Born in Westmount, Québec, Canada. The brother of Norma Shearer, he came to Hollywood to visit his sister and was hired by MGM as an assistant in the camera department. During the switch to talkies in the late 20s, he was appointed head of the company's sound department and soon proved himself one of the most inventive technicians in this pioneering field. During his more than 40 years with MGM -- and responsible for more than 800 (eight hundred) films -- he contributed more than any other man in Hollywood to the perfection of motion picture sound. He is credited with many technical innovations and with the consistent high quality of sound which distinguished MGM films over the years. In 1955 he was appointed the company's director of technical research, a position he held until his retirement in 1968. For a complete list of Shearer's films, only the Internet Movie Database can do him credit.  Sound Recording 1929-30: THE BIG HOUSE  Nominated for Sound Recording 1934: VIVA VILLA!  Sound Recording 1935: NAUGHTY MARIETTA  Sound Recording 1936: SAN FRANCISCO  Nominated for Sound Recording 1937: MAYTIME  Nominated for Sound Recording 1938: SWEETHEARTS  Nominated for Sound Recording 1939: BALALAIKA  Nominated for Special Effects (Audible) 1939: THE WIZARD OF OZ  Sound Recording 1940: STRIKE UP THE BAND  Nominated for Special Effects (Audible) 1940: BOOM TOWN  Nominated for Sound Recording 1941: THE CHOCOLATE SOLDIER  Nominated for Special Effects (Audible) 1941: FLIGHT COMMAND  Nominated for Sound Recording 1942: MRS. MINIVER  Nominated for Special Effects (Audible) 1942: MRS. MINIVER  Nominated for Sound Recording 1943: MADAME CURIE  Nominated for Sound Recording 1944: KISMET  Special Effects (Audible) 1944: THIRTY SECONDS OVER TOKYO  Nominated for Sound Recording 1945: THEY WERE EXPENDABLE  Special Effects (Audible) 1947: GREEN DOLPHIN STREET  Sound Recording 1951: THE GREAT CARUSO - Sound Director SCIENTIFIC/TECHNICAL AWARDS:  1935 (Class III, Citation) as head of MGM Sound Department for their automatic control system for cameras and sound recording machines and auxiliary stage equipment.  1936 (Class I, Statuette) as head of MGM Sound Department for the development of a practical two-way horn system and a biased Class A push-pull recording system.  1937 (Class II, Plaque) as head of MGM Sound Department for a method of varying the scanning width of variable density sound tracks (squeeze tracks) for the purpose of obtaining an increased amount of noise reduction.  1937 (Class III, Citation) as head of MGM Sound Department for the design of the film drive mechanism as incorporated in the ERPI 1010 reproducer.  1941 (Class III, Citation) as head of MGM Sound Department for pioneering the development of fine grain emulsions for variable density original sound recording in studio production.  1959 (Class II, Plaque) as head of MGM Technical Research for the development of a system of producing and exhibiting wide-film motion pictures known as Camera 65.  1963 (Class III, Citation) as head of MGM Technical Research for the engineering of an improved Background Process Projection System. 20 nominations, 7 Awards, 7 Scientific/Technical Awards