Hollywood Dreams Made Real: Irving Thalberg and the Rise of M-G-M

by Mark A. Vieira

Book Overview

Nicknamed the "Boy Wonder," Irving G. Thalberg was running Universal Pictures at the age of twenty, and he cofounded Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer at twenty-four. Between 1924 and 1936, he supervised 400 memorable movies, making stars of Lon Chaney, Jean Harlow, Clark Gable, Joan Crawford, John Gilbert, and Greta Garbo. By the time of his death at thirty-seven, Thalberg had lifted film to the level of fine art. In this groundbreaking book, Mark A. Vieira draws on newly discovered interviews and production records; the unpublished autobiography of Thalberg's wife, superstar Norma Shearer; and a treasure trove of unseen images to vividly recount the making of Ben-Hur, The Big Parade, Tarzan the Ape Man, Grand Hotel, Mutiny on the Bounty, A Night at the Opera, and scores of other classics. Hollywood Dreams Made Real is a fresh portrait of the prime architect of the studio system and an enchanting tour of the magical world he created.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0810972344
• ISBN13: 9780810972346
• Release Date: November 2008
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 3.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 9.4" x 11.4"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Better than expected.

It isn't often that things in life exceed your expectations, but this book certainly did. The photographs were stunning, and the text was insightful and well written. The only thing that spoilt the experience was finding that the book had been damaged BEFORE it had been shipped, but they shipped it anyway!

Beautiful Book

This is a wonderful book and I enjoyed reading about Irving Thalberg. The photographs are great. I loved the cover photograph of Joan Crawford.

Gorgeous Pictures!

The book contains loads of great pictures, but I mainly bought it for the info about Irving Thalberg. For a man who really molded early Hollywood, there has been little written about him (or about his wife Norma Shearer). I hope the author will go ahead and write a bio of Irving that is more complete, but this book is a great start.

Step Back into Old Hollywood...it's worth the trip!

A book done with elegance and splendor! Mark Vieria captures the allure and magical time of Hollywood. The collection of photographs along with the writing allows us into the world of Irving Thalberg and ultimately...opens our eyes to how dreams come true. I do podcast shows on Los Angeles and was very lucky to have Mark as a guest. You can listen and discover: [...]

Journey back to the heyday of MGM

I found this book delightful; chock full of photos rarely if ever seen. The accompanying text is up to this author's usual high standards. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the history and lore of old Hollywood. If you like this book,the other Hollywood books written by this author available at this website are equally informative, entertaining, and lavishly illustrated.