Encyclopedia Page E
"Edith": was Norma's first name. (Edith Norma Shearer)
My note: Eldridge also gave an excellent performance in one of my personal favorites, 1936’s Mary of Scotland. The film starred Katharine Hepburn in the title role, and had Eldridge playing Queen Elizabeth I.
Emperor of Portugallia, The: The story written by Selma Ottiliana Louisa Lager of that was made into the 1925 film Tower of Lies, starring Norma, Lon Chaney, and William Haines.
Empty hands(1924, silent): Directed by Victor Fleming. Stars Jack Holt and Norma. Based on the original story by Arthur Stringer.
Escape(1940): Considered to be Norma’s last great film and performance, and one of her best. Based on the book by Ethel Vance, it was directed by Mervyn LeRoy, and starred Norma, Robert Taylor, Conrad Veidt, Alla Nazimova (actually, in her talking debut), and Bonita Granville (did the Nancy Drew pictures for Warner Brothers in the 1930s). Alfred Hitchcock was interesting in directing the movie, but gave the project up because of the tyrannical Louis B. Mayer.According to Gavin Lambert’s Shearer bio, Norma was not too keen on making the movie either, but turned down Susan and God for Escape, considering it to be the better film (not because she was 'afraid' to play a mother, she had just played a mother in 1939's The Women). Joan took over for Norma, and received some of her best reviews, but the film was a major flop at the box office (losing $433,000 –making it the biggest bomb of her MGM career). Norma’s Escape proved the better choice, not only was it praised by the critics for its suspenseful atmosphere, but also made a decent amount of money.
This was one of the first anti-Nazi war pictures, and banned in Germany because of its opposition of the Nazi Party.
Evans, Robert(6/29/1930- ): He was spotted by Norma at The Beverly Hills Hotel and she chose him to play her late husband, Irving Thalberg, in the Lon Chaney bio pic, Man of A Thousand Faces(1957). Evans did a few more films including The Best of Everything (1959) with Norma's former rival Joan Crawford. It was as a producer where Evans became personally satisfied with his work. He has produced such films as The Godfather (1972), Chinatown (1974), and Love Story (1976).
Excuse Me(1925, silent): Directed by Alf Goulding. Stars Norma and Conrad Nagel. Based on an original story by Rupert Hughes.