A Hollywood Star at Last

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 18, 9 November 1934, Page 48

A Hollywood Star at Last

: The Life Story of Norma Shearer (Special to the "Radio R ecord.")

star," Norma admitted. "I thought that if I could’ just earn a-fairly comfortable living, 1 would be content. I was making a comfortable salary working for the commercial artists, and I enjoyed it. At the end of our third year in New York © I was resigned to jogging along. And then, out of the blue, came two offers-one from the Roach ‘studios and a little later one from the L. B. Mayer studios in Hollywood." er Irving Thalberg had left Universal atid gone first with Hal Roach, and later with Louis B. Mayer.» He had not forgotten the girl who had attracted his attention in "The Stealers," and from both studios he-sent offers to her agent in New York. Thalberg still keeps the letters which Norma wrote him at the time she rejected his Universal offer-a letter full of appreciation and apologies for not accepting. it. When the offer of a contract, containing a.fourweeks’ guarantee and an option for five years with rai!road fare for herself and her' mother,‘came from the L. B. Mayer studios, Norma accepted it immediately. She. and her..mother packed their trunks and left for Hollywood, leaving Athole married in New York. "T thought I was somebody," Norma laughed,. "and when no one met the train in Los Angeles I was heartsick with. disappointment. Mother and I knew ‘nothing | about the town, and finally found our way to the Hollywood Hotel. .The next day I started for the studio. | HAD given up the idea of ever becoming a

A man who lived at the hotel offered to drive me there, otherwise I don’t know how I should ever have found it?" That day Norma met Irving Thalberg for the first time. She was sent to his office and, thinking that he was an office boy ,asked him if she could see Mr. Thaiberg. "When he told me that he was Mr. Thalberg, I was speechless with surprise," Norma laughed. "Somehow I had always imagined that the Irving Thalberg who had-signed the contract was a much older and dignified sort of person. And it wasn’t until months later that I discovered that ‘he was responsible for the other two offers which I had received from Hollywood. One day I was in his office arguing about getting better parts; I said, ‘You know, Mr. Thalberg, I didn’t have to come to this studio. I had two other offers.’ He burst out laughing, and suddenly I realised that the name Thalberg had been signed to all three offers. That. squelched me." For the first three or four years Norma worked hard and long. She was determined to succeed. She and her mother lived in a small rented bungalow in Hollywood, and, after a few months, they bought a little car, which Norma drove gaily back and forth to the studio. "Tl never forget the agony of the first weeks," Norma smiled. "The studio mailed my first two salary cheques to me, and, somehow, they were lost in the mail. When they didn’t appear, I thought that the studio was displeased with me and that they weren’t going to pay me, and I was afraid to ask them about the cheques. You'll never know the terrific relief when they finally arrived." ° . Except for a casual business association, Norma and: Irving Thalberg saw nothing of each other during those first years. It was only after Norma had been made a star that Thalberg invited her to go out with him. And then he had his secretary telephone her to ask her to go to a premiere with him. "I know now that I was probably in love with {rving from the very first meeting,’ Norma confessed. "At that time I didn’t realise the feeling. I only knew that his utter indifference and his business-like attitude piqued me. My tears and pleadings didn’t do any good when it came to irifluencing his decisions about: parts which I wanted to play. I learned to respect. his judgment and to feel that he was right. Even to-day, as his wife, I call him Mr. Thalberg in his office or on a sound stage, and I never walk into his office without consulting his secretary first. We both have triedand I think we’ve succeeded-to keep our business and personal lives entirely. separate." Norma’s first two pictures were "The Wanters" and "The Pleasure Man." Then followed a long series of pictures in which she advanced from small parts to featured roles, and, finally, to stardom. Norma -and Irving Thalberg were married in the

garden of Thalherg’s home. In August, 1930, their son, Irving, jun., was born. Before this, © Norma had made "The Divorcee" and "Let Us Be Gay." She and Mr. Thalberg had almost definitely decided that, with the birth of the baby, she should give up her screen career and devote her life to wifehood and motherhood. But the success af "The Divorcee," which. won for her the award of the Academy of Motion. Picture Arts and Sciences for the best feminine performance of the year, ‘changed’ the decision and Norma returned to her studio to make another big success, "Strangers May Kiss." Norma, and her husband and baby have taken two trips to. Europe-one when Irving, jun., was six months ald, and the other recently, when they went to Germany because of Mr. Thalberg’s health, "] never know what I am going to do next until I receive my ‘assignment, Norma -said. "Only twice in my life haye I begged Irving and Mr. Mayer to let me do a picture. The first time was ‘Mary Dugan.’ I was eager to do it, to get away from the : sweet-girl parts’ which I had been playing. They wouldn’t listen to me. So [pers -- suaded Bayard Veiller, the author, to make a test of me without telling anyone about it. Then I showed the test to the two bosses, and they liked. it so well that they let me do the role. ,

