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There aren’t many documentaries that I would strong suggest that all film students, film maker and film makers should see. A handful at best. But this is one of them.
Irving Thalberg: Prince of Hollywood is about an hour and fifteen minute documentary airing tomorrow night (Feb. 1st) at 8 p.m. To be honest, it isn’t the greatest documentary in the world. It’s a tad slow, a little longer than necessary, and probably could use a little more pep. However, it’s not important so much for its quality but for the subject.
Irving Thalberg was the man everyone in Hollywood knew in the first half of the century, but his name never appeared on any movie. He the youngest man ever to head a studio, was responsible for some of the most famous film legends of the time, as well as some of the greatest films ever made during that time.
And he died tragically at the age of 37.
Today he’s probably remembered by most as the honorary award given out at the Oscars. I would guess only a few people who watch the awards have any idea who the person was. And while that may be acceptable for those who are not involved in the business, I think it’s important that those who are should know him, and this documentary is a perfect primer.
The documentary takes you from his birth to his death, charting his rise at Universal at the age of 20 and his move to MGM. Thalberg turned that studio into the most successful in the world, but life-long illnesses and stress eventually consumed him and he died a young man. He altered the way movies were made, restructured the business, and helped develop the careers of some of the silver screen’s most memorable actors, such as Clark Gable and Greta Garbo.
Irving Thalberg: Prince of Hollywood uses a combination of old photographs, film clips and old interviews to tell Thalberg’s story. There are only a handful of interviews, all of which recorded in the early 1990s, with some of the people who worked with or knew Thalberg.
Okay, maybe I’m being a little heavy handed here. But I enjoyed learning more about who Thalberg was, and I think that someone so important to the industry is someone everyone should know about. And while I felt the documentary was a little slow, it is informative and provides some great insight into understanding the man and why there is an honorary award named after him.
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