Edith Norma Shearer was a Canadian-American actress who was active in motion pictures during the "Golden Age of Hollywood", often portraying spunky, sexually liberated ingénues. During her 23-year career, she appeared in adaptations of Noël Coward, Eugene O'Neill and William Shakespeare. Reviewing Shearer's work, film critic and author Mick LaSalle called her "the exemplar of sophisticated 1930s womanhood ... exploring love and sex with an honesty that would be considered frank by modern standards." He described her as a feminist pioneer, "the first American actress to make it chic and acceptable to be single and not a virgin on screen."
Empty Hands is a 1924 American silent romantic drama film directed by Victor Fleming, and starring Jack Holt and Norma Shearer. The film was produced by the Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures.
A Slave of Fashion is a 1925 American silent romantic comedy film directed by Hobart Henley. The film stars Norma Shearer and Lew Cody, with William Haines. A young Joan Crawford had an early uncredited role as a mannequin.
Norma Shearer (1902–1983) was a Canadian American film actress who was nominated five times for an Academy Award. She and her sister Athole were assisted in their pursuit of show business careers by their mother Edith Fisher Shearer. After amassing numerous letters of introduction from a variety of show business-related people in Canada, the trio relocated to New York, hoping to get into musical theatre.
The Sign on the Door is a 1921 American silent drama film starring Norma Talmadge and Lew Cody. The film was directed and written by Herbert Brenon, and based upon the 1919 play of the same name by Channing Pollock. A copy of this film is in the Library of Congress film archive.
Broken Barriers is a 1924 American silent drama film starring James Kirkwood, Norma Shearer, and Adolphe Menjou. Directed by Reginald Barker, the film is based upon the novel of the same name by Meredith Nicholson.
Private Lives is a 1931 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Sidney Franklin. The screenplay by Hanns Kräly and Richard Schayer is based on the 1930 play Private Lives by Noël Coward.
A Lady of Chance is a 1928 silent film directed by Robert Z. Leonard. The film is based upon the story "Little Angel" by Leroy Scott and is Norma Shearer's last silent film. Although the film was released with added dialogue scenes, Shearer can't be heard. The film's copyright was renewed, so it will not be in the public domain until January 1, 2024.
Excuse Me is a 1925 American silent comedy film starring Norma Shearer and Conrad Nagel. It was directed by Alfred J. Goulding, and based on the 1911 play of the same name written by best-selling novelist Rupert Hughes. The comedy concerns naval officer Harry Mallory and his would-be bride Marjorie Newton who spend most of their time running up and down a train looking for a clergyman to marry them.
The Waning Sex is a 1926 American silent romantic comedy film directed by Robert Z. Leonard. Based on the 1923 play of the same name by Fanny and Frederic Hatton, the film starred Norma Shearer and Conrad Nagel.
The Demi-Bride is a 1927 American comedy film directed by Robert Z. Leonard, depicting the naughtiness synonymous with Paris at the time. The film is considered lost.
Cradle Snatchers is a 1927 American silent comedy film directed by Howard Hawks. The picture is based on the 1925 Russell Medcraft and Norma Mitchell stage play of the same name that starred Mary Boland, Edna May Oliver, and Humphrey Bogart. An incomplete copy, missing part of reel 3 and all of reel 4, exists in the Library of Congress.
Let Us Be Gay is a 1930 American pre-Code romantic comedy-drama film produced and distributed by MGM. It was directed by Robert Z. Leonard and stars Norma Shearer. It was filmed concurrently with and based upon the 1929 play by Rachel Crothers starring Tallulah Bankhead, which ran for 128 performances at London's Lyric Theater. Critics generally preferred Tallulah's rendition to Shearer's.
The Wanters is a 1923 American silent society drama film produced by Louis B. Mayer, directed by John M. Stahl and distributed by Associated First National Pictures, which became First National Pictures in 1924. The film stars Marie Prevost, Robert Ellis, and Norma Shearer.
Man and Wife is a 1923 American silent domestic drama film starring Maurice Costello and a young Norma Shearer. It was directed by John L. McCutcheon, produced by an independent producer and released by second-tier Arrow Film Corporation.
Waking Up the Town is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by James Cruze and written by Frank Condon and James Cruze. The film stars Jack Pickford, Claire McDowell, Alec B. Francis, Norma Shearer, and Herbert Prior. The film was released on April 14, 1925, by United Artists.
Lucretia Lombard, also known as Flaming Passion, is a 1923 American silent drama film directed by Jack Conway and produced and distributed by Warner Bros. Based upon the 1922 novel of the same name by Kathleen Norris, it stars Irene Rich, Monte Blue, and a young Norma Shearer, just prior to her signing with MGM.
The Trail of the Law is a 1924 American silent film directed by Oscar Apfel and starring Wilfred Lytell, Norma Shearer and John P. Morse.
Broadway After Dark is a 1924 American silent comedy film directed by Monta Bell and starring Adolphe Menjou, Norma Shearer, and Anna Q. Nilsson.
Rouged Lips is a 1923 American silent drama film directed by Harold M. Shaw and starring Viola Dana, Tom Moore, and Nola Luxford. It is based in the story Upstage by Rita Weiman which appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine.
