Norma Shearer
Both on-and off-screen, Norma Shearer was known for her sexual liberation and feminine independence. She was one of the true trailblazers for female representation in Hollywood, embracing her own femininity and standing in resistance to the patriarchal powers that controlled Hollywood.
This watchlist demonstrates Norma's ability of playing strong, liberated women characters on screen. Such roles made her the star she is today and demonstrate how she took the harsh gender-based expectations of Hollywood and bent them to her own benefit.
Their Own Desire (1929)
Genre: Comedy
Silent
This film follows a young woman who must navigate her feelings towards her father, his new wife, and a new love interest of her own who has surprising connections to her wider family dynamic. Norma plays Lally, the young woman who must navigate personal and familial love.
The Divorcee (1930)
Genre: Comedy-Drama
Talking
In this Academy Award-winning role, Norma plays Jerry, a New York socialite who finds herself in a love triangle with two male friends. When feelings for one come out stronger than for the other, Jerry finds herself in the middle of a dramatic divorce, changing her relationships forever.
A Free Soul (1931)
Genre: Comedy-Drama
Talking
In A Free Soul, Norma plays Jan, the daughter of an alcoholic defense lawyer who must balance her father's professional and lifestyle struggles, a failed romance, and an illicit affair. When Jan finds herself attracted to Ace, a gangster and client of her father's, she must decide between choosing love and what is best for her father. In this role, Norma embodies a young woman torn between love and criminality or the law and her daughterly concern for her father.
Smilin' Through (1932)
Genre: Comedy-Drama
Talking
In this romantic drama, Norma Shearer plays Kathleen, a young woman adopted by a wealthy family friend. As Kathleen grows to adulthood, she finds herself falling in love with the son of her adoptive father's greatest enemy, set against the dire backdrop of World War II. In a Pickford-esque dual role, Norma also plays Moonyeen, the dead love of Kathleen's adoptive father, playing both her in the past and her ghost in the present.
Riptide (1934)
Genre: Drama-Romance
Marie Antoinette (1938)
Genre: Comedy-Drama
Talking
In this historical drama, Norma plays the ill-fated Queen of France, Marie Antoinette, and her last days in the French Revolution. Norma brings a regal and proud, yet sympathetic characterization to the queen, embodying a performance of tragedy alongside triumph.
The Women (1939)
Genre: Comedy-Drama
Her Cardboard Lover (1942)
Genre: Drama