Irving Thalberg

Irving Thalberg (May 30th 1899 - September 14th 1936) is a Producteur of American cinema of the beginnings of the cinema.

It was called the marvellous boy ( The Wonder Boy ) for his youth and its unequalled skill to choose good scripts and to draw some from profitable films.

Wire of German Jewish immigrants, Thalberg is born in Brooklyn. At the conclusion of its studies, it is engaged with the New-Yorkais head office of prestigious Universal Pictures. There, he works in the capacity as personal secretary of the legendary founder of the studios Universal, Carl Laemble. Shining and tough, at 21 years it is named tallies in load of productions on the Californian site of the studios, Universal City.

Quickly, Thalberg shows of force and authority. Thus, in 1922 he is opposed to Erich von Stroheim concerning the length of Foolish Wives and control all the aspects of production of Uneven of Notre Dame (1923). However, in 1924, it takes a new turning in its career by leaving Universal for the productions Louis B. Mayer which, can of time after will be linked in Metro Pictures Corporation to found well-known the Subway-Goldwyn-Mayer. Thalberg is also famous to have created it “links production management design”, the Hollywood productions were finally divided into “units”, dividing by there the creative control of a film between producer, director,…

He is its first success for the MGM since 1925 with The Big Parade (1925), directed by King Vidor. Thereafter, until 1932, it supervises all the important productions and carefully combines preparation of the pre-productions with of Sneak previews which measure the answer of the public.

But, whereas its heat in work enables him always to obtain the best results, Thalberg is caught up with by the reality of a fragile health. Reached, since the birth, of cardiac problems, it is victim into 1932 of an infarction. Benefitting from this moment of disability, Louis B. Mayer, who jealous for some time the capacity and success of Thalberg, decides to replace it by David O. Selznick and Walter Wanger. When Thalberg resumes work, in 1933, it is nothing any more but one of the producers of the studio. Nevertheless, it takes part in the development of some ones of the most prestigious companies of the MGM like Grand Hotel (1932), Mutiny one the Bounty (1935), China Seas (1935), has Night At the Opera (1935) with Marx Brothers, San Francisco (1936), and Romeo and Juliet (1936). On the sentimental level, on its arrival at MGM, Thalberg attended the actress Norma Shearer. He marries it in 1927 and wishes to make of her an housewife. But Norma refuses to give up its career of actress. Consequently, her husband entrusting better roles to him, it will become tallest star of the MGM during the Thirties. Together, they had two children, Irving Jr. (1930-1987) and Katherine (1935-2006).

Thalberg is old only of 37 years when it drives of a pneumonia, in Santa Monica, in California during the pre-production of Day At the Races (1937) has, and Marie Antoinette (1938).

Of alive sound, Thalberg refused that its name appears on the screen and the following expression was lent to him: " Credit you give yourself is not worth having". This is why you will only find it only with the credits of two films. Thus, at the end of its last work, The Good Earth (1937), one can read: " To the Memory off Irving Grant Thalberg his last greatest achievement we dedicate this picture". The other dedication goes back to 1939 for Goodbye, Mr. Chips, a film which it had started little time before his death.

Francis Scott Fitzgerald, in its last and unfinished Romance, The Last Tycoon (the Last Nabob), largely took as a starting point Thalberg to create its main character: attractive Monroe Stahr. Just like Thalberg, Stahr brilliant, authoritative, popular, is married with the star of the studio and fragile physiologically. The book was adapted to the cinema in 1976 by Elia Kazan with Robert De Niro in the main role but also Robert Mitchum, Jeanne Moreau, Theresa Russel and Jack Nicholson. In addition, Robert Evans also proposed his vision of Thalberg in the Man film off has Thousand Faces.

Thalberg rests in the large mausoleum of Forest Lawn Memorial Park de Glendale, in Californier. Norma Shearer joined there in 1983, it which had made engrave on the tomb of her late husband: " My Sweetheart Forever".

A price decreed by Academy off Motion Picture Arts and Sciences bears its name.

Jean-Luc Godard pays a homage supported in to him Histoire (S) of the cinema .

Random links: