Carole & Co.

'Up Pops' two pix

Thu, 31 May 2012 04:08:22 GMT

Hollywood Paper does it again, with two more vintage Carole Lombard pics available through eBay. We'll kick things off with a promotional photo of Carole and Norman Foster from Paramount's 1931 film "Up Pops The Devil":

This 8" x 10" is in good condition, and you can either buy it outright for $49.95 or make a bid starting at $44.95, in which case bids close at 10:41 p.m. (Eastern) Wednesday. You can get additional information at http://www.ebay.com/itm/CAROLE-LOMBARD-NORMAN-FOSTER-1931-UP-POPS-THE-DEVIL-/320916639160?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab81f4db8.

Let's leap ahead to late 1939 or early 1940, when Lombard was at RKO, for this elegant portrait from John Miehle:

And yes, the snipe is from that notorious RKO publicity typewriter:

As you might expect, this will cost more than the other, not just because it's stunning but because it's in "excellent-" condition. (The seller says there's a faint scratch over her face.) You can make a bid on it beginning at $107.95, in which case bids will end at 10:33 p.m. (Eastern) next Wednesday, or if you simply must have it now, buy it for $119.95. Details are at http://www.ebay.com/itm/BEAUTIFUL-CAROLE-LOMBARD-GLAMOR-FASHION-PHOTO-EXC-CON-1940-RKO-RADIO-/170851855433?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27c7906c49.

A mystery with Carole, Marion and the Central Coast

Wed, 30 May 2012 04:00:14 GMT

What connects Carole Lombard and Marion Davies with a lighthouse? In the mind of one author, plenty.

The lighthouse is the Piedras Blancas, located at San Simeon, not far from William Randolph Hearst's ranch (as he called it) or castle (as everyone else did). And what's been found on the beach near the lighthouse -- a corpse -- sets everything in motion in "Uncertain Sanctuary," part of the recently issued anthology of historical mysteries, "Somewhere In Crime."

The premise of "Uncertain Sanctuary," set in 1939, is that a teenage Jewish immigrant hired as a housekeeper finds the corpse and starts to have doubts about her employers, notably a Swiss lighthouse keeper. Davies and her good friend Lombard get involved in the goings-on.

Author Sue McGinty lives in nearby Los Osos, and says she's toured Hearst Castle about 15 times -- she's "obsessed with the place." (Many of us are.) She calls Lombard "the original gutsy dame, a true liberated woman. She's beautiful, of course, but unlike other stars of the era...she doesn't seem obsessed with her looks."

"Somewhere In Crime" is available at most bookstores and through Amazon.com. McGinty has also written "Murder at Cuyamaca Beach" (Aberdeen Bay) and "Murder in Los Lobos" (Daniels Publishing). Learn more about her at http://www.SueMcGinty.com.

As for the lighthouse, it predates Hearst's ranch/castle, as it was built in the 1870s. Here's how it looked in the 1890s, not much different than it appeared in 1939:

On New Year's Eve 1948, nearly two years after Hearst left his home for the last time, a small earthquake damaged the upper portion of the tower, leading to the removal of the lens. The tower now looks like this:

For more on the lighthouse -- a landmark in its own right that is open for tours -- visit http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=89.

Speak of the devil...Carole and Marlene, caught in the Webb

Tue, 29 May 2012 04:00:12 GMT

Was Carole Lombard possessed when she posed for the following portrait? (And no, it's not publicity for the film "Supernatural.")

This promoted her film "Bolero," but what's so satanic about it? The number, my friend, the number:

That's right -- it's p1202-666, downright devilish. Assuming that was merely a coincidence, the snipe on the back refers to "pre-war stuff"...and in those days, "pre-war" was a reference to 1914, as Travis Banton goes what we today might call "old school":

Hollywood Paper is offering this relatively rare pic, an 8" x 10" in "good-" condition. You can either buy it now for $139.95 or bid beginning at $119.95, in which case bidding will end at 10:36 p.m. (Eastern) on Sunday. All the information is available at http://www.ebay.com/itm/BEAUTIFUL-CAROLE-LOMBARD-FASHION-GLAMOR-PHOTO-1934-BOLERO-CO-STAR-RAFT-/320914885859?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab8048ce3.

Carole and Marlene Dietrich may not have always been the closest of pals, but they often found themselves invited to the same parties. Take this one, for example, hosted by Clifton Webb (the first party he hosted at his Beverly Hills home, and I'm guessing this to be from 1934 or '35):

The lady in between Lombard and Dietrich is a Mrs. G.W. Kavanaugh. Ronald Colman's at top right, Webb at center, and the man on the left may be Noel Coward. Nice group to invite to a party, isn't it?

This vintage sepia 1930s gelatin silver matte double-weight original photograph is part of a huge array of a very large collection of Webb's personal items (photographs, letters and personal papers) from the seller "greatclassics." Save for a tiny crease in the upper right corner, the pic is in excellent condition.

One bid has been made already, for $4.95; bids will close at 10:32 p.m. (Eastern) Sunday. To place your bid, visit http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-CAROLE-LOMBARD-MARLENE-DIETRICH-30s-DOUBLEWEIGHT-PHOTO-CLIFTON-WEBB-ARCHIVE-/280889777021?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item416655db7d.

For Memorial Day, some starry-eyed military

Mon, 28 May 2012 06:25:30 GMT

While on a brief stopover in Salt Lake City on Jan. 13, 1942, making her way east for the Indianapolis war bond rally, Carole Lombard gladly posed with a few members of the military -- the very people she was to raise funds for. Had fate not intervened, one could imagine Carole posing with plenty of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines over the next few years.

In honor of Memorial Day and all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for America, here are some photos of classic Hollywood actresses showing their patriotism by giving their support and boosting the morale of the folks keeping us free.

We'll begin with one of Carole's contemporaries at Paramount, Marsha Hunt, who's still with us and did her share of performing for the troops during World War II:

We next go from Marsha to Martha -- Martha Raye, that is, whose comedy and singing talent made her a favorite among American forces abroad from World War II through Vietnam:

Perhaps no actress was as actively involved in World War II as Marlene Dietrich, who put herself in harm's way many a time to entertain Allied forces. And this photo, taken somewhere in liberated France on Nov. 18, 1944, reminds us that WACs played a role in the war, too:

Remember actress Wini Shaw of "Lullaby Of Broadway" fame? Well, she and British actress Anna Lee (at left) journeyed to north Africa in 1943 to perform for Allied troops in support of the man at far left, Jack Benny:

On the home front, vivacious Betty Hutton leads soldiers in a round of song at the Hollywood Canteen on April 12, 1945, but unlike her movie alter ego Trudy Kockenlocker, she did not get drunk or pregnant:

Two other stars who supported the troops during World War II were Irene Dunne...

...and a buxom newcomer named Jane Russell:

Russell's co-star in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," Marilyn Monroe, got her opportunity to perform for soldiers in Korea...

...and stars such as Ann-Margret continued the tradition in Vietnam:

Something to think about while we remember that Memorial Day is more than just the start of the summer season.

This week's LiveJournal header shows Carole with George Raft in a scene from 1935's "Rumba," the generally lackluster followup to their dance hit of the previous year, "Bolero."

Horseathon: The equine side of Carole Lombard

Sun, 27 May 2012 07:01:10 GMT

For the Horseathon teaming classic Hollywood + horses sponsored by the blog "My Love For Old Hollywood" (http://myloveofoldhollywood.blogspot.com), Carole Lombard seemed a natural fit -- not so much because she rode them in movies (she made only a handful of westerns, none after 1930), but because she loved them in real life. This entry will give insight into the lady the snipe above called "an ardent horsewoman."

