{"title":"Oblique Casting and Early MGM","authors":"Ana Salzberg","doi":"10.3366/edinburgh/9781474451048.003.0002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3366/edinburgh/9781474451048.003.0002","url":null,"abstract":"This chapter explores Thalberg’s theory of “oblique casting,” which called for stars to move between different kinds of roles and so gain dimensionality in their performance styles and public personas. The chapter considers the legendarily versatile Lon Chaney’s performance in the first film produced by MGM, He Who Gets Slapped (Sjostrom, 1924), as well as highlighting the Thalberg-produced work of Marion Davies. Less acclaimed than Chaney but comparable in the fluidity of her characterizations – or, more specifically, impersonations of fellow stars – Davies’ work in The Patsy and Show People (both Vidor, 1928) speaks further to Thalberg’s concern with the polymorphic potential of the human form. The analysis also considers the formation of MGM itself, arguing that the versatility of oblique casting provides a conceptual parallel to the new studio’s process of self-definition.","PeriodicalId":401757,"journal":{"name":"Produced by Irving Thalberg","volume":"101 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127492136","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Love Stories and General Principles: The Development of the Production Code","authors":"Ana Salzberg","doi":"10.3366/edinburgh/9781474451048.003.0005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3366/edinburgh/9781474451048.003.0005","url":null,"abstract":"This chapter examines Thalberg’s role in crafting the Motion Picture Production Code and its influence on cinematic sensuality in a post-talkie context. In 1929, Thalberg would write “General Principles to Cover the Preparation of a Revised Code of Ethics for Talking Pictures” on behalf of a three-person subcommittee, thus informing the industry’s adoption of a formal Production Code in 1930. These Principles outline Thalberg’s theorization of how studios could engage with the issue of regulation while still maintaining their commitment to “entertainment value.” The chapter takes these General Principles – and Thalberg’s extemporaneous defence of them at a 1930 meeting of the Association of Motion Picture Producers – as a lens through which to consider early-Code films such as Norma Shearer vehicle The Divorcée (Leonard, 1930) and Anita Loos-penned Red-Headed Woman (Conway, 1932), starring Jean Harlow.","PeriodicalId":401757,"journal":{"name":"Produced by Irving Thalberg","volume":"6 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"117248585","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Intelligent Producer and the Restructuring of MGM","authors":"Ana Salzberg","doi":"10.3366/edinburgh/9781474451048.003.0006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3366/edinburgh/9781474451048.003.0006","url":null,"abstract":"This chapter considers the impact of the 1933 studio restructuring that effectively demoted Thalberg from head of production to unit producer. In response, Thalberg would set out affirmations of his production ethos in private letters and a public article. In the case of the latter, Thalberg conceives of “the intelligent producer” who spares no creative or monetary expense in crafting entertainment – and in this way, Thalberg constructs an alternative to the Boy Wonder double that had shadowed him since the start of his career. The chapter argues that these personal and public statements present a theoretical turning point at which Thalberg reflected – and expanded – upon established concepts to conceive of a new future for production. The chapter explores how this transitional era played out in Thalberg’s films of the period, looking at Strange Interlude (Leonard, 1932), The Barretts of Wimpole Street (Franklin, 1934), and The Merry Widow (Lubitsch, 1934).","PeriodicalId":401757,"journal":{"name":"Produced by Irving Thalberg","volume":"11 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132769695","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Once a Star, Always a Star","authors":"Ana Salzberg","doi":"10.3366/edinburgh/9781474451048.003.0008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3366/edinburgh/9781474451048.003.0008","url":null,"abstract":"The conclusion reflects on why, and how, Thalberg’s theories of filmmaking matter today. A concept established by Thalberg himself provides the framework: “Once a star, always a star. […] When you’re a champion in this business, you’re always a champion.” This “once a star, always a star” ethos speaks to more than just the longevity of a career; it is a kind of prophecy articulating the continual re-emergence of Hollywood’s, and Thalberg’s, history in the contemporary moment. Accordingly, the chapter traces the development of Thalberg’s afterlife – distinguishing between, while acknowledging the interconnectedness of, the allure of his myth and the importance of his cinematic and theoretical contributions.","PeriodicalId":401757,"journal":{"name":"Produced by Irving Thalberg","volume":"48 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129247601","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"One Great Scene: Thalberg’s Silent Spectacles","authors":"Ana Salzberg","doi":"10.3366/edinburgh/9781474451048.003.0003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3366/edinburgh/9781474451048.003.0003","url":null,"abstract":"This chapter focuses on Thalberg’s conviction that “every great film must have one great scene,” exploring what this meant for the dramatic and visual scale of epic filmmaking of the day. The chapter considers this theory in relation to The Big Parade (Vidor, 1925) and La Bohème (Vidor, 1926), looking closely at the ways that “great scenes” played out on the big screens of early movie palaces like Grauman’s Egyptian. Thalberg’s role in enhancing the star presences of John Gilbert and Lillian Gish also features here, providing case studies of the development of his star-making process. Indeed, inasmuch as Gilbert is the leading actor in both films, the chapter also explores his significance to Thalberg’s silent-era productions.","PeriodicalId":401757,"journal":{"name":"Produced by Irving Thalberg","volume":"300 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133712931","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Entertainment Value and Sound Cinema","authors":"Ana Salzberg","doi":"10.3366/edinburgh/9781474451048.003.0004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3366/edinburgh/9781474451048.003.0004","url":null,"abstract":"This chapter explores how the rise of sound cinema impacted Thalberg’s approach to filmmaking. Like others in the industry, Thalberg did not initially recognize the dominance of the talkies; yet in a 1929 lecture, he would frame his response to sound within a broader theory of “entertainment value.” Here, Thalberg aligned the new technology with a more fundamental imperative to provide meaningful and immersive productions for the public. The chapter draws from this cohesive commentary and look closely at three films released in various stages of the talkie revolution – Garbo vehicle Wild Orchids (Franklin, 1929), foundational musical Broadway Melody of 1929 (Beaumont, 1929), and Chaney tour-de-force The Unholy Three (Conway, 1930) – to consider Thalberg’s response to sound as part of his broader conception of “entertainment value” rather than as an isolated historical episode.","PeriodicalId":401757,"journal":{"name":"Produced by Irving Thalberg","volume":"71 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128256113","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"“What can we do to make the picture better?”","authors":"Ana Salzberg","doi":"10.3366/edinburgh/9781474451048.003.0007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3366/edinburgh/9781474451048.003.0007","url":null,"abstract":"This chapter explores the implications of the MGM restructuring, specifically in relation to Thalberg’s focus on retakes. Thalberg had established the process to ensure the quality of a given film, asking, “What can we do to make the picture better?” The chapter reframes that abiding question as part of a broader reflection on Thalberg’s shifting production style and role at the studio in these last years of his life. At this time, Thalberg sought to improve upon his own cinematic oeuvre, effectively “retaking” his thematic concerns and visual style in historical epics Mutiny on the Bounty (Lloyd, 1935) and Romeo and Juliet (Cukor, 1936). The chapter concludes with a discussion of two of Thalberg’s unfinished projects: the film Marie Antoinette (Van Dyke, 1938), which set in motion Norma Shearer’s challenges in carrying on her husband’s legacy; and the plans for Thalberg’s own production studio.","PeriodicalId":401757,"journal":{"name":"Produced by Irving Thalberg","volume":"7 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122359032","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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