Norma Shearer - Wikipedia. Norma Shearer. Publicity photo, circa 1. Born. Edith Norma Shearer(1. August 1. 1, 1. 90. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Died. June 1. 2, 1. Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, U. S,Cause of death. Bronchial pneumonia. Resting place. Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale. Citizenship. Canadian. American. She excelled in drama, comedy, and period roles. She gave well- received performances in adaptations of No. She was nominated six times for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won once, for her performance in the 1. The Divorcee. Shearer's fame declined after her early retirement in 1. She was rediscovered in the late 1. By the time of her death in 1. In 1. 99. 4, Turner Classic Movies began showcasing her films, most of which had not been seen since the reconstitution of the Production Code in 1. Shearer's work was seen anew, and the critical focus shifted from her . The first was a major biography by Gavin Lambert. Vieira: a revisionist biography of Shearer's husband, producer Irving Thalberg. While there had been instances of performers who were given a belated celebrity by historians, this was the first time that a star's reputation had been restored by scholars. As a result, Shearer is celebrated as a feminist pioneer, . Her films continue to be exhibited and studied. Early life. Her childhood was spent in Montreal and was one of privilege due to the success of her father's construction business. However, the marriage between her parents was unhappy. Andrew Shearer was prone to manic depression and . Young Norma was interested in music, as well, but after seeing a vaudeville show for her ninth birthday, announced her intention to become an actress. Edith offered support, but as Shearer entered adolescence, became secretly fearful that her daughter's physical flaws would jeopardize her chances. By her own admission, though, she was . Forced to move into a small, dreary house in a . Perhaps an endeavor, like my father's business, could fail, but that didn't mean Father had failed. Within weeks, she had left her husband and moved into a cheap boarding house with her two daughters. Swiss Balloonist Who Witnessed the Flat Earth in 1931 — True Story. The moment 'Lucky' Luciano's luck ran out: Black-and-white pictures of notorious mob leader and the high class prostitutes who led to his 1936 arrest. Classical Notes - Classical Classics - Gershwin: Concerto in F, by Peter Gutmann. Classical record reviews and commentary by a passionate fan. William Beaudine (January 15, 1892 – March 18, 1970) was an American film actor and director. He was one of Hollywood's most prolific directors, turning out films. Sir John Monash (1865-1931), soldier, engineer and administrator, was born on 27 June 1865 in West Melbourne, eldest of three children and only son of Louis Monash. A few months later, encouraged by her brother, who believed his niece should try her luck in . Also in her pocket was a letter of introduction for Norma, acquired from a local theatre owner, to Florenz Ziegfeld, who was currently preparing a new season of his famous Ziegfeld Follies. The communal bathroom was at the end of a long, dimly lit hallway. Athole and I took turns sleeping with mother in the bed, but sleep was impossible anyway. He turned Shearer down flat, reportedly calling her a . She continued doing the rounds with her determination undimmed: . Athole and I showed up and found 5. An assistant casting director walked up and down looking us over. He passed up the first three and picked the fourth. The fifth and sixth were unattractive, but the seventh would do, and so on, down the line until seven had been selected. I did some quick thinking. Edith Norma Shearer (August 11, 1902 – June 12, 1983) was a Canadian-American actress and Hollywood star from 1925 through 1942. Her early films cast her as a. How Hitler tried to get out of speeding fine by claiming it was his lookalike chauffeur: German archives reveal 1931 ticket. Documents reveal future Fuhrer claimed. So you want to create a free Gmail account? Here are step by step instructions with screenshots to help beginners get their first email address. I coughed loudly, and when the man looked in the direction of the cough, I stood on my tiptoes and smiled right at him. Recognizing the awkward ruse to which I'd resorted, he laughed openly and walked over to me and said, 'You win, Sis. You're Number Eight.'. Taking advantage of a break in filming and standing shrewdly near a powerful arc light, Shearer introduced herself to Griffith and began to confide her hopes for stardom. Eyes no good, he said. A cast in one and far too blue; blue eyes always looked blank in close- up. You'll never make it, he declared, and turned solemnly away. William Bates, a pioneer in the treatment of incorrectly aligned eyes and defective vision. He wrote out a series of muscle- strengthening exercises that, after many years of daily practice, would successfully conceal Shearer's cast for long periods of time on the screen. She spent hours in front of the mirror, exercising her eyes and striking poses that concealed or improved the physical flaws noted by Ziegfeld or Griffith. At night, she sat in the galleries of Broadway theatres, studying the entrances of Ina Claire, Lynn Fontanne, and Katharine Cornell. In desperate need of money, Shearer resorted to some modeling work, which proved successful. On her modeling career, she commented: . I posed with a strand of imitation pearls. I posed in dust- cap and house dress with a famous mop, for dental paste and for soft drink, holding my mouth in a whistling pose until it all but froze that way. In January 1. 