"In this fascinating volume, acclaimed film historian Mark A. Vieira interweaves the previously unpublished recollections of Irving Thalberg's wife, Norma Shearer, and those of other M-G-M veterans with newly discovered transcripts of interviews and data from previously unseen production records. Most of the more than 250 photographs have never before been reproduced." "Included are accounts of the young producer's rise to prominence in the company of colleagues who later conspired against him; anecdotes of Crawford's jealousy of Shearer, whom she felt, rightly, received preferential treatment; and evocative stories of the making of numerous Thalberg films, from the brilliant all-star vehicle Grand Hotel to the bizarre horror film Freaks, which literally sickened viewers. The result is both a portrait of a Hollywood pioneer and an enchanting tour of the magical world he created."--BOOK JACKET.