Norma Shearer — As She Is (1929) 🇺🇸
To Norma Shearer alone goes the credit for Norma Shearer. She herself has wrought the person and personality which make her pictures popular. Consciously and with unflagging endeavor, she has evolved the Norma Shearer of to-day from the shy, uncertain and moody youngster who left Montreal in pursuit of a nebulous rainbow. Her career has seemed meteoric. Actually, it was slow in formation, painful in progress. As, perhaps, are all brilliant careers when examined minutely.
by Margaret Reid
Now one of the first rank stars, her position has settled, after a flashing rise from obscurity, into an even security. Her reputation firmly established by a series of well-constructed, workmanlike pictures, she is an important element in the business. A few of her performances, chiefly before she became a recognized star, have been especially notable. The full range of her abilities has not yet been tested and, unfortunately, may never be while her vehicles are chosen as only the conventional shroud draped around the star. It is, however, encouraging that she is not being limited to type, but is allowed to exercise an unusual versatility.
The background on which her talent acquired form was in the turbulent era following her venture from home. From a sheltered childhood in Montreal, she went to New York as the first step toward fame. Here followed lean years of extra work in pictures, posing for advertisements, with an occasional role in some quickie thriller that left her bruised and sore. Even when Louis B. Mayer saw her and imported her to his California studio, it indicated no immediate rift in the general gloom. In Hollywood she was given extra work and infrequent bits. It was predicted that she did not photograph well enough to progress beyond this. That her eyes lacked the accepted enormous baby stares, was pointed out as precluding her from beauty.
At this period Norma was prey to an inferiority complex. With the acute dolor of youth in difficulties, she felt herself to be the least of mortals. There was no place for her in the world. Nowhere, and to no one, was she of value. Desperately she tried to mask her inadequate self in semblances of scintillating personality. Nervous, unhappy, without hope, she was convinced that her doom was total obscurity.
It was inevitable that some discriminating person should finally realize her capabilities. She was given a role. With her success in this, Norma Shearer began to emerge from the chrysalis in which she had concealed herself. To-day devoid of pretense or pretentions, poised, confident, and keenly aware, she is one of the dominant personalities of Hollywood.
To the interviewer’s delight, Norma can discourse intelligently on any subject one cares to broach. Her opinions are definite, but only formed after careful thought. She is never rash in her statements, never flippant in her decisions. Shrewd common sense is her motivating impulse, a sane, normal mind that is infinitely refreshing in this community of extremes.
The tranquility suggested in her clear, lovely brow is now a part of her nature. It sometimes disturbs her a little that she so completely lacks temperament. She is a little ashamed of the fact that she can spend the morning in a trying, emotional scene and then drop into a peaceful nap in her dressing room. Nerves are foreign to her. It is the gift for relaxation that sustains her vitality throughout the duration of a picture.
And her vitality is magnificent. She is tremendously alive, essentially vital — vivacious without being effervescent. She is a crack tennis player, an expert horsewoman, and her swimming prowess is already common knowledge. Norma, driving from a high springboard, cleaving the water as neatly as a dart, is one of the reasons for swimming-pool parties.
Her beauty is a trifle breath taking. Supplemented by very little make-up, her fair skin, high color and clearly etched features make her appearance dazzling. She dresses extremely well, shopping principally in New York. One of those maddening people who never seem to rumple or perspire, she always looks, even at the end of a hard day, or a fast set of tennis, as if she had just stepped from her dressing room, freshly bathed, powdered and combed.
Instinctive good taste is reflected in the things with which she surrounds herself. Her dressing-room suite she recently had done over in the modern mode. Pale green, silver and lavender dominate — essentially Shearer’s colors. Her long Rolls-Royce car is pale tan. Her jewels are gorgeous, but never gaudy.
The wife of Irving Thalberg, her social position demands dignity and tact. Both these qualities Norma has, together with an impulsive friendliness. An abundance of charm draws people to her, but intimacy is difficult. This is explained by the natural shyness she has never quite outgrown. Back of the barrier it raises, is a warm kindliness for people in general, a tolerant understanding of their foibles, a refusal to pass judgment on any one She has a keen sense of responsibility in her work. There are no ragged details in a Shearer production. With infinite care she approaches every new picture, efficient in her knowledge of its requirements. Of her recent pictures, she liked best The Actress, her first costume picture. She deplores the fact that costume pictures are not popular, but does not condemn the public’s distaste for them. It amazes her that she has been successful in comedy. She thinks she has no gift for it, and would like to be able to clown as Marion Davies does. She is looking forward to doing The Last of Mrs. Cheyney, the stage play which starred Ina Claire. It will be interesting to watch for Norma’s first talking picture. Her voice is clear, and her pure, English enunciation is well adapted to the innovation. While every one else is running, frightened, to voice cultivators, Norma is making no preparations. It is her contention that the screen is in danger of being swamped with exponents of the Shakespearean method of speech, regardless of the modern inclination toward naturalness.
A serenely happy person, she is almost humbly grateful for the indulgence of the gods. Her marriage is a particularly auspicious one, romantically successful. She and her brilliant young husband share every interest and every pleasure. Outside working hours, they seek quiet entertainment rather than large parties. On frequent week-ends they fly down to Tijuana. At other times, they prefer the indolence of Sundays at their beach house. They have not bought a home, to avoid being tied down. For a while they rented Gloria Swanson’s house, then after their return from Europe, the house they now have at Santa Monica.
When they were in Europe, Norma was dismayed at her ignorance of history, when confronted by historical places that fascinated her. Since their return she has been methodically studying every period, and adoring it. And her youthful enthusiasm will not abate before she has acquired a thorough knowledge of the subject. This in itself indicates her character, and points beyond her inherent gayety to the earnestness which made of her a star.
Norma Shearer has emerged from her chrysalis of shyness and moodiness.
Photo by: Ruth Harriet Louise (1903–1940)
Collection: Picture Play Magazine, January 1929
John Gilbert’s Juliet — on the screen. Norma Shearer appears in the Balcony Scene with Jack as her Romeo in The Hollywood Revue of 1929. The revue will include everything from a bit of Shakespeare to more than a dash of Ziegfeld. Miss Shearer has the distinction of being the first woman to play a Shakespearean rôle in the talkies. And it is no small achievement to recite blank verse before the all-too-modern microphone.
Photo by: Ruth Harriet Louise (1903–1940)
Collection: Photoplay Magazine, September 1929