"When the studio bought Ursula Parrott’s novel, ‘Ex- Wife,’ I wanted to play the part. Once again they wouldn’t listen to me. This time some publicity pictures did the trick. I had a sitting made in a loyely negligee with my hair in a mad mass of ringlets, and showed: them to Irving and Mr. Mayer. I begged them to give me a chance at the part. If I didn’t good, I_promised to give it up without a word." . Norma’s career: in Hollywood has been different from that of any other star in at least one respect; she alone has dared to try a succession of roles made famous by the Olympians of the stage. The fifth preduction of this kind, "The Barretts of Wimpole Street," has already been finished, and the sixth, "Marie Antoinette," is in preparation, . Lynne Fontanne, Jane Cowl, Ina Claire, Ann Hara-ing-Norma Shearer has matched footprints with them all. Katherine Cornell, who is rated by critics as the premiere dramatic actress of the American theatre, is the latest addition to this list, for .in "The Barretts of Wimpole Street" Norma is playing the role of Elizabeth, the part which Miss Cornell made famous on the stage. She was once asked if fear of comparison in these famous rales ever frightened her. "Yes, Pm always afraid," she admitted. ‘I can’t remember being in any picture and not being afraid, deep down inside; and especially in pictures made from fine time-tested plays, I naturally feel a great responsibility. . "Following great stage actresses in parts they created is always difficult, but the inspiration gained by having seen them in these parts more than furnishes the "Sometimes, though, this makes it difficult to refrain from copying their style ...a temptation which would be fatal if gratified. Every actress must interpret and play a role her own. way. . She must do it in whatever way is natural to-herself, otherwise it becomes unconvincing and false, and the screen detects nothing more quickly than. this." It took nerve to attempt Ina Claire’s celebrated ‘role: in "The Last of Mrs. Cheney," and’ it was an experi- — ment closely watched. But instead of derogatory ‘eri-

ticism, ithe picture carried Norma several steps. toward the title of "First Lady of the Screen." 7 "Strange Interlude’ was the third and most advanced of the. intellectual films. The sombre OQ’Neiil trilogy had caiised a deep artistic stir, even when ‘it was produced on the Broadway stage; few stage actresses would have dared-to attempt it, but Lynne: Fontanne had set a new level of artistry, and made it world famous. The film emergéd, adding greatly to’ Norma’s interest as an actress: ° 7 Stas Poa "Strange Interlude’ is my favourite play," Norma once said, "Tt is so rich in dramatic moments, and its character's so interesting that I forgot fear in the fascination of the job." "Smilin? Through" came next. It was Norma’s most successful picture, and won for her the Photoplay (American motion picture magazine) Gold Medal award for 1933. Although Jane Cowl had played it on Broadway, Miss Shearer’s reputation had by that time reached a point where critical comparison was forestalled. The subtly delineated sentiment of the story tauched a responding chord in public approval. It is the star’s outstanding part to date. Norma has now finished work on "The Barretts of Wimpole Street," and "Marie Antoinette" is announced as her next film. "Smilin? Through" and "The Barretts of Wimpole Street" are alike in several respects: Sidney Franklin directed, and Frederic March played the leading man for both, and both stories have a sentimental theme. "The Barretts of Wimpole Street" is notable also for the fact that all three of the principal players have won the. Motion Picture Academy Award, the highest acting award in the picture world, for the best acting performance of the year-Norma Shearer for "The Divorcee," Frederic: March for "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," and Charles. Laughton only last year. for -his work in the British: film, "The Private Life of Henry the Eighth"... And stich is Norma Shearer’s life story ‘to date-a story of luck, determination, hard work, and-most im--portant-pluck. = Ue nas . THE END,