Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Infinite Talent, Timeless Beauty



Considering that Bette Davis, Katharine Hepburn, Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, Louise Brooks, Barbara Stanwyck, Gloria Swanson, Jean Harlow, and Carole Lombard all made their initial splashes in either the late 1920s or early 1930s, it's sometimes easily forgotten that the biggest female star of all during that era was Norma Shearer. Shearer, folks, was the "it-girl" back then, the very first super-star at MGM, and, along with Ms. Garbo, one of the very few actresses of that generation to make the quantum leap from silent features to talkies. The women received a total of six Oscar nominations and won the Oscar in 1930 ("The Divorcee"). Shearer was also one of the very first famous women to ever pose naked. Bada-bing-bada-boom, in other words.

3 comments:

Dervish Sanders said...

I've never heard of her nor seen any movie she starred it.

In regards to her "timeless beauty"... I found the following anecdote on her Wikipedia page...

Florenz Ziegfeld, who was currently preparing a new season of his famous Follies... turned Shearer down flat, reportedly calling her a "dog", and criticized her crossed eyes and stubby legs.

In other words, NO "bada-bing-bada-boom", at least as far as Ziegfeld was concerned.

John Myste said...

Well, I didn't even care for the second picture, so I must assume I am not a fan.

Will "take no prisoners" Hart said...

Tis, as they say, gentlemen, all in the eyes of the beholder (I, for one, love it when the eyes don't match).