Lombard owned quite a few horses during her sadly abbreviated life, but perhaps her favorite was Pico, a Palomino gelding. Here's another Carole-Pico pic, one that was autographed (by the human, obviously, not the horse):

There aren't very many movies in which Carole's character rode a horse, and none featuring still pictures. However, several Lombard films featured horsey settings. Part of the 1931 "I Take This Woman" took place on a ranch, with Carole wearing a stylish equestrian outfit while embraced by Gary Cooper:

Another 1931 Paramount movie, "Man Of The World," had a scene set at a Parisian racetrack:

A few months after making this film, Lombard married William Powell, and it turned out to be a case of life imitating art, as both enjoyed going to the track. (In the 1920s and early 1930s, Hollywood had a special reason for going -- the closest track was at Agua Caliente in Mexico, where one could purchase a drink legally. On June 27, 1933, California voters approved pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing, and before year's end, Prohibition was also repealed.) Here are two shots of Bill and Carole playing the ponies south of the border, first by themselves, then alongside actor Ernest Truex and his wife:

The man who became Lombard's second husband, Clark Gable, also squired her to the track, but by then it could be done not far from Hollywood. Here are two shots of Clark and Carole at Santa Anita in Arcadia:

One trip to the track led a shrewd photograph to take a veritable gallery of Gable and Lombard's reactions (some of them are priceless), and it ran in the April 1940 Screen Guide:

Incidentally, that day Clark's wagers made him $26.80 richer, compared to Carole's losses of $10.

Where Gable and Lombard differed from Powell and Lombard is that their equine interest extended far beyond placing down bets at the $2 window. Clark briefly owned thoroughbreds, but none did much at the track. However, he and Carole owned several horses at their Encino ranch, focusing on thoroughbreds for riding and trotting:

The couple even attended horse shows, such as this one held in Northridge in June 1938:

Here are a few more horse-related images of Clark and Carole:

Might horses have held the marriage had Lombard lived? We'll never know. But the couple certainly loved those graceful, long-limbed creatures.

A potpourri of portraits, part 2

Sat, 26 May 2012 15:14:17 GMT

As promised, more vintage Carole Lombard photos available through eBay, and we'll start with this one, showing Lombard the khaki-clad huntress, ready to shoot down her prey. Nice pic, you say, but what's the context? The entire front of the pic provides the answer:

"Made For Each Other" -- ah yes, who can forget Carole's character, Jane Mason, in the hunting scene? (Be thankful husband John got that cinder out of her eye, or else she might really be dangerous.) OK, it's not actually from the movie, just a publicity shot.

It's 8" x 10", listed in very good to excellent condition; according to the seller, Hollywood Paper, "Slightly toned and faded, several minor handling creases, very faint traces of ink residue to the right of Carole's head from a photo with a wet ink stamp being laid on top of this one, tiny folds in the bottom corners, and a faint curved indentation that runs from the stock of the gun to Carole's left foot." But who's complaining?

This image of a real-life screen goddess evoking Artemis, Greek goddess of the hunt, would be an ideal gift for anyone who loves both classic Hollywood and the outdoors. As no one has bid on it yet, you can buy it for $119.95 or, if you'd like to try your hand at bidding, begin at $107.95, in which case bidding will end at 10:34 p.m. (Eastern) next Friday. Get in on the action or find out more by visiting http://www.ebay.com/itm/CAROLE-LOMBARD-OUT-HUNTING-WITH-GUN-VG-to-EXC-COND-FILM-WITH-JAMES-STEWART-/180892420494?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a1e07498e.

No students of mythology have been able to identify a goddess of fashion, but whomever it was would approve of this stylish portrait of Lombard, one that also features a snipe:

It's from Universal's 1936 film "Love Before Breakfast," and note that the studio "planted" it to a magazine (in this case, Screenland) in early February that year. And to get a better idea of what that snipe says, let's isolate and enlarge it:

Those of you who enjoy colorizing old pics, dig out the grey, navy and silver. "Smart elegance," indeed.

Also from Hollywood Paper, this is 8" x 10" and listed in good+ condition. (There are three punch holes at the top of the photo, indicating this was probably part of some keybook.) It's substantially cheaper than the first photo, as it can be bought for $59.95 or bid on starting at $49.95, with bids expiring at 10:38 p.m. (Eastern) Thursday. All the information is available at http://www.ebay.com/itm/BEAUTIFUL-CAROLE-LOMBARD-FASHION-PHOTO-1936-ART-DECO-LOVE-BEFORE-BREAKFAST-/320913105672?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab7e96308.

Finally, back to RKO for an image from the 1940 drama "Vigil In The Night," a film -- and performance -- that's the antithesis of the casual, joyous Lombard we know and love. This Carole, playing a British nurse, shows her intensity and determination:

Note the inscription on the back is written in another language (German?).

It's Hollywood Paper as well, and it's 8" x 10", in good condition (some wrinkling in the lower right side, and some light discoloration on her right cheek and chin). It's also a buy for $59.95, bid for $49.95, but the bidding deadline is a few days earlier -- 10:36 p.m. (Eastern) on Tuesday. To find out more, go to http://www.ebay.com/itm/LOVELY-CAROLE-LOMBARD-AS-A-NURSE-1939-VIGIL-IN-THE-NIGHT-DIED-IN-PLANE-CRASH-/320911972269?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab7d817ad.

A potpourri of portraits, part 1

Sat, 26 May 2012 05:10:01 GMT

For the Carole Lombard fan, there's always something special in discovering heretofore unseen portraits of her (three in this entry, three in another to come); each one seen adds a bit more to the sum of her personality. And that's true even when you can't pin down a time, place or studio the photo has ties to, as in the case above -- Carole at her most demure, from the hat topped off with a feather to her gloved hands and pensive appearance.

Hollywood Paper, the seller, doesn't know either...all it can tell us is that it's 7" x 9.25", with borders trimmed, and in good condition. And it also tells us that it can be yours for $139.95 straight up. Prefer to bid? It begins at $119.95, with bids closing at 10:36 p.m. (Eastern) next Friday. You can learn more by visiting http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUPERB-PORTRAIT-OF-LOVELY-CAROLE-LOMBARD-KILLED-IN-PLANE-CRASH-AT-AGE-33-/320913642245?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab7f19305.

RKO's Alexander Kahle took his share of stylish portraits of Lombard during her two years at the studio, and here's a fine example from 1939:

If the snipe was available, we might be able to find out what upcoming film it may have been tied to (not as an actual scene, but in terms of publicity).

Hollywood Paper isn't auctioning this photo; you only can buy it for $69.95 (there's a 3" tear at the bottom left). The photo itself measures 7 1/2" by 9 1/4". Additional information is available at http://www.ebay.com/itm/GREAT-CAROLE-LOMBARD-FASHION-GLAMOR-PHOTO-BY-ALEX-KAHLE-1939-RKO-/320913294916?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab7ec4644.

Finally, let's travel from the end of the 1930s to the beginning -- and the beginning of Carole's Paramount career with this photo from "Safety In Numbers":

It's Lombard in lingerie, alongside Josephine Dunn and Kathryn Crawford, as Charles "Buddy" Rogers watches over them. This is 8" x 10", in near mint condition, and a marking says this was part of the "Look Library" -- interesting, as this pic is from 1930 and Look didn't begin publishing until early 1937. The photo, taken by E.A. Schoenbrun, is again a "buy it now" item, costing $79.95. If the idea of owning a near-mint vintage Lombard photo strikes your fancy, then check it out at http://www.ebay.com/itm/EARLY-SEXY-CAROLE-LOMBARD-IN-LINGERIE-BETWEEN-TAKES-1930-N-MINT-COND-BTS-/180891954379?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a1e002ccb.

More photos to come soon.

The princess, er, duchess comes across

Fri, 25 May 2012 05:11:52 GMT

Carole Lombard played someone trying to pass herself off as a princess in the 1936 comedy "The Princess Comes Across," but where fashion was concerned, she was genuine royalty. That was true in the 1930s, and remains so today, more than seven decades after her premature passing.

Want proof? Noted London designer Roland Mouret named one of his fall 2009 dresses, which has a discreet slit to the thigh, "the Lombard" in Carole's honor. It has since been worn by the likes of Carla Bruni, wife of the former French president Nicolas Sarkazy (left) and famed model Amber Valletta:

But now, the coup de grace. Earlier this month, an off-white version of that dress was worn at a London event by Kate Middleton -- you may also know her as the Duchess of Cambridge and wife of Prince William. Here are two views of Kate's form-fitting dress:

The Daily Mail called it "the epitome of effortless chic, the long-sleeved classic dress is at once grand and understated, a style the Duchess has made her signature."

