thought the scenes between her and Robert Morley (as Louis XVI) were quite touching. I was very impressed with Morley in the film as well.

 

From what I've read about Norma, she was a geat human being as well as an actress, always giving of herself to help others. Her aiding performers like Janet Leigh and Robert Evans were among them. Unlike Irene Selznick, I do not think that Norma was a neglectful mother to her children. Irene Selznick should talk anyway. She wouldn't win any mother of the year awards, either.

 

I think it's sad about her later years. I got the impression that Norma was maybe suffering from Alzheimer's or some other form of dementia. My grandma suffered from Alzheimer's for several years; so, I understand how that is. Her son, Irving Jr., taught at University of Chicago for several years.

 

Take care.

 

Deborah

[shainablue1]

I just want to say I was not aware of Norma Shearer until I got TCM a couple years ago. Since then I have just fell in love with her. I love her delicate sophistication. She has such a sweet quiver in her chin when she is sad in her movies, so sympathetic! I thought her scene in Marie Antoinette when they come to take her children from her is incredibly well done and heart wrenching. I also love The Women when she rushes off for her fitting when she first sees the "other women" so dignified and self controlled, and yet she shows she is falling apart inside somehow.Wow. Great actress, I agree! ; )

[moviejoe79]

I know I've stated it many other times on the boards, but I too am a HUGE Shearer fan.

 

I first discovered her in "The Women" when I was about 15, and I fell in love with her. She had the most amazing smile I had ever seen. She just lit up the screen with her personality and energy, but could be so gentle and touching at the right moment.

 

As was mentioned, there has been a lot of negative things said about her, in and out of print, but the fact remains that she was THE number one star in the world for a time back in the 30's, rivaling Garbo, Crawford, and her other contemporaries. It's a shame that today she's virtually forgotten while the others are considered legends. But, it's nice to see that she still has a legion of fans who also recognize her talent and contribution to Hollywood's Golden Age.

 

I've seen most of her movies myself, except for her silents. The only ones I've seen that have been made available are "He Who Gets Slapped" and "The Student Prince." I'm hoping that at some point more of her silents will surface. My favorite of hers still remains "The Women," I guess because it was the first movie I saw her in. But, I also love her in "The Divorcee" and "The Barretts of Wimpole Street" and "Riptide" among others. She was also excellent in the often forgotten "Strange Interlude" with a very good Clark Gable.

 

As far as I've read, she did suffer from Alzheimer's as well as blindness towards the end of her life, and spent her last few years at the Motion Picture Country Home before she died. She had an amazing life, but it was also bittersweet in a way, since she lost husband Irving Thalberg at such a young age, and also lost touch with her two children. I think that she wanted to keep acting as well, but after appearing in a couple of duds in the early 40's she figured that the public no longer wanted her, and she never found a suitable vehicle in which to make a comeback. But, after her retirement she also had a very happy marriage to Martin Arrouge, a ski instructor that lasted until her death. And she did live VERY well, since as Larry pointed out, she was very wealthy with her large amount of MGM stock.

 

I could talk about her all day, but for a great account of her life find Gavin Lambert's excellent biography of her simply titled "Norma Shearer"

 

Here's to Norma!

 

 

[vecchiolarry]

Hi Moviejoe79,

 

Many of the old stars did have trouble with their eyes in later life. It's because of those awful kleig lights - they were very bright and very hot - they burned out the retina of the eye, resulting in temporary 'white blindness' and then affected people later on with permanent blindness.

 

Among those I know who went blind were Pola Negri, Mae Murray, Merle Oberon and Hedy Lamarr and Reginald Gardiner, Ramon Novarro, Rex Harrison and Cesar Romero.

I also heard that Norma Talmadge, Lana Turner and Myrna Loy were going sightless at the end. Louise Fazenda was apparently driven mad by the intense light and heat of those lights and spent many hours in a darkened room on her sets and retired because of them. As Mrs. Hal Wallis, she became a great hostess in LA, but seldom went outside because the sun hurt her too much...

 

Larry

 

Larry

[feaito]

Great info Larry, I'd never heard about this. BTW, Mary Astor was another star plagued with sight problems at the end of her life.