92. Shearer received an offer from Louis B. Mayer Pictures, a studio in Northeast Los Angeles that was run by a small- time producer, Louis B. Irving Thalberg had moved to Louis B. Mayer Pictures as vice president on February 1. Shearer's agent, inviting her to come to the studio. After three years of hardship, she found herself signing a contract. It called for $2. The Wanters. Hollywood. When she was not welcomed, even an hour after her arrival, she realized that there would be no star treatment from her new studio. Dispirited, she allowed Edith to hail a taxi. The next morning, Shearer went to the Mayer Company on Mission Road to meet with Thalberg. Shearer was momentarily thrown by their confused introduction, but soon found herself . But the strong lights placed on either side of my face made my blue eyes look almost white, and by nearly eliminating my nose, made me seem cross- eyed. The result was hideous. Speaking with her, he was struck by her . The lead in The Wanters seemed hers, until the film's director objected, finding her . Again, Shearer was to be disappointed, relegated to a minor role. Shearer was struggling. Finally, the film's director complained to Mayer that he could get nothing out of the young actress, and when summoned to Mayer's office, she fully expected the axe to fall: . Mayer's manner was paternal. Nobody had warned me that Mayer was a better actor than any of us, and I was unprepared for what happened next. He staged an alarming outburst, screaming at me, calling me a fool and a coward, accusing me of throwing away my career because I couldn't get on with a director. I became tearful, but obstinate. As a reward, Thalberg cast her in six films in eight months. The apprenticeship served Shearer well. On April 2. 6, 1. Louis B. Mayer Pictures was merged with Metro Pictures and the Samuel Goldwyn Company to form Metro- Goldwyn- Mayer. Shearer was cast with Lon Chaney and John Gilbert in the studio's first official production, He Who Gets Slapped. The film was a conspicuous success and contributed to the meteoric rise of the new company, and to Shearer's visibility. By late 1. 92. 5, she was carrying her own films, and was one of MGM's biggest attractions, a bona fide star. She signed a new contract; it paid $1,0. She bought a house for herself and Edith at 2. Vine Street, which was located under the Hollywoodland sign. Irving Thalberg. Many other talented actresses were at the studio, and she realized she would have to fight hard to stay ahead of the pack. Seeing that sensational newcomer Greta Garbo was one of a kind, she went to Thalberg and . It was just one of the many visits she paid to his office, always to plead for better material, better parts. Thalberg would listen patiently, then invariably advise Norma to keep toeing the line, that MGM knew best, and that the movies she complained about had made her a popular actress. Occasionally, Shearer would burst into tears, but this seemed to make . In a story conference, when her name was suggested to him for the part of a girl threatened with rape, Thalberg shook his head, and with a wry smile, said, . What attracted Shearer was his commanding presence and steely grace, the impression he gave that wherever he sat was always the head of the table. In spite of his youth, Thalberg became a father figure to the 2. At the end of a working day in July 1. Shearer received a phone call from Thalberg's secretary, asking if she would like to accompany Thalberg to the premiere of Chaplin's The Gold Rush. That night, they made their first appearance as a couple. A few weeks later, Shearer went to Montreal to visit her father. While there, she had a reunion with an old school friend, who remembered: . I asked how Thalberg felt. Enemies are inevitable when one is a doer. Louise Brooks remembered: . All the place cards at the dinner table were books. In front of Thalberg's place was Dreiser's. Genius and in front of Norma's place I put The Difficulty of Getting Married. It was so funny because Irving walked right in and saw Genius and sat right down, but Norma kept walking around. She wouldn't sit down in front of The Difficulty of Getting Married . Each had been produced for under $2. While she was finishing The Student Prince, Shearer received a call summoning her to Thalberg's office. She entered to find Thalberg sitting at his desk before a tray of diamond engagement rings. He granted her the option to choose her own ring; she picked out the biggest. After weeks of rumors, provoked by wearing the ring, it was announced in August 1. Shearer had two children with Thalberg, Irving Thalberg, Jr. Before they were married, Shearer converted to Judaism so she could marry Thalberg. The first feature- length motion picture with sound, it effectively changed the cinematic landscape overnight and signaled the end of the silent motion picture era. It also spelled the end of many silent careers, and Shearer was determined hers would not be one