Mouret said of Kate, "The Duchess has an elegance and timeless beauty that is a breath of fresh air, it is an honour to be part of her journey,"

Elegance? Timeless beauty? Sounds like the lady the dress was named for, a lady who could also look smashing in a dress slit to the thigh.

From honeymooning cruise to drifting apart

Thu, 24 May 2012 05:24:03 GMT

Relatively few Hollywood marriages have divorced with more friendship than Carole Lombard and William Powell. Perhaps both should have realized that they'd make better friends than lovers, but Carole was in her early twenties, eager to get married, while Bill loved Lombard's youthful spirit and zest for life, probably thinking some of that would rub off on him at the same time that his sophistication would rub off on her.

That wasn't the case, and the rise and fall of their two-year marriage is illustrated by these two photos now available from eBay.

We'll begin with a photo issued Aug. 6, 1931 of the couple returning to the mainland after their honeymoon in Hawaii:

The deeply tanned couple are aboard the cruiseliner "City Of Los Angeles." (Ironically, Carole's ill-fated war bond rally in 1942 would begin with an eastbound journey from L.A. to Chicago aboard a train of that name.) Lombard, stockings shining in the sun, looks pleased to be returning home (she was ill for much of the honeymoon), while Powell is proud to show off his new wife to reporters.

The future looked bright, but two summers later, things had changed; to borrow a line from an Everly Brothers song, so sad to watch good love go bad. In July 1933, Lombard announced she was heading to Nevada for six weeks to establish residency there and file for divorce. She was a few weeks into her domicile when this photo, featuring Carole and Bill in happier times, was issued on July 20:

Instead of the headline "HONEYMOONERS!" as in the earlier photo, this one asks the question, "ARE THEY DRIFTING APART?" The answer, of course, was "yes."

Both of these photos were from the Acme Photo syndicate, but this has the imprint of United Press International (which didn't have that name until United Press merged with Hearst's International News Service in 1958). The other one was also in the UPI files, as the seller is a former UPI employee who had been based at Tribune Tower in Chicago; one presumes he is from the South Side of town, because the seller is identified as "soxphotos" (the "Sox" in this instance being White, not Red).

The honeymoon photo is 8" x 6", with bids beginning at $9.99; bidding closes at 9:36 p.m. (Eastern) Wednesday. For more information, go to http://www.ebay.com/itm/1937-Movie-Star-William-Powell-Bride-Carole-Lombard-Honey-Moon-Tan-Ship-Photo-/150822855294?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item231dbe227e.

As for the photo announcing their separation and likely divorce, it measures 7" x 9", has the same $9.99 initial bid, but here bids close at 10:28 p.m. (Eastern) Wednesday. You can find out more at http://www.ebay.com/itm/1933-Movie-Stars-William-Powell-Wife-Carole-Lombard-Drifting-Apart-News-Photo-/150821794575?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item231dadf30f.

But as we all know, there was a happy ending of sorts. They remained close friends with minimal rancor, among the reasons Powell insisted Lombard get the female lead in "My Man Godfrey" when Universal preferred the flighty Constance Bennett or Miriam Hopkins. And Carole took care of Bill when his health was struggling, such as in 1938 when they reprised their roles on an adaptation of "Godfrey" for "Lux Radio Theater":

Classic Hollywood's generation gap

Wed, 23 May 2012 06:34:05 GMT

Lily Garland, nee Mildred Plotka (Carole Lombard) is thrilled that Broadway impresario Oscar Jaffe (John Barrymore) has placed a star on her dressing-room drawer following an opening-night triumph in the 1934 screwball comedy "Twentieth Century." Chances are even people who hadn't yet been born when it came out know it, and love it. But those chances seemingly substantially increase if one has already had his or her 40th birthday.

This doesn't refer to the people who regularly read this site; here, I'm preaching to the converted. However, many people under age 40 probably don't have classic Hollywood in their blood, even though the classic movie-loving generation before them also missed the studio era (which, for the sake of this argument, ended about 1960 or so). What's the difference? A couple of things -- mass distribution of movies on opening weekends, unlike the old days of road show exhibition and films being advertised by word of mouth instead of a blitz of commercials -- but the medium that carries most of those commercials had the biggest impact.

Television played a major role in building the cinematic literacy of the baby-boom generation, and an entry published nearly a year ago at the website Sound on Sight (http://www.soundonsight.org) explains it in detail. Written by Bill Mesce and entitled "The 'Grey Ones' Fade To Black," it examines why thirtysomethings on down as a whole don't seem to be interested in classic Hollywood; in fact, for many of them, the very idea of a black-and-white image is a turn-off (though some of the older ones in that group didn't seem to mind when B&W was used in music videos -- remember music videos?).

Mesce knows of what he speaks, since the genesis for this entry came after most students in his film class had next to no reaction for well-known Hollywood perennials such as "His Girl Friday," "Double Indemnity," the 1959 "Ben-Hur" and "Dr. Strangelove." And, he added, "Not to mention they didn’t know who Bogart was, or Stanwyck, Lancaster, Grant, Fonda, Bergman…" (We presume he means Henry and Ingrid, respectively, for the last two -- though for all we know, Jane and Peter Fonda might be included, too.)

Anyway, in the initial years of television, relatively few films were shown, aside from cheapies, British castoffs and movies in the public domain. Hollywood studios were reluctant to feed this new, young rival which had already devoured much of the industry's box-office revenue.

Things changed in 1955, when RKO, tottering under Howard Hughes' erratic leadership and nearing its end as a studio, decided to cash in, selling rights to 740 of its films (including the likes of "Citizen Kane" and "King Kong") to a distribution company for several million dollars. Other studios, noting the bonanza RKO had received and realizing their libraries were stuck in vaults doing next to nothing, followed suit.

What did this mean? New York's seven VHF stations during the late 1950s (one would become noncommercial in 1961) were suddenly bursting with old movies. Mesce quotes TV reviewer Stephen Whitty: “In the NY area…you had Channel 2 running MGM pictures, Channel 5 had Warners and old Universal titles, Channel 9 had RKO and a lot of British imports, Channel 13 ran foreign imports and silents, and Channels 4, 7, and 11 divvied up the rest.”

The menu wasn't quite as full upstate in Syracuse, where I grew up, but channels 3 and 8 ran lots of films when network programming wasn't on. (In 1962, channel 8 moved to 5 to accommodate a third station, channel 9, which also showed many movies.) Channel 3 showed films most late Sunday afternoons, especially in the wintertime; among their fare was "It's A Wonderful Life" and "The Boy With Green Hair." I don't remember seeing the two films below, however, from a Syracuse Post-Standard ad on Aug. 28, 1960. (Then again, I had just turned five and was awaiting kindergarten in a few weeks.)

The point of this all was that young people, exposed to classic film, became fans of the stuff -- one of the few things they had in common with their parents as the '60s began to swing harder, men's hair grew longer and women's skirts grew shorter.

Those films shown on local stations invariably were black-and-white and from the early '50s at the latest. The networks took the next step, acquiring the rights for newer fare, beginning in 1961 with NBC's "Saturday Night At The Movies." Rights to such films increased, but the ratings proved worth it for all three networks (remember, this was pre-Fox), even if the movies weren't always presented with the best of care. (In a famous incident, a network's telecast of "The Notorious Landlady" ran two of its three parts out of order.) By 1968, a film was on a prime-time network every night of the week. And remember, this was well before you could tape network programming and watch it later -- if you wanted to watch it, you had to be in front of your set. In short, it was an event.

The result, according to Mesce? "Those years parked in front of the TV as kids laid the bedrock for what would become the country’s first -– and perhaps last -– cinematically literate generation. As we grew older and went off to college, some of us actually studied movies, some studied how to make movies."

