Irving Thalberg: Boy Wonder to Producer Prince Contributor(s): Vieira, Mark A. (Author) |
|
![]() |
ISBN: 0520260481 ISBN-13: 9780520260481 Publisher: University of California Press OUR PRICE: $46.48 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: November 2009 Annotation: "I thought I knew the story of Irving Thalberg, Hollywood's fabled boy wonder, but I learned a lot from this well-written, diligently researched book. Mark Vieira immerses us in Thalberg's life and career and sheds new light on the workings of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer at the peak of its powers. This is an altogether remarkable piece of work. "--Leonard Maltin, film critic and historian "Mark A. Vieira's book is exceptionally well researched and makes a tremendous contribution to our understanding of an extraordinary era."--Kevin Brownlow, film historian and filmmaker |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Biography & Autobiography | Entertainment & Performing Arts - Performing Arts | Film - Direction & Production |
Dewey: B |
LCCN: 2009011534 |
Physical Information: 1.44" H x 6.42" W x 9.02" (1.96 lbs) 526 pages |
Themes: - Chronological Period - 1900-1949 |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: 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 In this definitive biography, illustrated with rare photographs, Mark A. Vieira sets the record straight, using unpublished production files, financial records, and correspondence to confirm the genius of Thalberg's methods. In addition, this is the first Thalberg biography to utilize both his recorded conversations and the unpublished memoirs of his wife, Norma Shearer.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. |