Norma's Leading Men

Norma Shearer loved men and many lucky actors got to grace the screen with the sultry Queen. Here is a list of my favorite of Shearer's leading men and the films they starred in.

Conrad Nagel ~ 6 films
The Snob (1924)
Married Flirts (1924)
Excuse Me (1925)
Pretty Ladies (1925)
The Waning Sex (1926)
The Divorcee (1930)

Both Shearer and Nagel were very influential in the early history of MGM.


Robert Montgomery - 5 films
Their Own Desire (1929)
The Divorcee (1930)
Strangers May Kiss (1931)
Private Lives (1931)
Riptide (1934)

According to Carrie over at Classic Montgomery, Robert was one of Norma's favorite leading men. He often made her laugh on set!


John Gilbert ~ 5 films
The Snob (1924)
The Wolf Man (1924)
Married Flirts (1924)
He Who Gets Slapped (1924)
The Hollywood Revue (1929)

Shearer and Gilbert were romantically linked in the press at one time, but they were really just close friends. (Picture from Divas: The Site)


Clark Gable ~ 3 films
A Free Soul (1931)
A Strange Interlude (1932)
Idiot's Delight (1939)

Shearer hated Gable's fake veneers and she equated kissing him with kissing a horse. Gable was amazed how Shearer could turn on and off her sexuality, especially since he was always on.



Robert Taylor ~ 3 films
A Strange Interlude (1932)
Escape (1940)
Her Cardboard Lover (1942)

Both Shearer and Taylor were unhappy with their roles in Her Cardboard Lover. Oh well!



Frederic March ~ 3 films
Smilin' Through (1932)
The Barretts of Wimpole Street (1934)
Romeo and Juliet (1936)

Shearer was once considered for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind and March was a contender for the role of Ashley. We all know how that turned out.


Leslie Howard ~ 3 films
A Free Soul (1931)
Smilin' Through (1932)
Romeo and Juliet (1936)

Norma thought Leslie was simply charming. And why wouldn't she?




Johnny Mack Brown ~ 2 films
After Midnight (1927)
A Lady of Chance (1928)

Brown was at one time a college football star. Hunka hunka!




Chester Morris ~ 1 film
The Divorcee (1930)

Both Morris and Shearer had very striking profiles! Don't you think?






Ramon Novarro ~ 1 film
The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (1928)

Shearer and Novarro were close friends and Novarro introduced her to photographer George Hurrell (see previous post).




Tyrone Power ~ 1 film

Marie Antoinette (1938)


Norma had no beau to take to the film premiere of Marie Antoinette. The Queen requested Tyrone Power escort her so she could have a hot guy on her arm.

Sexy Norma and the George Hurrell photo shoot of October 1929

Norma Shearer was a big box-office draw for MGM throughout the silent era. She proved her worth to the studio when she became The First Lady of Talkies with MGM's inaugural talkie was The Trial of Mary Dugan (1929) . However, Norma had always been frustrated with the roles she had been given. She played numerous good girl parts during the silent era which made her famous but kept her type-cast. She wanted meatier more satisfying roles and even critics thought that she could rise above poor parts. However, with the advent of talking pictures her roles weren't getting any better.

After her frustration with Their Own Desire (1929), a film I absolutely adore yet was a major flop at the time, Shearer had her eye out for a very juicy part to play. MGM had been working on adapting the successful novel Ex-Wife by Ursula Parrot into the film The Divorcée. Norma Shearer's husband, MGM producer Irving Thalberg, didn't think she could be convincing as sexy, glamorous and modern and denied her the part.

Norma Shearer confided in her good friend and fellow actor Ramon Novarro, who had starred with Shearer in The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (1928), about her situation. Novarro told Shearer of a photo shoot he had done with a then unknown photographer by the name of George Hurrell. Novarro had been very satisfied with the results and recommended Hurrell to Shearer.

Shearer immediately hired Hurrell for a photo shoot, one that she kept secret from her husband Thalberg. Hurrell and Shearer worked together on revamping her image. Shearer explained to Hurrell her major flaws including the slight cast in her eye and her thick arms and legs. Hurrell, along with a small entourage, gave Shearer a makeover. They cut and styled her hair, did her make-up and dressed her in luxurious silver lamé and silk. Hurrell worked with her on various different poses that would showcase her blue eyes, hide her large forehead and chin, and make her arms and legs look long and lean.

The results were astounding and Norma Shearer was very happy. She presented the pictures to Irving Thalberg who was happily surprised to see how his wife had transformed into such a glamorous sexpot. She had thoroughly convinced him of her potential and the role of Jerry in The Divorcée (1930) was hers! Norma Shearer was very grateful to George Hurrell and using her influence at MGM, she helped him get contracted as an official MGM photographer.

I love this story because it demonstrates how Norma Shearer fought for what she wanted and even being married to the boss didn't guarantee her a free pass to any role. It also shows how Shearer overcame her flaws and never allowed herself to be in a situation she wasn't happy with. Go Norma!

Guest Post & Norma Shearer Linkage

You won't find today's entry here. You'll find it at Kate Gabrielle's excellent blog Silents and Talkies. She has done a painting for me of Norma Shearer (which I now own, yay!) and I wrote a guest post for her blog. It will be up today, so check it out and let me know what you think.

Also, while I'm linkin' it up, if you'd like to visit some excellent Norma Shearer sites here are my top three favorites. Enjoy!


Divas: The Site ~ Norma Shearer

Norma Shearer at Classic Movie Favorites

Lady of the Night ~ Norma Shearer