Norma Shearer on the January 1936 cover of Photoplay magazine
Norma Shearer (1902–1983) was a Canadian American film actress who was nominated five times for an Academy Award.[1] She and her sister Athole were assisted in their pursuit of show business careers by their mother Edith Fisher Shearer. After amassing numerous letters of introduction from a variety of show business-related people in Canada, the trio relocated to New York, hoping to get into musical theatre.[2]
She gained an introduction to impresario Florence Ziegfeld, who was unimpressed and turned her down.[3] Shearer continued to pursue her career ambitions and spent five years being cast in bit parts in silent movies before landing a contract in 1923 with Louis B. Mayer, who had just formed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), with Irving Thalberg as his head of production.[4] After a start in silent films, Shearer made a transition to sound film. She remained with MGM for the rest of her career, with occasional loan-outs to other studios. Shearer and Thalberg eventually married.
Shearer chose her own roles, frequently going against the professional advice of others. Her husband did not believe she would be well suited for the lead character in 1930 American pre-Code drama film The Divorcee. Nevertheless, she went against his counsel and made the movie, hiring celebrity photographer George Hurrell for a photo session to prove her sexual allure could translate to film.[5] Her performance earned her the 1930 Academy Award for Best Actress. She was also nominated that same year for her performance in Their Own Desire.[6] Shearer was nominated four more times for Academy Award for Best Actress: the 1931 film A Free Soul, the 1934 film The Barretts of Wimpole Street, the 1936 film Romeo and Juliet, and the 1938 film Marie Antoinette.
When her husband died in 1936, Shearer continued with her film career at MGM. Coming on the heels of her success in Marie Antoinette, a nationwide publicity campaign was launched to cast Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind. Producer David O. Selznick, however, had offered the role to Shearer. Her fans were incensed that she would portray a woman of such questionable character, and she eventually turned down the offer.[7]
Norma's brother Douglas had remained in Canada until around 1925, when she introduced him to Louis B. Mayer, who arranged training for him at Bell Labs in the technique of adding sound to film. Her brother went on to earn 12 Academy Awards for his sound contributions to MGM.[8]
Shearer received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 8, 1960.[9]
^Quirk 1988, p. 2.
^Quirk 1988, pp. 22–25.
^Quirk 1988, p. 26.
^Quirk 1988, pp. 38–39.
^"Norma Shearer: The Self-Made Star By Raquel Stecher". Turner Classic Movies. August 2020. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
^"The 3rd Academy Awards | 1931". Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
^Quirk 1988, pp. 192–195.
^"Douglas Shearer, M-G-M Sound Chief (Published 1971)". The New York Times. January 9, 1971. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
^"Norma Shearer". Hollywood Walk of Fame. 25 October 2019. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
and 26 Related for: Norma Shearer filmography information
NormaShearer (1902–1983) was a Canadian American film actress who was nominated five times for an Academy Award. She and her sister Athole were assisted...
Edith NormaShearer (August 11, 1902 – June 12, 1983) was a Canadian-American actress who was active on film from 1919 through 1942. Shearer often played...
Collection, Vol. 2" DVD box set. Lionel Barrymore filmographyNormaShearerfilmography Clark Gable filmography "A Free Soul". American Film Institute. Retrieved...
the sister of motion picture star Norma Shearer and MGM film sound engineer Douglas Shearer. Athole Dane Shearer was born in 1900 in Montreal, Quebec. Her...
film debut in Lady of the Night (1925), as a body double for film star NormaShearer. She appeared in several other films, before she made her major breakthrough...
in 1932 with NormaShearer, and in 1941 with Jeanette MacDonald. After Smilin' Through, Schenck closed the New York studios and Norma and Constance moved...
lying at rest beside his wife, NormaShearer Thalberg Arrouge (Thalberg's crypt was engraved "My Sweetheart Forever" by Shearer). Over the following days,...
Welsch 2013, p. 22. Shearer 2013, p. 29. King 2009, p. 172. Welsch 2013, pp. 24, 36, 355. Shearer 2013, p. 30. Shearer 2013, p. 31. Shearer 2013, p. 34. Welsch...
donate their salaries to charity. The film features appearances by NormaShearer, Irene Dunne, Buster Keaton, Barbara Stanwyck, Joan Crawford, Laurel...
radio, whose career spanned over five decades. Discovered by actress NormaShearer, Leigh began her career appearing in several popular films for MGM which...
The Barretts of Wimpole Street Edward Moulton-Barrett Sidney Franklin NormaShearer, Fredric March, Maureen O'Sullivan, Katherine Alexander 1935 Ruggles...
teacher. Her first appearance in a feature film was as a walk-on in the NormaShearer vehicle We Were Dancing (1942). Fifteen bit parts later, she received...
Is Paris Warner Bros. Comedy Monte Blue, Patsy Ruth Miller 1927 The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg MGM Romance Ramón Novarro, NormaShearer Producer...
California, by working-class parents, Leigh was discovered at 18 by actress NormaShearer, who helped her secure a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Leigh appeared...
acted alongside Joan Crawford, Myrna Loy, Jean Harlow, Lana Turner, NormaShearer and Ava Gardner. Gable died of a heart attack in 1960 at the age of...
Television. BearManor Media. Retrieved 14 April 2018. James Corrigan at IMDb James Corrigan with Mary Carr and NormaShearer in Slave of Fashion (1925) v t e...
National Pictures in 1924. The film stars Marie Prevost, Robert Ellis, and NormaShearer. As described in a film magazine review, Elliot Worthington falls in...
her career, Crawford considered NormaShearer – the studio's most-popular actress – her professional nemesis. Shearer was married to MGM Head of Production...
worldly wise, woman." However, according to Thalberg's actress wife, NormaShearer, Garbo did not necessarily agree with his ideas stating "Miss Garbo...
appeared in the American romantic drama Smilin' Through (1932), starred NormaShearer, Fredric March, and Leslie Howard. It was a remake of a silent film...
This is a filmography of Welsh actor Ray Milland, containing his work in theatrically released motion pictures as well as his extensive television credits...
by Robert E. Sherwood and later an MGM movie of the same title with NormaShearer and Clark Gable. Idiots Deluxe marks a change in the title screens,...
one of the great romantic lead actors of his day. He appeared with NormaShearer in The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (1927) and with Joan Crawford...
2023-10-16. Demands for write-in votes began pouring in. Even nominee NormaShearer expressed her support for giving Davis a chance. "Academy Story: 1930–1939"...
performance in this film as the sympathetic maid 'Jane' to lead actress NormaShearer. Broadway plays in which Hutchison appeared included The Vigil (1948)...
Global Information