 

As for Norma Shearer, I've stated, just as Moviejoe, thousands of times about the Norma's special "allure", at least for me. The epitome of class, sophistication and of the regal movie star.

 

IMHO, her best performance (from what I've watched until know) was as Elizabeth Barrett in "The Barretts of Wimpole Street", an almost perfect portrayal.

 

 

[bhryun]

I vastly prefer Shearer's pre-Code films in which she is modern, sexy and vivacious to the Masterpiece Theater films Thalberg foisted upon her later. (I do enjoy MARIE ANTOINETTE after she grows up a bit; the girl-ish years I find her acting arch and insufferable). I think most people know her primarily from THE WOMEN, which sort of cements the "noble wife" persona over her wilder days in, say, A FREE SOUL. That said, I love the 1939 film.

[bhryun]

Yeah, she's one hot little number in A FREE SOUL. I've read quotes from Clark Gable saying he thought so too when filming it. (I won't print what he said, because it wasn't the most tasteful of compliments. But if you're interested, its in her 1988 biography by Lawrence J. Quirk)

 

I like THE DIVORCEE. It's fun too watch even though the dialogue is so hokey and contrived. I can only guess that it was cutting edge stuff back in 1930.

 

I also love Norma in SMILIN THROUGH. She a Frederic March had wonderful chemistry together.

 

I just caught HER CARDBOARD LOVER for the first time last week on TCM. And although Norma looks fabulous at 42, the film is too talky and stagy. Its obvious why it was a big flop in 1942 and made Norma realize that it was time to retire.

 

The one Shearer film that I'm dying to see again is LET US BE GAY from 1930. I haven't seen it since 1985 and I just loved it for Norma's transformation from the mousy, wronged housewife to the sophisticated man-eater. I believe TCM only airs it once every two or three years and I missed it the last time around - 6:00 am on Christmas morning!

 

Good to hear from all of you other Norma fans!

[kak122760]

I think part of the reason people knock her and don't appreciate her is "She married the boss" and she didn't make that many films after Thalberg's death. Making people think she couldn't make it without him. What they seem to forget is her career did not begin with her marriage to Thalberg, and if she had listened to him, she never would have done The Divorcee, as he didn't think she was sexy enough. Odd, a husband not considering his wife sexy enough. But, she had the drive and ambition to have George Hurrell take the photos which convinced Thalberg she had what it takes.

 

I really like her in Shinin' Through and Escape, even though she doesn't have a big part in it.

[tobywing]

Well, everyone has said it all. Norma was awesome esp. in her precodes. When there's nothing on & I have some time I pop in 1 of her precodes. Don't forget "Their Own Desire" a good precode melodrama. She was also ver adept at comedy, Idiot's Delight..what a hoot!

Laura

[filmfashions345]

Oh, I adore Norma Shearer. As a little girl, and still today, one of my favorite movies was Romeo & Juliet (1936). I felt so grown up requesting it at the library. *laughs* Sometimes I find myself doing that dance step that Juliet and Paris implement at the ball (walking forward slowly and in long steps) while I'm pondering something or waiting on whatever I happen to be cooking in the kitchen.

 

Recently I've "discovered" more of Norma's films, and love them as I do Romeo & Juliet: Escape, The Barretts of Wimpole Street, Private Lives, The Women and Idiot's Delight. Speaking of the latter, I've read somewhere that the European release had an alternate ending. Can anyone tell me about that? I've seen only the "American" ending.

[feaito]

I haven't seen the film but I recall that MGM filmed two endings. The one used for International/European audiences was more "optimistic", due to the inminent war that was threatening Europe.

[path40a]

Well, I really didn't like Shearer's over the top performance in "Idiot's Delight". In fact, if I hadn't subsequently seen her acting in several better films (too numerous to list?), I probably would blame the picture's problems on her. I now consider myself to be a reformed fan of the lady, thanks to TCM.