So what happened? Why, in this era of hundreds of TV channels, have classic movies become a niche player? Well, these cable channels don't exist to serve general audiences, just as general-interest magazines such as Life have died. According to Whitty, “TV has given up on classic movies. Yes, TCM runs them around the clock, but it’s the only station (we won’t count AMC, which mostly gave up…). And if you don’t like TCM’s theme of the day –- Alice Faye, say, or Westerns -– well, you’re out of luck. Every other station runs films from the last five years or so, which is fine, but hardly representative of the art.”

(To be technical about it, at this time last year, TCM probably wouldn't have used Alice Faye as a theme, since most of her films were made at 20th Century-Fox and generally inaccessible to the channel. But I digress.)

Mesce notes, "To cut through the clutter and capture eyeballs, cable channels have moved, over the last 30 years, from the kind of generic programming which marked the early years of the business (old movies and TV shows) to more channel-defining original programming. Those channels that still have a strategic use for movies tend to air -– and re-air and re-re-air -– those titles they know are instantly recognizable to the mass audience. And what that doesn’t include are the old classics, the black-and-whites –- what my kids, when they were younger, called 'the gray ones.'" So TBS' "Mr. Deeds" will be the one starring Adam Sandler and Winona Ryder, while corporate sibling TCM will "go to town" with the Gary Cooper-Jean Arthur Deeds.

To be sure, the element of time works against appreciation of classic Hollywood. Seven decades have passed since Lombard's last movie, "To Be Or Not To Be," was released; five decades before that film came out, there were no movies.

What can be done to rectify this? Hard to think of a solution. TCM has certainly opened the eyes of many young people to our cinematic heritage; recent films such as "The Artist," "Hugo" and "My Week With Marilyn" have provided a gateway to movie history. But none of them, despite their critical acclaim and array of awards, made much of a dent at the box office against the latest CGI comic-book adaptation. It's enough to make you want to find a shoulder to cry on.

The essay can be found at http://www.soundonsight.org/the-%E2%80%9Cgray-ones%E2%80%9D-fade-to-black.

Three from two in '31

Tue, 22 May 2012 05:11:14 GMT

1931 was a momentous year for Carole Lombard, and not only because she married William Powell. Professionally, it was a busy year, as she made six movies, all at Paramount. (Technically, it was a busy half-year, as all were released before the end of June.)

Three pictures from two of Lombard's '31 films are now available through eBay. A pair are from the rarely-seen "I Take This Woman," the first of two movies Carole would make with Gary Cooper. We'll start with this embrace between the two:

It's from old reliable Hollywood Paper, which has presented so many heretofore unseen Lombard photos in recent months. This is 8" x 10", listed in "good-" condition (there's a tear just above Coop's head). If that flaw doesn't bother you, it can be bought straight up for $59.95, or you can place a bid beginning at $49.95. In the latter case, bidding ends at 10:36 p.m. (Eastern) next Monday. All the info on this pic can be found at http://www.ebay.com/itm/CAROLE-LOMBARD-GARY-COOPER-1931-I-TAKE-THIS-WOMAN-COWBOY-SOCIALITE-/320911381352?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab7cf1368.

"I Take This Woman" is indeed the story of a cowboy and a socialite, and when the socialite discovers her new western digs, the apprehension is there on her face:

The caption at the bottom indicates it was used as a lobby card of sorts. Its seller is "1aposters," and it's 7.5" x 9.5", with small trim on the borders. Bids for this one begin at $24.99, with bidding slated to end at 7:32 p.m. (Eastern) Monday. To bid or learn more, visit http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gary-Cooper-Carole-Lombard-I-Take-This-Woman-1931-vintage-movie-photo-13673-/221030797846?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3376765216.

It's back to Hollywood Paper for the next pic, another Lombard obscurity with an equally obscure leading man:

The seller believes the man with Carole to be Skeets Gallagher; actually, it's Norman Foster (one-time wife of Claudette Colbert). It's from the film "Up Pops The Devil," where Foster portrays a writer (hence the typewriter) and Lombard his wife, who becomes a dancer in a revue to help pay the bills.

This photo is 8" x 10" and in excellent condition. This again has the buy-or-bid option -- $49.95 for the former, $44.95 to begin the latter, which would end at 10:32 p.m. (Eastern) on Monday. Check it out at http://www.ebay.com/itm/LOVELY-CAROLE-LOMBARD-SKEETS-GALLAGHER-EXC-COND-1931-UP-POPS-THE-DEVIL-/170846878653?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27c7447bbd.

Finally, I'm a member of LAMB (the Large Association of Movie Blogs), and nominations for the annual LAMMY awards are under way. I'm not sure how many of you are members of LAMB, but I have nominated "Carole & Co." in two categories and have even created my own banner (hoping Lombard's considerable sex appeal might sway a few potential voters):

If you're a member, please consider me.

Couldn't every town use a 'Hero'?

Mon, 21 May 2012 13:25:16 GMT

The 1932 Carole Lombard film "No More Orchids" (also featuring Louise Closser Hale and Lyle Talbot, above), was still making the rounds of theaters in early 1933, often in the lower half of double bills. But that February in Middlesboro, Ky., it played second fiddle to this:

I noted "Middlesboro's Hero" in my "Looking back: February 1933" entry a few months back, thinking it to be some sort of local curio -- and, in a way, it was. But I've since learned this was an example of a practice known as "itinerant filmmaking," something that's largely slipped through the cracks of movie history.

Looking at a fine site, http://www.mikeclinesthenplaying.com, which gives extensive information on films and theaters in Salisbury and Rowan County, N.C., from 1920 to 1979, I discovered a "Salisbury's Hero" film had been made in town in 1925. Further research showed that dozens of such "(Town)'s Hero" movies, all two-reelers, had been made.

All were the work of one man, director Don Newland:

Newland'a background, at least where filmmaking is concerned, is a bit sketchy. We know he was born in Battle Creek, Mich., in 1896, and served five months in the Army in World War I (though it's uncertain whether he went overseas). Publicity for his "Hero" films stated he had directed for Mack Sennett and producing one-reelers for Mary Pickford and early silent comedian John Bunny. However, Newland has no listing at all at the Internet Movie Database, and Bunny died in 1915, while Newland was still in his teens.

From that, it might seem as if Newland was a charlatan Prof. Harold Hill type, heading to small towns to bilk folks out of their money. But apparently his work was on the level, because I can find no accusations of scams or other unsavory behavior.

In the early 1920s, Newland began his "Hero" films, silent two-reelers (he shifted to sound by the end of the decade). All used more or less the same script. The process worked like this: He would work in conjunction with a local newspaper to promote the film (perhaps getting some financial backing as well); the paper ran stories and even a contest to find a local leading lady (all the roles were played by townspeople).

The most popular scene was invariably a head-on "collision" between two cars (furnished by a local dealer, which of course received publicity). But no vehicles were actually damaged in the filmmaking process; as Cline noted about the Salisbury shoot, the cars had "their front bumpers touching each other. As the camera started rolling, a smoke bomb would be set off underneath the cars, which would then back away from each other. Later, when the film was shown in reverse, it looked as though the cars were moving toward each other and the smoky, head-on smashup." A little Hollywood-style camera trickery, often done in the middle of town where the home folks could watch (more promotion!).

Filming took a few days, after which Newland sent the reels to a New York lab to be developed. A week or so later, it would premiere at a local theater, usually before a huge crowd looking forward to seeing their neighbors -- perhaps themselves -- on screen. Newland made a little money, while the sponsoring newspaper (which usually kept the lone copy of the film) got some good PR. Records show Newland made such films throughout the East and Midwest.

Many of these movies have been lost, and since the film stock was nitrate, many of the others have since disintegrated. According to Wikipedia, only three "Hero" movies are known to still exist -- a silent made in Janesville, Wis., in 1926, and sound two-reelers shot in Huntingdon and Tyrone, Pa., in May and June 1934.

Newland -- who died in a Florida auto accident in 1951 -- may be the best-known itinerant filmmaker, but he wasn't the only one. Many visited small towns and made residents "stars" in locally-made productions. One was called "A (Town) Romance," which would get backing from local businesses whose stores would be shown on screen. (Parts of one such film, set in Little Falls, N.Y., reportedly survive.)

