Encyclopedia Page K
Pauline Kael had particular fun with Shearer. Her review of Romeo and Juliet: “Norma Shearer, never much of an actress… never rises above conventional adequacy.”
Her review of A Free Soul: “A vintage, fraudulently ‘daring’ movie in the glossy-hokey MGM style.”
Her flat-out review of Private Lives: “Norma Shearer isn’t so bad.” Why? Because this time Shearer acts “halfway human.”
(My Note: I remember being in my library and reading through one of Kael’s books. She was criticizing another actress and wrote something along the lines of, “[The Actress’] performance is fluttery and disgusting, and she comes close to acting as bad as Norma Shearer.”)
Keaton, Buster(10/4/1895-2/1/1966): He got his start in vaudeville, but after he came to Hollywood, Buster Keaton would become one of the most popular stars of the silent era. Keaton would star with Norma in only one movie, The Hollywood Revue of 1929 (1929). He did try to resist sound as long as possible, fearing his physical comedies wouldn't be as funny. He was right. Keaton's work in films shifted to writing for the Marx Brothers and Red Skeleton. He later had a memorable appearance as one of Norma Desmond's "waxworks" bridge playing friends in Sunset Boulevard (1950), which also starred Gloria Swanson. He worked in films mostly as a guest star for the rest of his life. Keaton has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and his “Great Stone Face” has become just as iconic as the mustache worn by Charlie Chaplin.
Kelly, Princess Grace: Icon of European Royalty and Norma’s Hollywood predecessor. Kelly embodied Norma’s sophistication, beauty and talent, which would have made her the perfect candidate to reprise any of Norma’s movie roles. When Kelly arrived at MGM for Mogambo in 1952, the MGM publicity department brought back the word “patrician,” which had been used to describe Norma in the early 30s. (I remember reading somewhere that Kelly was slated to star as Elizabeth Barrett Browning in the remake of The Barretts of Wimpole Street. If you have any knowledge if this is fact or fiction, please email me.)