Offers a critical reappraisal of Thalberg’s legacyProvides in-depth analyses of Thalberg’s productions at MGM from 1924 through 1936Examines Thalberg’s impact on film-historical turning points, including the transition to sound cinema and the development of the Production CodeIrving Thalberg was not just a critically important producer during Hollywood’s Golden Age, but also an innovative theorist of studio-era filmmaking. Drawing on archival sources, this is the first book to explore Thalberg’s insights into casting, editing, story composition and the importance of the mass audience from a theoretical perspective. It examines Thalberg’s impact on film-historical turning points, such as the transition to sound cinema and the development of the Production Code, and features in-depth analyses of Thalberg’s productions at MGM from 1924 to 1936, including films like (1925), (1929) and (1936). The book argues that Thalberg’s views represent a unified conceptual understanding of filmmaking – one that is still significant in the modern day.