Thalberg

by Roland Flamini

Here, at last, is the first major biography of Irving Thalberg, one of the most influential and fascinating figures in 1920s and 30s Hollywood and the inspiration for F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Last Tycoon.

Born with a weak heart and told by doctors that he would not live past thirty (he died at thirty-seven), Thalberg lived and worked with an uncommon intensity. At the age of twenty-three, he joined forces with Louis B. Mayer to build M-G-M into Hollywood's biggest and most successful studio, noted for its style, glamour, uncomprising production standards, and vast roster of stars. His vision shaped the writing, casting, and editing of every M-G-M film, including Ben-Hur, Grand Hotel, Mutiny on the Bounty, and A Night at the Opera.

Genres: Film, Biography, Nonfiction

309 pages, Hardcover

First published August 8, 1995

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

When this book concentrates on the movie business and Thalberg's remarkable part in the history of filmmaking, it's brilliant. I was totally swept away by the story of this brilliantly focused man.

But (there's usually a 'But' isn't there?), the writer too often focuses on Thalberg's love life (or lack of). Much of it is speculation written as fact, and that was boring and eye rolling.

At one point, there is a suggestion that Thalberg and his wife, Norma Shear, were sexual inactive, yet the paragraph ends with a comment about a heavily pregnant Shear.

But let's focus on the positives:

The book casts an illuminating eye on the 1920s/30s movie business, and it has a wonderful cast of heroes, villains, and wannabes. If you read it for this and ignore the attempts at salaciousness, then this is a very worthy read.

[Debi Emerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating! Well written & well researched.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat tepid bio. Learned done new things but otherwise not super engaging.

A weird note: Oddly the author breaks the fourth wall periodically. Doesn't match the rest of the book. Weird.

[Rob Smith, Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a tremendous biography of a creative genius who knew his time was short and decided not to sit around and mope about it, but went out and lived life to it's very fullest, thereby changing an industry. I really like the author's focus on Thalberg's greatest achievement, his work in film. There would seem to be nothing else to focus on, but the writer really delves deep into the inner workings of Thalberg's work. A reader can telly get the feeling of someone, like Thalberg,that runs hard with a weak constitution.

I comboed this with reading 'The Last Tycoon' by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald based his main character Monroe Stahr on Thalberg and Fitzgerald's dealing with him and the Mayer studio system. The two authors either were both accurate in their portrayals or both way off. Reading both at the same time really fleshed out the biography further. Though I recommend e Flamini's book over Fitzgeralds.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good, detailed biography. A little too detailed, when it comes to his sex life.

[Laura Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did not shed as much light as I was led to believe, but still pretty good.

[Henry Barcohana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am playing him in a play, so I decided to read this as apart of my research. It's an interesting read. He was a remarkable man.