Synopsis

Hollywood in the 1920s sparkled with talent, confidence, and opportunity. Enter Irving Thalberg of Brooklyn, who survived childhood illness to run Universal Pictures at twenty; co-found Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer at twenty-four; and make stars of Lon Chaney, Norma Shearer, Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, and Jean Harlow. Known as Hollywood's "Boy Wonder," Thalberg created classics such as Ben-Hur, Tarzan the Ape Man, Grand Hotel, Freaks, Mutiny on the Bounty, and The Good Earth, but died tragically at thirty-seven. His place in the pantheon should have been assured, yet his films were not reissued for thirty years, spurring critics to question his legend and diminish his achievements. In this definitive biography, illustrated with rare photographs, Mark A. Vieira sets the record straight, using unpublished production files, financial records, and correspondence to confirm the genius of Thalberg's methods. In addition, this is the first Thalberg biography to utilize both his recorded conversations and the unpublished memoirs of his wife, Norma Shearer. Irving Thalberg is a compelling narrative of power and idealism, revealing for the first time the human being behind the legend.

Library Journal

Irving Thalberg's name is mostly lost to history, but his body of work as a film producer survives—Grand Hotel, A Day at the Races, Freaks, and Red Dust are just a few. When he died tragically in 1936 at age 37, Hollywood lost its boy wonder, the man who ran Universal Pictures at 20 and cofounded Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer four years later. Over the seven decades since his death, Thalberg's achievements have faded from memory, his name known only to film buffs and scholars. Building on his previous book on Thalberg, Vieira (Hollywood Dreams Made Real: Irving Thalberg and the Rise of M-G-M) now brings the enigmatic producer back from the fog of history. VERDICT Using previously untapped sources like production files, financial records, and correspondence, Vieira has written the definitive biography of Thalberg. Highly recommended to those looking for a well-researched work on the foundation of the studio system and the people who made Hollywood.—Teri Shiel, Westfield State Coll. Lib., MA

Biography

Mark A. Vieira is a photographer, filmmaker, and Hollywood historian. His previous books include Hurrell's Hollywood Portraits and Greta Garbo: A Cinematic Legacy.