There have always been movers and shakers in Hollywood. It's what defines the city! Irving Thalberg was the amongst first true mover and shaker in Hollywood. He, with, Louis Mayer, shaped MGM into the biggest, and most powerful studio at the time. Fast on his feet and quick to decide and act on this thoughts, make him a remarkable Hollywood legend!!!
Irving Grant Thalberg was born May 30, 1899, in Brooklyn, New York. He was born with a number of health problems, making him a fighter from birth. He took an interest in filmmaking at a young age and while in high school met a young businessman who introduced him to a Hollywood producer in New York. The producer frequently took him on set at Universal Pictures. Upon graduation of high school, he was employed by Universal Pictures' New York office, where he worked as personal secretary to legendary studio founder Carl Laemmle, the boss of Universal Studios. Thalberg was bright and persistent, and by age 21 was executive in charge of production at Universal Pictures in California. He quickly established his tenacity as he battled with Erich von Stroheim over the length of the film Foolish Wives, and controlled every aspect of the production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame in 1922. In 1924, he left Universal for Louis B. Mayer Productions, which shortly thereafter linked up with Metro Pictures to become Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Here is where Thalberg would extend and utilize his creative powers along with Louis Mayer, to create the most powerful studio of the time. By day, he was a ruthless, get it done, type of executive - by night he was a gentle hearted, social light whom everyone liked to be around. He brought to life on the screen for the first time, such classics as Ben-Hur, Billy the Kid, Just a Gigolo, Freaks, A Night at the Opera, and was the first ever to bring Shakespear to the screen with his production of Romeo and Juliet. His list of films were many...never taking credit for his films stating, "Credit you give yourself is not worth having." The only film he ever was listed in the credits for was, "The Good Earth," which since it was released after his death - he had no sayso over.
In 1927, he married famed beautiful actress, Norma Shearer. They had two children and lived in this posh home in Belle Air, (just up the street from his fellow businessman and boss, Louis Mayer.) Life could not have been better for Thalberg. He had a beautiful, and very nurtouring wife, and was the vice-executive of the then most powerful studio in Hollywood. Disaster loomed, however, in the distance. In 1932, Thalberg suffered a major heart-attack, which left him ill and weak. While he was ill - Louis Mayer replaced him with David O. Selznick and Walter Wanger. When he did return to work in 1933, it was as one of the studio's unit producers. Nonetheless, he helped develop some of MGM's most memorable films. Louis Mayer still saw the potential and talent in Thalberg, and often sought his advice, although in his condition, never returned him to his original position at MGM. Sadly, Thalberg past away of pneumonia at age 37, at his Belle Aire home on September 14, 1936, with his wife and children at his bedside.
It was truly a sad day in Hollywood, and Hollywood recognized it. On the day of his funeral, MGM closed for the entire day, and every Hollywood studio shut down operations for five minutes of silence at 10:00 AM PST. Owing to Thalberg's habit in his lifetime of not seizing the spotlight for himself, Hollywood's memorials to him after his death were relatively sedate, although heartfelt. MGM renamed their administration facility the Thalberg Building, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences created the Thalberg Award to acknowledge "Creative producers, whose bodies of work reflect a consistently high quality of motion picture production." Visit and leave flowers at his grave here. RIP Irving, you were unique and a vital to Hollywood!
TRIVIA:
After a preview of the Marie Dressler-Wallace Beery picture "Tugboat Annie" (1933), Thalberg asked director Mervyn LeRoy if a scene could be bettered by making Beery's shoes squeak. LeRoy agreed, but detailed how it would be economically prohibitive to reshoot the scene as the sets had been dismantled and the cast had dispersed. Thalberg responded, "Mervyn, I didn't ask you how much it would cost, I asked you whether it would help the picture." The scene was reshot, an example of Thalberg's perfectionism.
One of the 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)
Thalberg's final project for MGM was Marie Antoniette which was in the early stages of production at the time of his death. Ultimately, the title role went to Norma Shearer his widow who took a keen interest in the film and had always considered it an ode to Thalberg.
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