Irving Thalberg

Irving Grant Thalberg was an American film producer during the early years of motion pictures. During his twelve years with MGM, until his early death at the aged of 37, he produced four hundred films. He synthesized and merged the world of stage drama and literary classics with Hollywood films.

About Irving Thalberg in brief

Summary Irving ThalbergIrving Grant Thalberg was an American film producer during the early years of motion pictures. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and as a child was afflicted with a congenital heart disease that doctors said would kill him before he reached the age of thirty. After graduating from high school he worked as a store clerk during the day and to gain some job skills took a night class in typing. He then found work as a secretary with Universal Studios’ New York office, and was later made studio manager for their Los Angeles facility. In Los Angeles, he partnered with Louis B. Mayer’s new studio and, after it merged with two other studios, helped create Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. During his twelve years with MGM, until his early death at the aged of 37, he produced four hundred films, most of which bore his imprint and innovations. He synthesized and merged the world of stage drama and literary classics with Hollywood films. He created numerous new stars and groomed their screen images. Among them were Lon Chaney, Ramon Novarro, John Gilbert, Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Wallace Beery, Luise Rainer, Greta Garbo, Lionel Barrymore, and Norma Shearer, who became his wife. President Franklin D. Roosevelt wrote, \”The world of art is poorer with the passing of Irving Thalburg. His high ideals, insight and imagination went into the production of his masterpieces. \” The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, given out periodically by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1937, has been awarded to producers whose body of work reflected consistently high quality films.

: 3He was called \”The Boy Wonder\” for his youth and ability to select scripts, choose actors, gather production staff, and make profitable films, including Grand Hotel, China Seas, Camille, Mutiny on the Bounty and The Good Earth. He introduced horror films to audiences and coauthored the \”Production Code\”, guidelines for morality followed by all studios. When he turned 18, he placed an advertisement in the local newspaper hoping to find better work: Secretary, stenographer, Spanish, Spanish shorthand. He later became a personal secretary and later became personal secretary at the New York USD’s office. He had no high school education, no college experience, and no experience in English, English, French, or Spanish. He returned to high school but lacked the stamina and cramming for exams for college, which he felt would have required constant studying for exams. He devoured popular novels, classics, plays and biographies, and led to his interest in classical and philosophy philosophers, such as William James. : 4With little to entertain him, he read books as a main activity. When he was 17 he contracted rheumatic fever,. and was confined to bed for a year. His mother, in order to prevent him falling too far behind other students, brought him homework from school, books and tutors to teach him at home.