Such films enabled moviegoers to live out their fantasy of being thrust onto the other side of the screen, a la "The Purple Rose Of Cairo":

This week's LiveJournal header shows Carole, Gary Cooper and Shirley Temple near a French railway station in 1934's "Now And Forever."

Carole + Bill 2, Carole + Clark 1

Sun, 20 May 2012 22:36:27 GMT

For Carole Lombard, it's three pictures, two husbands in today's entry.

We'll start with two images of her with husband #1, William Powell, both of them taken by Warners publicity while Powell was a star there (and married to Lombard). The first shows Carole, visiting the Warners lot (I assume the one in Burbank; by the time Powell joined Warners' roster, few if any films were shot at its old Sunset Boulevard studio), sharing some tea with Bill during a break in production:

This comes from the files of Culver Pictures; there's an "Oct. 14" date listed, but whether that refers to the date of the issue of the magazine or newspaper in which this was published or the date it was taken, it's hard to tell. We do know that it's 8" x 10" and in fair to good condition, according to its seller, Hollywood Paper. You can buy it straight up for $59.95 or make a bid, beginning at $49.95; bids close at 10:36 p.m. (Eastern) Saturday. All the requisite information is at http://www.ebay.com/itm/CAROLE-LOMBARD-WILLIAM-POWELL-HAVE-TEA-FOR-TWO-ON-WARNER-STUDIOS-SET-/320910256842?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab7bdeaca.

Hollywood Paper has the other Powell-Lombard pic as well, showing the couple out in public (at the racetrack, perhaps?):

This is also from Culver Pictures, though we know what it ran in -- Liberty magazine, a popular general-interest publication of the day. (Also note that on both pictures, there was a Culver stamp that featured a zip code, meaning these were kept on file there through at least the mid-1960s.)

It's 8" x 10", in good condition, and can only be bought, for $59.95 (no bidding option here). If interested, visit http://www.ebay.com/itm/WILLIAM-POWELL-CAROLE-LOMBARD-STRUGGLE-TO-KEEP-FROM-SMILING-GREAT-PHOTO-/320910025557?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab7ba6355.

Finally, one of Lombard and Clark Gable -- but taken while Carole was still married to Powell, which of course means it has something to do with the film "No Man Of Her Own":

This shot, from the library scene in the movie, comes from a different seller than the Powell pictures, and it's 7.5" x 9.5" and also a buy-only item ($52.50). You can learn more by going to http://www.ebay.com/itm/CLARK-GABLE-AND-CAROLE-LOMBARD-FROM-MOVIE-NO-MAN-OF-HER-OWN-ORIGINAL-PHOTO-/310401894622?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item48456508de.

Finally, an announcement: I'll be participating next weekend in the first-ever blogathon devoted to classic Hollywood and horses (so, naturally, it's called the "Horseathon"!). Of course, I'll be contributing a Lombard-based entry (tentatively slated for next Sunday), not hard to do given her fondness for horses. You can find out more at http://myloveofoldhollywood.blogspot.com/2012/04/i-hope-youll-all-sign-up-for-little.html. (A good time to do it as well, especially after I'll Have Another's thrilling repeat rally at the Preakness yesterday.)

In honor of this equine event, I've created a banner:

Like mother, like daughter (playing an icon)

Sat, 19 May 2012 06:02:20 GMT

There's a correlation among the four photos at the top of today's entry. A Hollywood icon (Carole Lombard, upper left), next to a woman who portrayed her on screen (Jill Clayburgh in the 1976 film "Gable And Lombard"). The lady at lower left is, of course, Mary Pickford, and on the lower right is actress Lily Rabe, who was recently hired to play Pickford in a biopic set to begin production in 2013.

Now, here's the twist: Rabe is Clayburgh's daughter. Rabe, who turns 30 in June, has had success on the New York stage (most recently in "The Merchant Of Venice"), has made some TV appearances (including guesting on three of Dick Wolf's New York-based "Law & Order" series) and also acted in films (of which the best-known may be "Mona Lisa Smile").

The yet-to-be-titled film will be adapted from Eileen Whitfield's biography, "Pickford: The Woman Who Made Hollywood." It's being produced by a group known as Poverty Row Entertainment, headed by Julie Pacino (yep, Al's daughter) and Jennifer DeLia, who will direct the film. Compared to the big-studio "Gable And Lombard," an attempt to cash in on the 1930s nostalgia craze of the mid-seventies, this will be art-house fare all the way, and we hope it should thus be able to tell Pickford's story of her stardom as an artist and success as a businesswoman without resorting to Hollywood cliches. (Josh Fagin will adapt the book.) For those of us who love Hollywood history, and want to clear the many misconceptions about Pickford (http://carole-and-co.livejournal.com/488815.html), this film is welcome news.

Pacino and DeLia have yet to cast other roles, including Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith, who along with Pickford founded United Artists in 1919. (Might Josh Brolin, son of James Brolin, who played Clark Gable in "Gable And Lombard," be available? Just mischievous thinking on my part.)

According to DeLia, “Meeting Lily really sealed the deal as not only did she already know a lot about Pickford but also, we were instantly able to visually place Lily in that time, right into Mary’s shoes.”

One presumes Rabe (whose father is noted playwright David Rabe) has seen her mother's performance as Lombard -- but Lily may be unaware of Carole's ties to Pickford. She had a small, unbilled part in Mary's 1927 comedy "My Best Girl" (http://carole-and-co.livejournal.com/33953.html), and in 1937 said of Pickford, “Take business -– that’s supposed to be a man’s province. Yet I can name you the most outstanding success in the business life of the movies and that person is a woman: Mary Pickford. You can’t match her. She’s supreme in every department." That Pickford is to be portrayed by the daughter of someone who portrayed her would probably delight Lombard.

The only regret is that Clayburgh won't be here to see this; she died of leukemia in November 2010.

Carole and Cary in a 'Circle'

Fri, 18 May 2012 05:09:33 GMT

For the final few years of Cary Grant's life, he appeared on tour, showing clips from his films and answering questions from the audience (written beforehand on cards). I never had the chance to attend one of these shows, but I wonder if Carole Lombard's name ever came up in questions. Probably not very often; alas, the actor and actress most associated with the screwball genre never made a comedy together, though there were several near-misses. Their lone co-starring vehicle was a drama, "In Name Only" (seen above).

From all accounts, Cary and Carole were on good terms, both personally and professionally (each could commiserate over how neither really got a break at Paramount). But at the start of 1939, several months before "In Name Only" began filming, both were co-starring in another medium -- radio:

This was a promotional photo for an NBC series called "The Circle," and one would guess that Grant received even fewer questions on this than regarding some of his lesser-known films, such as "The Howards Of Virginia." Not only do we not associate Cary with radio, though he appeared on many movie adaptation shows, including a "Lux Radio Theater" version of "In Name Only" with cinematic co-stars Lombard and Kay Francis, but "The Circle" would be to old-time radio what the Edsel was to late '50s automobiles.

The concept had some promise...put a group of celebrities together to discuss all sorts of matters, and voila -- the broadcast version of the fabled Algonquin Round Table. And "The Circle's" celebrities included not only Lombard and Grant, but Groucho and Chico Marx, Ronald Colman, Lawrence Tibbett (all above) and others. Sponsored by Kellogg's Corn Flakes, "The Circle" premiered at 7 p.m. (Eastern) Sunday, Jan. 15, 1939, just before Jack Benny's hugely popular comedy program.

It lasted slightly less than six months, and by then Colman and Lombard had long left the sinking ship, replaced by Basil Rathbone and Madeleine Carroll.

