Norma Talmadge, 1930. 'Concours Des Vedettes De Cinema (film star contest): Norma Talmadge'. American actress Norma Talmadge (1893-1957) was one of the greatest film stars of the silent era. A major box office draw for more than a decade, her career reached a peak in the early 1920s, when she ranked among the most popular idols of the American screen. Back cover of "Le Petit Journal Illustr?". [France, 9 November 1930]