of them. Her brother, Douglas Shearer, was instrumental in the development of sound at MGM, and every care was taken to prepare her for the microphone. Her first talkie, The Trial of Mary Dugan (1. Despite the popularity of her subsequent early talking films, The Last of Mrs. Cheyney and Their Own Desire (both 1. Shearer feared the public would soon tire of her . All of these were box- office hits, placing Shearer in competition with Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo, and Jean Harlow as MGM's top actress through the remainder of the decade. Smilin' Through (1. The Chronicles of Captain Blood, free ebooks, ebook, etext. Title: The Chronicles of Captain Blood (1. Author: Rafael Sabatini. A Project Gutenberg of Australia e. Book *. e. Book No.: 0. Language: English. Date first posted: December 2. Date most recently updated: December 2. Project Gutenberg of Australia e. Books are created from printed editions. Australia, unless a copyright notice. We do NOT keep any e. Books in compliance with a particular. Be sure to check the. You may copy it, give it away or re- use it under the terms. Project Gutenberg of Australia License which may be viewed online at. GO TO Project Gutenberg of Australia HOME PAGEby. Rafael Sabatini. INTRODUCTORY NOTEThe Odyssey of Captain Blood, given to the world some years ago, was. Arabella, kept by. Somersetshire shipmaster Jeremy Pitt. This log amounts to just. Blood's activities upon the Caribbean as that which. Esquemeling, in similar case, has left of the exploits of that other. Sir Henry Morgan. The compilation of the Odyssey, whilst it exhausted all other. Pitt. From that log of his were taken only those. Blood's story, which it was then proposed to relate and elucidate. The. selection presented obvious difficulties; and omissions, reluctantly. It has since been felt, however, that some of the episodes then. Captain Blood in particular. It will be remembered by those who have read the volume entitled. Captain Blood: His Odyssey, and it may briefly be repeated here. Peter Blood was the son. Irish medicus, who had desired that his son should follow in his. Complying with this parental wish. Peter Blood had received, at the early age of twenty, the degree of. Trinity College, Dublin. He showed, however. Perhaps a roving strain derived from his. Somersetshire mother, in whose veins ran the blood of the Frobishers, was. Losing his father some three months. After some vague wanderings on the continent of Europe we find him in. Dutch, then at war with France. Again it may have been. Frobisher blood and a consequent predilection for the sea which made. He enjoyed the advantage of holding. De Ruyter, and he fought in the. Mediterranean engagement in which that famous Dutch Admiral lost his. What he learnt under him Pitt's chronicle shows him applying in his. Caribbean. After the Peace of Nimeguen and until the beginning of 1. England, little is known of his fortune, beyond the facts. Spanish prison- -where we must suppose that. Castilian which afterwards served. France, which similarly accounts for his knowledge of the. French language. In January of 1. Bridgewater to practise the profession for which he had. But for the Monmouth Rebellion, in whose vortex he was. And but for the fact that what. Fortune aided and abetted, as it. In his quality as a surgeon he was summoned on the morning after the. Sedgemoor to the bedside of a wounded gentleman who had been. Monmouth, The dignity of his calling did not permit him to weigh. All that counted with him was. Surprised in the performance of that humanitarian duty by a party of. His patient being convicted of high treason. Peter Blood suffered with him. He was tried at Taunton before Judge Jeffreys in the course of the. Bloody Assize, and sentenced to death. Afterwards the sentence was commuted to transportation, not out of any. Monmouth Rebellion was to destroy. Slaves were required for work in the plantations, and the. Africa by slavers would be no less ready to. Accordingly, these unfortunate rebels under sentence. Court to be turned by them to profitable account. Peter Blood was in one of these batches, which included also Jeremy. Pitt and some others who were later to be associated with him in an even. This batch was shipped to Barbadoes, and sold there. And then, at. last, Fate eased by a little her cruel grip of Peter Blood. When it was. discovered that he was a man of medicine, and because in Barbadoes a. He was allowed to practise as a doctor. And since. the pursuit of this demanded a certain liberty of action, this liberty. He employed it to plan an. The attempt was practically frustrated, when the arrival of a Spanish. Bridgetown and the circumstances attending it suddenly. Peter Blood a better way. The Spaniards, having subjected Bridgetown to bombardment, effected a. To. accomplish this, and having nothing to fear from a town which had been. Cinco Llagas. out of Cadiz, at anchor in the bay with not more than a half- score of men. Nor did these keep careful watch. Persuaded, like. their brethren ashore, that there was nothing to be apprehended from the. English colonists, they abandoned themselves that night, again. This was Blood's opportunity. With a score of plantation slaves to. Cinco. Llagas, overpowered the watch and took possession of her. In the morning, when the glutted