What went wrong? Well, the entire series was scripted, which apparently gave it an artificial feel; at that time, sponsors ran radio, and Kellogg's probably wanted to make sure that any words coming out of Groucho's or Carole's mouth wouldn't embarrass the company. (It probably remembered what happened with Chase & Sanborn two years earlier, when Mae West made an appearance on Edgar Bergen's program and did a rather risque Adam-and-Eve skit with dummy Charlie McCarthy.) Moreover, topics were rather tepid -- this was by no means a 1939 version of "The View" (imagine Lombard being a member of that crew!). For more on this ill-fated series and other early radio appearances by Carole, visit http://carole-and-co.livejournal.com/3807.html.

But let's get back to that photo above showing Cary and Carole near the mike. It's an 8" x 10" reprint, and it's being auctioned at eBay. Bidding begins at $9.99, with bids closing at 11:15 p.m. (Eastern) Wednesday. If you'd like to bid or merely learn more, go to http://www.ebay.com/itm/CAROLE-LOMBARD-AND-CARY-GRANT-RADIO-DAYS-CANDID-8X10-PHOTO-/150818399969?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item231d7a26e1.

And if you win the bidding, you don't have to tell your friends about the flop program it derives from -- tell them it's Grant and Lombard appearing on "Lux Radio Theater." (But if they're into old-time radio, don't try it; "Lux" aired on NBC at the start and close of its 22-year run, but Lombard's "Lux" appearances were made only on CBS.)

The fashionable side of 'Godfrey'

Thu, 17 May 2012 05:52:27 GMT

"My Man Godfrey," arguably the greatest screwball comedy, has hilarious dialogue, a strong ensemble headed by Carole Lombard and William Powell, solid direction from Gregory La Cava, and a message that goes beyond the jokes. But have you ever analyzed it from a fashion perspective? Somebody has.

Meet Kimberly Truhler, being interviewed by Ben Mankiewicz during last month's TCM Classic Film Festival; if you recall, the theme of this year's festival was "Style In The Movies," and Kimberly knows both movies and style. She has a by-appointment showroom, "GlamAmor," at the California Market Center, and regularly writes about fashion (with a lot of movie talk thrown in!) at her wonderful blog, http://www.glamamor.com.

It just so happens that several weeks before the TCM festival, she posted an entry about "Godfrey," a film she has loved ever since she first saw it late at night some years ago. As she put it, "The aged and slightly faded film flickering in the darkness on some obscure channel did not dim its appeal. In fact, I only remember how captivated I was from its opening until closing credits, and all of the magic in between."

Much of that magic comes from its Streamline and Art Deco style, quintessential '30s, but as she noted, "it is the costume design of the great Travis Banton that will really catch your eye."

She describes his work for Lombard thus:

"He was blissfully indulgent in styling her socialite character Irene. At one point, he has her waking up in a bedroom jacket made entirely of ostrich feathers (see above). In another, he plays on Deco's fascination with foreign intrigue in designing her exotic Asian-inspired pajamas.

"And then of course there are gowns that are quintessential Banton, such as our introduction to Irene in a beaded bias-cut."

But while Banton designed Lombard's wear, here's something I didn't know: It was his assistant, also imported from Paramount, who -- under Banton's supervision -- created the outfits for the other characters. Her name? Edith Head, whose fame eventually eclipsed Banton's. As Truhler writes,

"Made very much in Banton's own style, it was she who was responsible for Gail Patrick's gowns and others' outfits in 'My Man Godfrey.' This was one of her first real shining moments of costume design on film, so it is great to appreciate these early moments in her illustrious career."

Patrick may play the "devil" to Lombard's "angel," but she looks every bit as heavenly as her cinematic sister, as this satin gown and two-piece suit with fur collar make clear:

Head's work with other characters is noted, too, such as Alice Brady, with (but not wearing) goat. (Kimberly believes that coat collar to be ermine.)

And Head also gets the chance to outfit Powell (shown with Alan Mowbray), from bum to butler to the sophisticate known to millions:

Once you read this item, you will appreciate "Godfrey" in yet another way. The entry, featuring several dozen photos -- can be found at http://www.glamamor.com/2012/03/cinema-style-file-art-deco-of-comedy-in.html. Those wonderful credits are only the beginning...

Casually Carole, looking well

Wed, 16 May 2012 13:25:19 GMT

Another fabulous Carole Lombard image is now available via eBay from Hollywood Paper. This one was taken by RKO's Alex Kahle in 1939 to promote "In Name Only." It's an 8" x 10" whose borders have been trimmed, resulting in its measuring 7 1/2" x 9 1/4". While that really doesn't affect the image any, part of the snipe on the back was sacrificed in the process:

Thankfully, there's still enough information to provide a good description of what Lombard is wearing, including colors (chartreuse and rose?):

One wonders how many editors would have contributed to a fund to buy this luckless RKO publicist a typewriter with legible characters.

You can buy this vintage photo (listed in very good condition) straight up for $89.95 or bid, beginning at $79.95, in which case bidding ends at 10:36 p.m. (Eastern) next Monday. Find out more at http://www.ebay.com/itm/BEAUTIFUL-CAROLE-LOMBARD-SITS-BY-A-WELL-1939-PHOTO-BY-ALEX-KAHLE-/320907096863?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab78db31f.

100 years of a palace...with bungalows

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:19:23 GMT

This photo of Carole Lombard with Cesar Romero is said to be from 1937, but the key here isn't when it was taken, but where. It was snapped at the Beverly Hills Hotel, a place that figures in Lombard lore -- and a hotel celebrating its centennial this year.

It's possible Jane Alice Peters accompanied her mother, Elizabeth Peters, to some social functions at the hotel in the years after the family moved to southern California in 1914, and as Carole Lombard she likely attended some public events there. But it's probable that most of Lombard's time at the Beverly Hills Hotel was spent in relative seclusion...and that's just the way she wanted it.

For it was here that Carole and Clark Gable spent some intimate days (and nights) together before Clark was able to legally free himself from second wife Ria Langham. And they did it in one of the hotel's many trademarks...its bungalows.

Back in the day, before the hotel grounds grew quite so verdant, they probably more resembled this:

Gable and Lombard are said to have used bungalow No. 4 as their preferred hideaway. Marlene Dietrich spent several months at No. 8, and Marilyn Monroe is said to have been a regular at both No. 1 and No. 9, the latter during the filming of "Let's Make Love" in 1960. She was married to Arthur Miller at the time, and spent a lot of time at the next-door bungalow of Yves Montand and his wife, Simone Signoret...and Monroe and Montand wound up having a highly publicized affair (which Signoret never blamed her for).

For proof of the bungalows' seclusion, check out this aerial shot:

Yes, the Beverly Hills Hotel has figured prominently in Hollywood history -- in fact, for several years in the 1940s, Loretta Young and Irene Dunne were among its owners. Dietrich waged a successful battle for the right to wear slacks at what eventually became known as the Polo Lounge (so named because Will Rogers would take his celeb-laden parties there after polo matches). The hotel's Hollywood ties are played up in this collection of photos (double-click to see the images at full size):

And the hotel, nicknamed the "pink palace" (something Lombard would not have called the place, as its famed pink exterior didn't come into being until a late 1940s remodeling by famed black architect Paul Williams) is celebrating its centennial in appropriate style. This month, a book about the hotel's history, its ups and downs (it was closed briefly during the Depression) is being released, written by the hotel's official historian, Robert S. Anderson (great-grandson of the hotel's founder, Margaret Anderson); it's said to be chock-full of never-before seen photos of the famed place. You can order it at http://www.thebeverlyhillscollection.com.

In mid-June, a weekend celebration to benefit the Motion Picture & Television Fund (the charitable organization that looks after so many in the entertainment community) will be held, featuring stars ranging from Bill Cosby and Warren Beatty to Mary J. Blige. Find out more at http://www.beverlyhillshotel.com/Celebration-Weekend (but note prices for this special gathering range from $7,500 to $15,000!).

The Beverly Hills Hotel is indeed a special place, though if you aren't financially equipped to rent a room, much less a bungalow, try the Fountain Coffee Room, where a meal costs about $30, including tip -- expensive, but at least you can say you ate there. See you at the pool!