 

In any case, when I saw this film, TCM showed both versions (but I don't think I still have the tape). I wish I could recall them for you, but I can't ... that was over 4 months and 200 movies ago! However, I did find this blurb on a laserdisc review site:

 

The movie's standard ending is a drawn out and almost pious affirmation of the need to prepare and to survive. Presented without explanation (contrary to the chapter listing, it appears after the trailer), however, is an ending that was shot for foreign markets which is more frivolous in tone, what one might call a 'grasshopper' ending in comparison to the standard 'ant' ending. The addition of the second ending boosts the appeal of the disc considerably from both a historical and an entertainment perspective.

[moviejoe79]

I would love to see that alternate ending of "Idiot's Delight" someday. Hopefully we'll see this film make it to DVD, perhaps in the upcoming Clark Gable collection. I doubt a Shearer collection will ever be released but if they ever do, I'll be the first one in line!

 

Anyhow I wanted to give you guys a Norma update -

 

Her 1940 film "Escape" will be on this Thursday 3/31 at 2:15 pm EST.

[bhryun]

Was The Barrett's Of Wimpole Street pre-code? I was just completely shocked at the father's relationship with Norma Shearer's character. It gave me the creeps. (Ok - not a very adult way to put it!) My memory tells me that it was after the code but that the scene with the father begging her to stay was "toned down" from the original story.

[path40a]

moviejoe,

 

I don't know if TCM will be showing both the American & European releases of "Idiot's Delight" when it airs on June 11, perhaps tcmprogrammer can answer. They've given it a two hour window starting at 6 AM ET, and since it's a 104-107 minute film (Maltin vs. imdb) & TCM lists it as 111 minutes, it should give them enough time to do it.

 

Given the fact that it's scheduled to be shown on the same day that the channel will be airing both versions of "The Big Sleep", who knows. In addition to their announced themes, I've noticed several more subtle connections between the films they show on a given day. Perhaps this is one of those "hidden" times;- )

[brackenhe]

Mongo--It seems to me that every time I've watch Idiots Delight (at least in prime time) that they do show both endings.

[moviejoe79]

Thanks Path for the heads up - I'll definitely be taping it.

[richardny4me]

Joe, MOMA is featuring another rarely screen Norma Shearer film, THE DEVIL'S CIRCUS, on June 1 at 6 PM. It is part of their "To Save And Project" film festival next month. Except for THE STUDENT PRINCE I have never seen any of her silent films, so I am hoping to get out of work early enough to get uptown to see this film.

[therealfuster]

I just started reading this thread on her and found it interesting.

 

One cannot really blame Norma, for what you call her "over the top" performance in Sherwood's play, "Idiot's Delight" because she was doing an emulation of the very famous performance of Lynn Fontanne, who starred with hubby Alfred Lunt in the original play in the mid-1930's. Unfortunately the studio knew that the famous appearance of Fontanne, which was known worldwide, in pics et cetera, would broach no new interpretation, so Norma had to go against her natural inclinations and style of acting, to make the studio happy.

 

And anyone who has seen Lunt and Fontanne on film [or even hilarious takeoffs of them as done by Carol Burnett and Harvey Korman on TCBS] know that they were very mannered and stagey in their acting, as befits the stage, but not the movie medium.

 

I would blame the "picture's problems" as you see it, on this need by the studio to recreate the stage success, and not on Norma's shoulders.

 

Great stage successes don't always translate to film.

 

[moviejoe79]

Richard, thanks so much for the heads up on the Norma film at MOMA. I haven't even checked their June schedule yet online, or even received it in the mail. I'm gonna try and go myself, but I don't know if I'll be able to because of work. I wish they'd schedule it on the weekend!

[vecchiolarry]

Hi Joe and Richard,

 

I certainly hope that both of you can go to this showing on June 1st and perhaps meet up.

It would be nice for you to finally meet each other and discuss movies together. And it is always great to meet new and interesting people.

I only hope that my schedule for New York City works out and I can meet up with you both and 'Paty' for lunch. So far, I'm still waiting for the Polish bunch to clear customs but now it doesn't look like I'll be there in June. Bummer!!!!!

 

Larry

[vecchiolarry]

Joe and Richard,

 

Did you go to the Norma Shearer movie on June 1st???

Let us know. And, let us know if you met up!!!!

 

Larry