a a young actress still in her 20 and norma shearer be hail a the first lady of mgm and and she reign a queen of the studio throughout the 1930s . for about two decade after early retiring in 1942 and she be fondly remember by fan and critic and but slowly she be forget . then in the early 70 and antagonistic film critic pauline kael and grudge hold mgm rival joan crawford and others take delight in trash her and usually with the implication that norma great talent be find a powerful husband ( irving thalberg ) . unfortunately and those unfair remark carry great weight since shearer movie be unavailable on video and rarely show on tv . be now able to see her talent for ourselves and thanks largely to turner classic movie and and norma shearer star be rise again . if you have never see a shearer movie and marie antoinette be a good beginning . it be one of hollywood great epic of the 1930s and with lavish costume and scenery and and it historic setting hold up well . shearer play the doomed french queen from teenager to the guillotine and and the final scene a she await death in prison be among the fine of her career . other notable shearer movie be the divorcée and private life and escape and a free soul and the barrets of wimpole street and the woman .