Spaniards were returning in boats. Bridgetown, Peter Blood turned their own guns. Fate might indicate. CONTENTSTHE BLANK SHOTTHE TREASURE SHIPTHE KING'S MESSENGERTHE WAR INDEMNITYBLOOD MONEYTHE GOLD AT SANTA MARIATHE LOVE STORY OF JEREMY PITTTHE EXPIATION OF MADAME DE COULEVAINTHE GRATITUDE OF MONSIEUR DE COULEVAINGALLOWS KEYI - THE BLANK SHOTCaptain Easterling, whose long duel with Peter Blood finds an. Jeremy Pitt has left us, must be. Fate to shape the destiny of those. Barbadoes in the captured Cinco. Llagas. The lives of men are at the mercy of the slenderest chances. A whole. destiny may be influenced by no more than the set of the wind at a given. And Peter Blood's, at a time when it was still fluid, was. October hurricane which blew Captain. Easterling's ten- gun sloop into Cayona Bay, where the Cinco Llagas. Blood and his associates had run to this buccaneer stronghold of. Tortuga, assured of finding shelter there whilst they deliberated upon. They had chosen it because it was the one haven in. Caribbean where they could count upon being unmolested and where no. No English settlement would harbour. The hand of Spain would naturally be. English, but, further, because. Spanish ship. They could trust themselves to. French colony because of the recent agreement between the. Governments of France and England for the apprehension and interchange of. There remained the Dutch. But Blood regarded neutrality as the most untrustworthy. Actually it was of no nationality, unless the. Brethren of the Coast, as the buccaneering fraternity was called, could. At least it can be said that no law ran. Tortuga that was at issue with the laws governing that great. It suited the French Government to give the protection of. French. interests by acting as a curb upon Spanish greed and aggressiveness in. West Indies. At Tortuga, therefore, the escaped rebels- convict dwelt in peace. Cinco Llagas until Easterling came to disturb that. This Easterling- -as nasty a scoundrel as ever sailed the. Caribbean- -carried under hatches some tons of cacao of which he had. Dutch merchantman homing from the Antilles. The exploit, he. realized, had not covered him with glory; for glory in that pirate's eyes. Brethren of the Coast. Had he suspected the Dutchman of being. But having. engaged and boarded her, he had thought it incumbent upon him and his. That she. should have carried nothing of more value than cacao was a contingency. Considering these things, and dreaming of great enterprises, he. Bonaventure into the shelter of the rock- bound. Tortuga, a port designed by very Nature for a stronghold. It is only to be. These were. commanded by the Mountain Fort, a massive fortress with which man had. Nature. Within the shelter of this harbour, the. French and English buccaneers who made it their lair might deride the. King of Spain, whom they regarded as their natural enemy. Within that harbour Easterling dismissed his dreams to gaze upon a. It took the shape of a great red- hulled ship riding. When he had come near enough to read the name Cinco Llagas. Cadiz, he rubbed his eyes so that he might read again. A thing of. beauty she was, from gilded beak- head above which the brass cannons. Easterling's practised eye computed. The Bonaventure cast anchor within a cable's length of the. Mountain Fort. on the harbour's western side, and Easterling went ashore to seek the. In the market- place beyond the mole he mingled with the heterogeneous. Cayona into an image of Babel. There. were bustling traders of many nations, chiefly English, French and Dutch. Indians, fruit- selling half- castes, negro slaves, and all. He found presently a couple of well- informed rogues very ready. Cadiz came to ride. Cayona Bay, manned by a parcel of escaped. To such a man as Easterling, it was an amusing and even an impressive. He desired more particular knowledge of the men who had engaged in. He learned that they numbered not above a score and. England had been. Monmouth, preserved from the gallows because of the need of. West Indian plantations. He learned all that was known of. Peter Blood: that he was by trade a man of medicine, and. It was understood that, because of this, and with a view of resuming. Blood desired to take ship for Europe at the first. But one or. two wilder spirits, men who had been trained to the sea, were likely to. Brotherhood of the Coast. All this Easterling learned in the market- place behind the mole. With such a vessel as that under his feet there was no limit to the. He began to see visions. The fame of Henry. Morgan, with whom once he had sailed and under whom he had served his. The cacao aboard the Bonaventure. Captain Easterling smiled as he stroked his crisp black beard. It had. required his own keen wits to perceive at once an opportunity to which. It was for him to profit by his perceptions. He made his way through the rudely- built little town by the road white. He went so purposefully that he disregarded the hails greeting him. The King of France, nor paused to crush. The Captain's business that morning was with Monsieur d'Ogeron. Governor of Tortuga, who in representing the. French West India Company seemed to represent France herself, and who. In the fair, white, green- shuttered house, pleasantly set amid. Captain Easterling was.
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