Carole Lombard, 'Esquire'

Mon, 14 May 2012 19:34:07 GMT

Carole Lombard was the subject of many attractive photographic portraits taken by the great George Hurrell, but the one above has a special honor of sorts. It was the first Hurrell photo to appear in Esquire magazine, specifically the November 1936 issue:

Esquire, which debuted with its October 1933 issue, was a male-oriented magazine of some refinement; at first it focused on men's fashion, but quickly expanded into other topics. Here's the cover of that November '36 issue:

F. Scott Fitzgerald contributed a short story; other notables of the time credited on the cover include Gilbert Seldes, Havelock Ellis and Princeton football coach Fritz Crisler, who shortly would leave the Tigers to coach at the University of Michigan.

Famed pin-up artist George Petty drew a cartoon for the magazine and also illustrated an Old Gold cigarette ad:

Speaking of ads, here's one for the Studebaker President, presumably manufactured at the Studebaker plant in South Bend, Ind.:

A fascinating issue of this legendary magazine.

Listed in good condition, this November 1936 Esquire currently has a high bid of $12.99; bidding closes at 6:19 p.m. (Eastern) Sunday. You can get in on the action, or simply find out more, at http://www.ebay.com/itm/1936-ESQUIRE-F-Scott-Fitzgerald-Petty-pinup-Carole-Lombard-HURRELL-Nazi-OLYMPICS-/390417750637?pt=Magazines&hash=item5ae6b61a6d.

This week's LiveJournal header is from one of Carole's most famous films, and her only three-strip Technicolor feature, "Nothing Sacred."

For Mother's Day, some Elizabeth Peters

Sun, 13 May 2012 19:39:02 GMT

That's Carole Lombard and her mom, Elizabeth Knight Peters; the photo is dated 1935 (and while it looks as if the p1202 number is 1145, Lombard's hairstyle and eye makeup leads one to believe it was taken about 1932 or so).

If there was a woman Carole admired more than her mother, I've yet to learn her identity; theirs was an extremely close relationship. So in honor of Mrs. Peters, I looked through the Newspaper Archive files for items regarding her, and while there aren't many, I found a few.

When Lombard decided to divorce William Powell in July 1933, her mother became Carole's de facto spokeswoman, as these July 7 items from the Lowell Sun in Massachusetts and the San Antonio Light make evident:

That San Antonio story is a bit difficult to read, so here's what Mrs. Peters said of the split: "But in spite of the coming divorce, they are still very good friends. They just decided suddenly that they couldn't agree."

Over the ensuing years, that friendship -- both personal and professional -- became obvious to all.

Despite Carole's athleticism, she was known for her susceptibility to a wide range of ailments -- including one she may have passed on to her mother, according to the Dec. 10, 1936 Oshkosh Daily Northwestern in Wisconsin:

Lombard was likely working on "Swing High, Swing Low" at the time she caught laryngitis.

Mrs. Peters was a peripheral figure in a story in the March 9, 1939 Hammond Times in Indiana, which discusses her daughter's anticipated marriage to Clark Gable:

What's this lawsuit all about? The March 17 Wisconsin State Journal in Madison supplies a bit more information -- and a photo of "Carole's Mom" as well:

I have no idea how the lawsuit turned out...but we do know that in November of '39, the Fort Wayne Woman's Club honored Bess Peters (hey, how many women have Gable as a son-in-law?). No word on whether she was visiting old friends in Indiana and attended the event, but someone from Logansport did, and it was in the Nov. 17 Pharos-Tribune:

Carole wasn't the only child of Bess in wedded bliss. The March 4, 1940 Hayward Daily Review in California notes that Frederick Peters and his new bride were honeymooning:

On Christmas Day, the Oakland Tribune reported on how some of Hollywood's elite were celebrating the holiday, and not only did Frederick Peters and wife visit Clark and Carole at the Encino ranch, so did a newcomer to the fold, one-month-old Frederick Jr., making Bess Peters a grandma and Lombard an aunt:

Looks as if the young couple worked on a family right after the vows...or did they get a head start?

A happy Mother's Day to all, and even if your mom isn't a star, treat her like one.

Swimsuit in a 'Mirror'

Sat, 12 May 2012 04:40:06 GMT

Carole Lombard in a swimsuit is always a welcome sight -- especially when it's an image you've never seen before, and has a snipe to boot. Witness:

This is Paramount p1202-790 from 1934, the second Lombard portrait in as many months to emerge from the mysterious mid-thirties fan magazine Hollywood Mirror (http://carole-and-co.livejournal.com/504105.html). The markings on the back indicate it ran on page 20 of the June (1934?) issue.

Can't read the snipe? Let's enlarge it:

"You Belong To Me" was eventually named "Now And Forever," pairing Carole and Coop with an up-and-coming youngster named Shirley Temple.

You may have seen said white swimsuit (did Connie Foster design the suit, the hat or both?) in several other Paramount stills issued about this time, such as p1202-777...

...p1202-789...

...and p1202-794:

Paramount p1202-790 is an 8" x 10" original from Hollywood Paper, a treasure trove of Lombard images in recent months. It's deemed in "very good-" condition, so there are a few minor flaws, but nothing all that serious.

This is a strictly "buy it now" item, for $224.95 -- expensive, to be sure, but this is a relatively rare image that some collector of Lombardiana will want to snap up. Think you might be that collector? Then visit http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUPER-SEXY-CAROLE-LOMBARD-CHEESECAKE-1934-HOLLYWOOD-MIRROR-PHOTO-/320904519388?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab7665edc to find out more.

It's 1933, and Carole goes Marxist!

Fri, 11 May 2012 14:32:25 GMT

No, not in the political or economic sense, but in terms of Groucho and Harpo. Here's Carole Lombard with the two Marxes and Jackie Cooper in a midget car race on the Paramount lot in 1933:

We bring this up because another photo from that event has surfaced, a 4" x 5" candid of Carole with Harpo, taken by veteran Hollywood fan magazine photographer Hyman Fink. It's part of a contact sheet, so we'll show it twice -- first as it was probably meant to be seen, and secondly as it is currently being auctioned:

It appears that "Stage 3" (or possibly "5") is in the upper background of the photo, which helps us pinpoint precisely where at Paramount this was shot. That's because yet another photo taken that day (possibly also by Fink) shows the opposite angle:

The "ESS" in the background, not to mention the array of clothing people are wearing, leads one to believe it's a dressing room for extras and supporting players. Examining a recent Paramount studio map, assuming no major functional changes have been made since 1933, gives the impression it was taken here (a cut-in of the map, with the famed Bronson gate in the lower right-hand corner)...

...along what is called "Avenue M," which looks wide enough to fit three midget auto racers.

The rare pic of Lombard and Harpo is being auctioned at eBay, with bids beginning at $49.99; bidding is scheduled to end at 10:32 p.m. (Eastern) next Thursday. If this photo of two comic icons catches your fancy, bid or find out more at http://www.ebay.com/itm/CAROLE-LOMBARD-HARPO-MARX-Rare-Original-1930s-Candid-4x5-Photo-/370612311596?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item564a37162c.

Finally, let's turn the tables on Mr. Fink and show him being photographed...or, should we say, a photograph of one of the people he would photograph photographing him. Confused? This is from Oct. 7, 1936, and shows Clark Gable, Fink second from left, Joan Crawford (who would attend Fink's wedding in 1940) and Jack Albin, Hollywood photographer for Hearst's International News Service:

A fence, a horseshoe, and 'Breakfast' with Cesar

Thu, 10 May 2012 04:47:39 GMT

The latest batch of "new" Carole Lombard photos from eBay is a mixed batch -- three pics from three different studios, and all of them charming. We'll start with this, from RKO photographer Fred Hendrickson:

The seller (Hollywood Paper) says this photo, of Carole leaning on a fence at her Encino ranch, is from 1939, and it well may be even though there's a May 15, 1941 stamp from the NEA syndicate. No matter when it was taken, it's beautiful, showing Lombard's ethereal casual beauty (though she probably did some touching up before the session). It's an 8" x 10" in good condition.

