---
name: "Irving Thalberg"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/irving-thalberg"
roles: ["Producer"]
born: "30 May 1899"
died: "14 September 1936"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 11
average_fi1m_score: 68
average_as: "producer"
average_over: 10
updated: "2026-09-19T23:57:01.962561+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Irving Thalberg

Producer. Born 30 May 1899 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. Died 14 September 1936.

## Details

- **Work:** Producer
- **Born:** 30 May 1899, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
- **Died:** 14 September 1936
- **Active:** 1929–1937
- **Also known as:** Irving Grant Thalberg, I.R. Irving, Boy Wonder, Wunderkind
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 11: 10 producing, 1 other
- **Frequently works with:** [Norma Shearer](https://film.one/person/norma-shearer.md), [Claudine West](https://film.one/person/claudine-west.md), [Harry Rapf](https://film.one/person/harry-rapf.md), [Sidney Franklin](https://film.one/person/sidney-franklin.md), [Charles Laughton](https://film.one/person/charles-laughton.md), [Ernest Vajda](https://film.one/person/ernest-vajda.md), [Frances Marion](https://film.one/person/frances-marion.md), [Fredric March](https://film.one/person/fredric-march.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 68, as producer, over 10 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1920s 61 (2), 1930s 71 (9)
- **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 8 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 8, Romance 5, Adventure 2, History 2, Music 2, Action 1
- **Screen time:** 19 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $19m across 6 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Thalberg, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q438472, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0856921/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1497

## Streaming the US now

- **Tubi:** [*The Big House*](https://film.one/film/the-big-house.md) (78), [*The Hollywood Revue of 1929*](https://film.one/film/the-hollywood-revue-of-1929.md) (62)
- **The Roku Channel:** [*The Broadway Melody*](https://film.one/film/the-broadway-melody.md) (60)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Irving Thalberg was an American film producer and executive at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). He began his career at Universal Pictures, rising to studio manager by age 21, before joining Louis B. Mayer Productions in 1923. Following the formation of MGM, he became head of production and supervised the studio's output.

Thalberg produced or supervised *The Broadway Melody* (1929) and *The Hollywood Revue of 1929* (1929). He oversaw numerous MGM films including *Grand Hotel* (1932), *Mutiny on the Bounty* (1935) and *A Night at the Opera* (1935). Known as the 'Boy Wonder' for his youth and influence, he emphasised script development and previews. He was married to actress Norma Shearer. Thalberg died of pneumonia on 14 September 1936 in Santa Monica, California, aged 37.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, britannica.com.*

## On Fi1m (11)

### Produced (10) — the average rests on these

- *The Good Earth* (1937), Fi1m 64, Producer, In Memory Of — [page](https://film.one/film/the-good-earth.md)
- *Romeo and Juliet* (1936), Fi1m 63, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/romeo-and-juliet.md)
- *Mutiny on the Bounty* (1935), Fi1m 83, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/mutiny-on-the-bounty.md)
- *The Barretts of Wimpole Street* (1934), Fi1m 72, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-barretts-of-wimpole-street.md)
- *Smilin' Through* (1932), Fi1m 67, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/smilin-through.md)
- *The Champ* (1931), Fi1m 72, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-champ.md)
- *Trader Horn* (1931), Fi1m 58, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/trader-horn.md)
- *The Big House* (1930), Fi1m 78, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-big-house.md)
- *The Broadway Melody* (1929), Fi1m 60, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-broadway-melody.md)
- *The Hollywood Revue of 1929* (1929), Fi1m 62, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-hollywood-revue-of-1929.md)

### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *Goodbye, Mr. Chips* (1939), Fi1m 82, Thanks — [page](https://film.one/film/goodbye-mr-chips.md)

## Complete filmography (86)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Goodbye, Mr. Chips* (1939), Thanks — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/goodbye-mr-chips.md)
- *Marie Antoinette* (1938), Producer
- *A Day at the Races* (1937), Producer
- *The Good Earth* (1937), In Memory Of, Producer — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/the-good-earth.md)
- *Maytime* (1937), Executive Producer
- *The Last of Mrs. Cheyney* (1937), Producer
- *Camille* (1936), Producer
- *Romeo and Juliet* (1936), Producer — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/film/romeo-and-juliet.md)
- *Riffraff* (1936), Executive Producer
- *Mutiny on the Bounty* (1935), Producer — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/mutiny-on-the-bounty.md)
- *A Night at the Opera* (1935), Executive Producer
- *China Seas* (1935), Executive Producer
- *No More Ladies* (1935), Producer
- *Biography of a Bachelor Girl* (1935), Producer
- *The Merry Widow* (1934), Producer
- *What Every Woman Knows* (1934), Executive Producer
- *Outcast Lady* (1934), Executive Producer
- *The Barretts of Wimpole Street* (1934), Producer — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/the-barretts-of-wimpole-street.md)
- *Riptide* (1934), Producer
- *Eskimo* (1933), Producer
- *Tugboat Annie* (1933), Producer
- *Strange Interlude* (1932), Producer
- *Rasputin and the Empress* (1932), Executive Producer
- *Red Dust* (1932), Producer
- *Smilin' Through* (1932), Producer — Fi1m 67, [page](https://film.one/film/smilin-through.md)
- *Grand Hotel* (1932), Producer
- *Red-Headed Woman* (1932), Producer
- *As You Desire Me* (1932), Producer
- *Letty Lynton* (1932), Producer, Executive Producer
- *Tarzan the Ape Man* (1932), Executive Producer
- *Freaks* (1932), Producer
- *Mata Hari* (1931), Producer
- *Private Lives* (1931), Producer
- *The Champ* (1931), Producer — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/the-champ.md)
- *Possessed* (1931), Producer
- *The Sin of Madelon Claudet* (1931), Producer
- *The Guardsman* (1931), Producer
- *Just a Gigolo* (1931), Executive Producer
- *A Free Soul* (1931), Producer
- *The Secret Six* (1931), Producer
- *Trader Horn* (1931), Producer — Fi1m 58, [page](https://film.one/film/trader-horn.md)
- *Inspiration* (1931), Producer
- *A Lady's Morals* (1930), Producer
- *Way for a Sailor* (1930), Producer
- *Billy the Kid* (1930), Producer
- *The Unholy Three* (1930), Producer
- *Let Us Be Gay* (1930), Producer
- *The Big House* (1930), Producer — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/the-big-house.md)
- *Redemption* (1930), Producer
- *Anna Christie* (1930), Producer
- *The Rogue Song* (1930), Producer
- *The Hollywood Revue of 1929* (1929), Producer — Fi1m 62, [page](https://film.one/film/the-hollywood-revue-of-1929.md)
- *The Kiss* (1929), Producer
- *His Glorious Night* (1929), Producer
- *Hallelujah* (1929), Producer
- *The Trial of Mary Dugan* (1929), Producer
- *Where East Is East* (1929), Producer
- *The Voice of the City* (1929), Producer
- *The Broadway Melody* (1929), Producer — Fi1m 60, [page](https://film.one/film/the-broadway-melody.md)
- *West of Zanzibar* (1928), Producer
- *Show People* (1928), Producer
- *White Shadows in the South Seas* (1928), Producer
- *The Adventurer* (1928), Producer
- *Laugh, Clown, Laugh* (1928), Producer
- *The Crowd* (1928), Producer
- *The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg* (1928), Executive Producer
- *London After Midnight* (1927), Producer
- *Twelve Miles Out* (1927), Producer
- *The Unknown* (1927), Producer
- *Flesh and the Devil* (1926), Producer
- *The Temptress* (1926), Producer
- *The Road to Mandalay* (1926), Producer
- *Beverly of Graustark* (1926), Producer
- *La Bohème* (1926), Producer
- *Torrent* (1926), Producer
- *Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ* (1925), Producer
- *The Big Parade* (1925), Producer
- *The Tower of Lies* (1925), Producer
- *The Unholy Three* (1925), Producer
- *Greed* (1924), Producer
- *The Hunchback of Notre Dame* (1923), Producer
- *Merry-Go-Round* (1923), Producer
- *The Trap* (1922), Story
- *The Dangerous Little Demon* (1922), Writer
- *Foolish Wives* (1922), Producer
- *Reputation* (1921), Producer

## Gallery

- ![Irving Thalberg](https://film.one/media/person/1224174/gallery-0cfee43b51de.jpg) Irving Thalberg — Russell Ball, MGM publicity photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Thalberg-portrait-LATimes.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Norma Shearer and her husband Irving Thalberg. (1928)](https://film.one/media/person/1224174/gallery-a90659fe11d4.jpg) Norma Shearer and her husband Irving Thalberg. (1928) — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Norma_Shearer_Irving_Thalberg_1928.JPG/1280px-Norma_Shearer_Irving_Thalberg_1928.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Norma Shearer and Irving Thalberg on their wedding day at their home in Beverly Hills. (1927)](https://film.one/media/person/1224174/gallery-5f7802cb5e4e.jpg) Norma Shearer and Irving Thalberg on their wedding day at their home in Beverly Hills. (1927) — Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b5/Shearer_Thalberg_wedding_1927.jpg/1280px-Shearer_Thalberg_wedding_1927.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Mr. and Mrs. Irving Thalberg (Norma Shearer), 7/24/29 (1929)](https://film.one/media/person/1224174/gallery-fe71faed9791.png) Mr. and Mrs. Irving Thalberg (Norma Shearer), 7/24/29 (1929) — National Photo Company, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/Norma_Shearer_and_Irv_Thalberg.png/1280px-Norma_Shearer_and_Irv_Thalberg.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Mr. and Mrs. Thalberg (Norma Shearer), 7/25/1929. They are holding a photograph of U.S. President Herbert Hoover.](https://film.one/media/person/1224174/gallery-e6f3ea60eb41.png) Mr. and Mrs. Thalberg (Norma Shearer), 7/25/1929. They are holding a photograph of U.S. President Herbert Hoover. — National Photo Company, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/Irving_Thalberg_and_Norma_Shearer.png/1280px-Irving_Thalberg_and_Norma_Shearer.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Other awards — 1 won

- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame 1960: star on Hollywood Walk of Fame (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/irving-thalberg