You can buy it straight up for $139.95 -- that is, if somebody doesn't bid on it first. Bids start at $119.95, and bidding would end at 10:39 p.m. (Eastern) next Tuesday. Curious collectors can find out more at http://www.ebay.com/itm/BEAUTIFUL-CAROLE-LOMBARD-ON-HER-RANCH-1939-PHOTO-BY-FRED-HENDRICKSON-/320902826237?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab74c88fd

There certainly were some horses on the ranch she and Clark Gable called home...and speaking of horses, here's a pair of Oct. 6 babies using a horseshoe for luck:

This is Lombard and director Mitchell Leisen, precisely 10 years her senior, on the set of "Swing High, Swing Low." They brought along a horseshoe to ward off superstition on Friday the 13th...and a check of the calendar indicates this was almost certainly taken on Nov. 13, 1936. (This became Paramount's most profitable film for all of 1937, so the equine luck must have worked!)

This original 8" x 10", which looks to be in good condition, is being sold by The Photo Archive, and its minimum bid is $49.95. Bids close two minutes earlier than for the first photo. You can place a bid, or simply learn more, by visiting http://www.ebay.com/itm/30s-Candid-Director-Mitchell-Leisen-Carole-Lombard-Swing-High-Swing-Low-353P-/380437439168?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5893d6a2c0.

Finally, a publicity photo from Carole's first film of 1936, Universal's "Love Before Breakfast," showing her with Cesar Romero:

Also from The Photo Archive, this measures 7.5" x 9.5" (there was some trimming on the corners), a possible reason it's going for a substantially cheaper price than its two brethren on this entry. Bidding begins at a mere $9.99, with bids closing at 10:35 p.m. (Eastern) on Tuesday. Depending upon the interest, this looks like a vintage Lombard pic that can be purchased for a fairly inexpensive price. If this interests you, check out http://www.ebay.com/itm/CAROLE-LOMBARD-1936-LOVE-BEFORE-BREAKFAST-VINTAGE-PHOTO-G502-/200756797759?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ebe09a13f.

Remembering your introduction to movies

Wed, 09 May 2012 06:07:08 GMT

It's entirely possible that when Carole Lombard and John Barrymore appeared in "True Confession" at the just-opened Centre Theater in Salt Lake City at the tail end of 1937, it was the first movie ever seen by some Utah youngster whose parents took him to this new downtown picture palace. It begs the specific question, what was the first movie you ever saw, and more generally, how did you become a classic film fan?

Before you supply your answer, let me supply mine.

The first actual movie I ever saw -- in a theater -- likely came at the very end of 1960 or early '61, when I was five years old. It was a comedy called "The Facts Of Life," starring two legends of laughs, Bob Hope and Lucille Ball, and even featured credits designed by Saul Bass (the film was black-and-white):

None of that really meant anything to me, though by then I had probably caught glimpses of both Hope and Ball on TV. Nor did I make the choice to attend this, plunking down what little change I had to the ticket booth (provided I could reach that high, which this kindergartener probably couldn't). No, I was taken by my older (17 at the time) sister Helen, who likely was on Christmas break from her parochial high school and decided to see a movie, taking me along so mom could spend some time with my younger brother, a month away from turning three. (She also took me to a cartoon festival at RKO Keith's, but I'm not sure whether or not that took place before or after seeing "The Facts Of Life.") We took the Valley Drive bus downtown, walked across South Salina at Jefferson, and entered the theater.

I honestly can't say I understood the movie, a marital comedy in which Bob and Lucy play part of two couples; stranded by themselves, they discover they're attracted to each other and are tempted to stray. There were some funny bits, including one I remember where their car is stranded in a rainstorm and they have to find shelter.

Over the years, your memory plays tricks on you. Perhaps because I always associate Bob Hope with Paramount, I thought I saw this at the now-demolished Paramount theater in Syracuse, N.Y. But a check of the Syracuse Post-Standard from Dec. 30, 1960 proved me wrong on two counts -- it was a United Artists production, and it was shown not at the Paramount, but one block up South Salina Street at Loew's...a palace that's still around today as the recently renovated Landmark Theater, but shown below as the Loew's for a movie released earlier in 1960:

I don't recall whether we saw the second feature; I would guess not, because Helen really wasn't into westerns. I doubt that she would have remembered...and sadly, I say "would have" because Helen passed away last October at age 67. I miss her.

I bring this story up because throughout May, the blog "True Classics" run by a lady named Brandie (http://trueclassics.wordpress.com) is running people's recollections of their first movie experiences. You can discover how this idea started at http://trueclassics.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/recalling-those-memorable-moving-shadows-on-the-screen-a-month-long-event.

So far, memories have been gathered from a Mississippi lady whose movie memories date back to the 1930s (http://trueclassics.wordpress.com/2012/05/02/mississippi-movie-memories-from-the-1930s-and-beyond); a woman from Texas whose first movie memory was seeing "Airplane!" in a drive-in at age five (http://trueclassics.wordpress.com/2012/05/03/b-movies-and-busting-ghosts-in-texas); a New Yorker who grew into a classic film buff in the 1960s (http://trueclassics.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/a-budding-cinephile-in-1960s-new-york-city); a woman whose early movie experiences include "Grease" and "E.T." (http://trueclassics.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/memories-of-dancing-hot-dogs-and-cuddly-aliens); and a 27-year-old woman who also "began" with "E.T." but gradually graduated to classic film (http://trueclassics.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/the-growth-of-a-classic-film-fan). Wonderful stuff, and since May isn't even one-third done, we can look forward to plenty more movie stories...perhaps yours among them.

A pair of 'Brief Moment(s)'

Tue, 08 May 2012 16:04:50 GMT

On May 6, 1933, the "Rambling Reporter" column of the Hollywood Reporter wrote that "Carole Lombard may sign up with Columbia." It didn't turn out that way, of course -- Lombard remained at Paramount, a larger studio, through 1937 -- but few would have blamed her for making the move.

Carole made five films for Columbia. One, "Twentieth Century," turned out to be the pivotal movie of her career. Another, "Virtue," is rapidly gaining favor as Lombard's best performance prior to that film, and arguably her best work in the pre-Code style. The other three movies made for Harry Cohn's company weren't classics, but all were superior to what she was making at her home studio.

One of them was "Brief Moment" (above, with Gene Raymond), released in the fall of 1933. Two other original stills from that film are now available via eBay from Hollywood Paper, which has been selling or auctioning many rare and wonderful Lombard photos of late.

Carole portrayed a torch singer in "Brief Moment" (although all of her short "singing" scenes were dubbed), and here's a picture of her plying her trade, as well as the back of the photo:

This is listed as in "very good-" condition, meaning there is some wear as well as a few flaws. You can buy it straight up for $119.95 or make a bid beginning at $107.95; if the latter option kicks in, the auction ends at 10:39 p.m. (Eastern) Monday. Buy, bid or learn more at http://www.ebay.com/itm/SEXY-GLAMOROUS-CAROLE-LOMBARD-WITH-PIANO-PLAYER-KILLED-IN-PLANE-CRASH-/320902100587?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab741766b.

The other pic shows Lombard with Raymond, who plays a wealthy, drunken playboy that marries Carole's character but refuses to change his fallow ways, despite her pleading:

This photo was property of Culver Pictures, which filed it under "kissing"; perhaps it was occasionally used as an illustration of osculation in addition to a general photo of either Lombard or Raymond. Whatever, this has a few more flaws than its counterpart, and as such is merely rated in "good+" condition.

Unlike the other photo, you can only buy this one, not bid on it -- the price is $59.95. Interested? Go to http://www.ebay.com/itm/SEXY-CAROLE-LOMBARD-HANDSOME-GENE-RAYMOND-KISS-1933-BRIEF-MOMENT-/320902374051?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab745a2a3.

Had Carole ended up at Columbia, might Cohn (whom she actually got along with, something that couldn't be said of his relationship with virtually every star actress of that era) have given her the "queen of the lot" treatment, as he did with Rita Hayworth in the 1940s? Or would she have tired of his crassness, too? We'll never know...but as this part of a "Brief Moment" poster proves, Columbia gave her the full glamour treatment: