Carole & Co.

Several notable Carole Lombard films remain underrepresented on DVD. Her breakthrough movie, "Twentieth Century," appeared on DVD in 2005 and has yet to be reissued with any sort of extras or bonuses befitting a screwball classic. But another of her films hasn't even been that fortunate -- the 1940 drama "They Knew What They Wanted" (that's Carole above as San Francisco waitress Amy, who answers a mail-order marriage proposal from vintner Charles Laughton in Napa wine country, with unexpected consequences).



The estate of playwright Sidney Howard (who won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1925 for "They Knew What They Wanted") controls the rights, and while the film was issued on videocassette in the 1980s (and was available for local TV stations at the time), its DVD release has been in limbo for years. So someone took matters into their own hands.

A seller on Etsy who apparently is a Laughton fan has issued a DVD of "They Knew What They Wanted" which he or she claims can play on any DVD player throughout the world. (As this is a bootleg issue I can't vouch for this, nor for its quality. Caveat emptor.)

The price is reasonable -- $9.53. As of this writing, four copies are available. Think you're interested? Visit https://www.etsy.com/listing/951989451/they-knew-what-they-wanted-1949-charles?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=carole+lombard&ref=sr_gallery-1-1&organic_search_click=1.

Carole Lombard was moving up in the movie world in 1933, as this fan magazine portrait shows. (It also makes clear that Charles Laughton was not Paramount's initial choice to co-star with her in the potboiler "White Woman.") The trade press also took note of Lombard's assignments, among them the Hollywood Reporter.

Three issues of the Reporter, featuring Carole in front-page casting blurbs, are now up for sale at eBay. I'd like to tell you more about them, but the seller only shows the fronts and the trade paper has minimal online presence in the Media History Digital Library -- the only issues that can be examined are from the first six months of 1933 and from January to June of 1934. More's the pity, because while the Reporter clearly had its biases, it provided solid coverage of the industry.

Chronologically, the oldest issue is from Jan. 28, 1933, where we learn Lombard was to star in a Paramount programmer titled "Dead Reckoning":




No film named "Dead Reckoning" apparently was made in 1933. Also note that RKO became the second studio in as many days to go into receivership, following Paramount. This was the nadir of the Depression, and everyone in the industry was hurting.

On July 22 of '33, the Reporter wrote Lombard would star in the film "She Made Her Bed":



Not sure what happened to that project.

Finally, on May 28, 1935, Hollywood noted the merger of Fox with Twentieth Century, while In Lombard news, she agreed to star in "Spinster Dinner," made at Universai in 1936 under the title "Love Before Breakfast":



All these are available for $19.99, or the best offer.

For Jan. 28, 1933, go to https://www.ebay.com/itm/Hollywood-Reporter-Magazine-1933-jan-28-CAROLE-LOMBARD-LEAD-IN-DEAD-RECKONING/254853409823?hash=item3b56726c1f:g:smoAAOSwJWFgGQec.

For July 22, 1933, visit https://www.ebay.com/itm/Hollywood-Reporter-Magazine-1933-july-22-CAROLE-LOMBARD-SHE-MADE-HER-BED/254853409817?hash=item3b56726c19:g:0qQAAOSwwkhgGQea.

And for May 28, 1935, check out https://www.ebay.com/itm/Hollywood-Reporter-Magazine-1935-may-28-CAROLE-LOMBARD-SPINSTER-DINNER/254853409996?hash=item3b56726ccc:g:S9EAAOSwmg1gGQe5.

"Ladies' Man," a Carole Lombard-William Powell romantic drama, celebrates its 90th anniversary this spring. The film, also starring Kay Francis, casts Powell as a gigolo who woos Lombard, her character's mother, and Francis before meeting a tragic end. The movie has its moments, but might be best analyzed from what we today would call an LGBT perspective.

And it has, thanks to a blogger who calls herself "NotorouslyNora." She examines the undercurrents of classic film in this manner and recently explored "Ladies' Man" this way (https://notoriouslynora.wordpress.com/2021/01/30/latent-lesbianism-in-ladies-man/comment-page-1/?unapproved=134&moderation-hash=bb2853da00174cb5633a371058686cfa#comment-134). She has several cogent points to make. For example, she says "Ladies' Man" has a "fascinatingly progressive subtext that teases an open embracement of unconventional values." This subtext, Nora says, "gains its entire substance from everything that is left unsaid."



The Francis character intrigues Powell by her unconventionality, which she uses to wield power over him and consequently turn the tables. Powell meets his demise at the hands of Lombard's father.



Nora notes Francis' character is relatively cool with Powell, but livens up with Lombard -- even if Carole may be a bit oblivious to what is going on. "Played out through expression and body language alone, Kay Francis evokes a sensuous and undeniable desire that permeates through the screen."

Lombard was 22 when "Ladies' Man" was made, and while it's uncertain whether she ever experimented with lesbianism during her brief life (in fact, she would marry Powell in June of '31), she almost certainly was aware it existed, and likely knew Francis -- who'd become a close friend -- was bisexual. She played well against Kay's sexual ambiguity.

There are many reasons Carole Lombard fascinates -- her ethereal beauty, her acting talent, so many other things. But she also was frank about the business of show business, a field she showed boundless enthusiasm for dating back to silent days.

Moreover, Lombard was never reluctant to share her thoughts about marketing herself, as she did after spending a week running Selznick International's publicity department in July 1938. But more than a year before that, she discussed the topic in a piece that ran in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat in May 1937. (Double-click to see it at full scale.) As she wrote, "If a star or player doesn't change, he or she is licked!"



Carole compared herself to a car model. "You can bet that if it is 'the same old Lombard' in 1937, Lombard isn't going to be much in demand in 1938," she notes. And such changes occur in a variety of manners, sometimes through style -- Lombard cited designer Travis Banton and hairdresser Loretta Francel -- sometimes physically (according to Lombard, her '37 self had lost 13 pounds and had wider shoulders through planing tennis).



She also dismissed her "sophisticated" image from earlier in the decade. "The truth of the matter was that I wasn't sophisticated -- I just didn't know how to act," she wrote. "I was afraid somebody would find it out." (To some extent, she underestimated herself; take a look at her tough pre-Code character in "Virtue," admittedly anything but a "cool" role, for proof.)

Lombard's more recent successes -- "Hands Across The Table," "The Princess Comes Across" and "My Man Godfrey" -- she credited to "learning, for the first time, how to be myself on the screen." At the same time, she didn't want to limit herself. "I've been told to do a story on 'From now on, it's funny.' Actually, I don't know whether I'm going to be funny for the rest of my life. I rather doubt it."

Lombard lamented Hollywood's double standard. "A feminine player no sooner learns to act than she's through. No woman can play romantic parts in motion pictures successfully after reaching the age of 35." (There were a few exceptions in Carole's time, such as Ruth Chatterton, who at age 40 could pull off romantic leads with sex appeal.)



Sadly, fate denied Carole the opportunity of finding out, but she deemed herself blessed to be in the business. "I like motion pictures. I'd never want to do anything else," Carole said. "I like the people, the work, the play, everything about them." I thank Brian Anderson for uncovering this wonderful piece, one that shows Lombard's fertile mind at work.

This week, we lost two legends of acting, both award-winners who lived into their nineties -- Cloris Leachman and Cicely Tyson.




Leachman won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for "The Last Picture Show" and was a mainstay of film and TV in both drama and comedy. Tyson, a pioneering black actress, excelled in films such as "Sounder" and won an Emmy for "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman." Both will be missed.

After a 10-day hiatus, soaking in the change of presidential administrations near the end of a tumultuous month, it's back to celebrating Carole Lombard with our initial post under President Joe Biden. Above is Paramount p1202-884 from early in 1934, and later that year, Carole posed for p1202-967, also very fashionable:



Pretty stylish, and you get even more of a feel in this close-up:



What's on the back? No snipe, alas, but the next best thing -- a stamp showing it's from the vast Lester Glassner collection:



According to the seller, the photo -- a heretofore unseen Lombard p1202 -- is in very fine condition ("flat, bright, clean and glossy, no tears or folds").

So, do you want it in your collection? The price is $179.95, or you can make an offer. To find out more, visit https://www.ebay.com/itm/LOVELY-CAROLE-LOMBARD-ORIGINAL-PARAMOUNT-FASHION-PORTRAIT-PHOTO-GLASSNER-VF-1934/254843863201?hash=item3b55e0c0a1:g:g~wAAOSwccdgDaoV.

I admittedly haven't written much of late about Carole Lombard and classic Hollywood on this site. It's not health-related -- aside from a weak chest, I've felt fine, and I take every precaution when going outside to protect others as well as myself. It's simply that in the world we're in right now, it's hard to garner enthusiasm to write. Yes, 2020 hit us like a ton of bricks, and it handed a few over to strike us in early 2021.

But I feel compelled to write today, the 79th anniversary of her passing. Since becoming a Lombard fan in the 1980s, this day has always been difficult for me, and the only solace I have is that I'm not alone. Carole's influence has touched millions and has lasted for generations, even though most of those still with us who had actual contact with her met in childhood. Those who worked with Lombard in some professional capacity and remain alive are but a handful today.



Last week, I mused about what Carole would think of us today, especially in light of recent events that called to mind the Depression at its nadir and the unrest millions endured without a pandemic. Part of me fears she'd be upset over what we've done to the nation she gave her life for, that we've let her down. At the same time, I remind myself Lombard was an inherent optimist, and that she showed those qualities to America during the similarly dire period of early January 1942.

"We'll pull through," she would tell us. That gives me hope.



So as we commemorate the lives of Lombard, her mother Elizabeth Peters, MGM press agent Otto Winkler and the other victims of Flight 3, we keep the faith.

If you've wondered where I've been the past week, well, it's been difficult. The photo above is from Jan. 15, 1942 -- Carole Lombard's last full day on earth -- and I can only imagine her reaction to what transpired this past Wednesday. Insurrection is the only applicable word, when the U.S. Capitol was attacked and multiple people died. As an American citizen, I am sickened.

Nevertheless, this morning I received some surprising good news. It was about my romantic comedy "Stand Tall!"



Several weeks ago, it was named a quarter-finalist in the inaugural Stage 32 New Voices in Animation Screenwriting Contest. Today, I received this info...




Yep, there I am, among people who are skilled in writing for animation. What am I doing with them? Advancing one rung in this competition is an achievement. But two? I'm flabbergasted.

Two weeks from today, I'll learn whether I become a finalist with my large-scale tale of 16-foot-plus Vegas waitress-turned-showroom-headliner Colleen Cossitt (https://filmfreeway.com/projects/476988). Keep your fingers crossed. Have a pleasant weekend...and please pray for America.

A photograph of a gown Carole Lombard wore in "My Man Godfrey" now is up for auction at eBay. No, not the iconic gown seen above, but this one...



...not quite as famous, but certainly attractive. Even better, it's described on the back:



Gives you an idea of what this would look like in color. The pic is from Universal, so it explains why designer Travis Banton (a Paramount employee) wasn't named.

It's a glossy single-weight original, another from the George Smoots collection. And it's said to be in excellent condition. Bidding begins at $39.99, with the auction closing at 10:08 p.m. (Eastern) next Sunday.

You can place a bid on this item by visiting https://www.ebay.com/itm/CAROLE-LOMBARD-STUNNING-in-EVENING-GOWN-Original-Vintage-1936-PORTRAIT-Photo/373391519725?hash=item56efde6fed:g:BXYAAOSwGJJfxoOz.

It's July 1931, and newlyweds Carole Lombard and William Powell have returned to Los Angeles from their honeymoon in Hawaii. Before leaving their ship, the couple was photographed by Paramount's Bert Longworth. A pair of close-ups of the Mr. & Mrs.:




And copy from the back of the photo:



Note that Powell had recently left Paramount for Warners, so Lombard gets top billing here. The marriage would last little more than two years, but Carole and Bill would remain friends (and of course team up for the 1936 screwball classic "My Man Godfrey").

This photo is 8 1/8" x 10" and in reasonably good condition with a little corner creasing. One bid, for $4.99, has been made as of this writing. The auction ends at 8:19 p.m. (Eastern) Friday.

If you're a Lombard or Powell fan, this image is right up your alley. If you want to get in on the bidding, visit https://www.ebay.com/itm/WILLIAM-POWELL-CAROLE-LOMBARD-Post-Hawaii-Honeymoon-B-Longworth-Pic-1931/154272562761?hash=item23eb5c7e49:g:6IQAAOSwA0tf78kb.

At times we weren't certain we'd reach 2021, but indeed we have, which gives us plenty of reason to smile, just as Carole Lombard is doing above. But as 2020 further retreats in our figurative rear-view mirror, let's look back at a response to one of her most memorable movies, indeed the one that put her on the map:



A classic early screwball, right? Apparently not in everyone's eyes.

Meet someone who calls herself "Sally Silverscreen" and runs a blog titled "18 Cinema Lane." Not only did she not like "Twentieth Century," but it topped the 10 worst films she saw in 2020 (https://18cinemalane.com/2020/12/31/the-top-10-worst-movies-i-saw-in-2020/). Other "oldies" that made her list include the 1946 Paul Muni-Claude Rains comedy "Angel On My Shoulder" and the 1965 Frank Sinatra-Deborah Kerr sex comedy "Marriage On The Rocks."

What didn't Sally like about "Twentieth Century" (a film I suggested she review after she praised "In Name Only" during January's Lombard Memorial Blogathon, https://18cinemalane.com/2020/01/15/take-3-in-name-only-review/)? Well, she liked the acting, set design and Carole's wardrobe...but on the other hand, she was cool to the subplot about the "repent" stickers, the generally unlikable characters and the abusive relationship between Lombard's Lily Garland and John Barrymore's Oscar Jaffe.

I'm not going to lambaste Sally for her comments -- everyone's entitled to their opinion -- but I will note that "Twentieth Century" is not meant to be realistic, nor are the leads supposed to be sympathetic. They're larger-than-life characters with inflated egos, and we're supposed to be amused by their attempts to bring each other down.

Remember, this film was adapted from a stage play (and later became a Broadway musical), and the milieu may work better in that environment than it does on screen. Also, it was released during the waning months of the pre-Code era; had it been issued a few months later, not only might have Lily not been occasionally featured in her underwear (see below), but its sexual undercurrents likely would have been toned down.



From the review, I sensed Sally was more disappointed than dismissive of "Twentieth Century," and that she'll give Lombard and her work another chance. May I suggest "My Man Godfrey," a true screwball classic which nearly everyone adores, or the underrated and overlooked "Hands Across The Table"? Either are a good way to welcome in 2021.

When Carole Lombard and James Stewart filmed this New Year's Eve scene in "Made For Each Other" in 1938, they had little idea that 1939, when the film was released, would become a landmark year in movie history. In fact, the filming of this scene was marred by a fatal accident to a worker setting it up (https://carole-and-co.livejournal.com/169187.html).

For us more than eight decades later, 2020 has brought plenty of gloom -- something few of us expected a year ago as we welcomed a new decade. One of them may have been Stephan Pastis of the comic strip "Pearls Before Swine," whose panel on the final Sunday of 2019 was both cynical and eerily prophetic:



As it turned out, said swine had every reason to be concerned. Just as 1929 has been defined by "stock market crash" and 2001 by "9/11," so will the defining phrase of 2020 be "coronavirus," which upended this nation and the world, and its defining image...



...a mask, as worn by Twitter pal Beth Hall. who plays nurse Wendy on my favorite sitcom, "Mom." Tonight, she labeled 2020 a "Voldemort" of a year (in Harry Potter terms, it must not be named); she and everyone associated with the series and most others in Los Angeles are now on a sudden hiatus due to the Covid-19 surge in southern California. It was expected in the industry and safety should be the overriding concern, but many associated with TV and film production will hurt financially.

To everyone who reads this, no matter where you are: Keep your travels to a minimum and when outside the home please wear a mask or some sort of facial covering. More than a third of a million Americans have died from this pandemic, and many of those lives could have been saved by wearing masks, social distancing and proper hygiene and behavior.




As for me, while this past year was a struggle, it wasn't bereft of triumphs, most provided by my rom-com script "Stand Tall!" In February, this tale of supersized showroom headliner Colleen Cossitt (https://filmfreeway.com/projects/476988) won an award from the LA Under the Stars film festival (an event I was actually able to attend); more recently I was limited to virtual victories, of which there were a few:





Now if I can only sell it to a producer.

Let us hope we all have more victories throughout 2021, and that we'll soon all be vaccinated. Stay safe.

If Carole Lombard somehow were around in 2020 (and let's assume some magical spell brought her here, since it's nearly impossible to picture a 112-year-old Lombard), I have no doubt she'd do the right thing to protect others and wear a mask, just as her nurse character did in the 1940 drama "Vigil In The Night." Two years earlier, however, Carole didn't wear a mask while making another film:



It's from 1938's "Fools For Scandal," where Lombard portrays an actress attending a masquerade party in Paris. All the other actors in this shot (I'm guessing more than a few were extras) had to disguise themselves; alas, Carole didn't have that option. "Fools" drew so-so reviews and tepid box office, and she and Warners soon split company.

Nevertheless, it's an offbeat pic (the seller notes, "some of the masks are quite incredible") and this 8" x 10" glossy sing;e-weight, from the George Smoots collection, is in excellent condition. (The back side is blank.)

It's up for auction at eBay; as of this writing, one bid has been made (for $39.99), and the auction closes at 10:33 p.m. (Eastern) Tuesday. If you're interested in this oddity (while shooting it, one wonders if Lombard thought of Paramount's 1933 "Alice In Wonderland," where many of her fellow stars wore masks designed to evoke John Tenniel's famed illustrations), visit https://www.ebay.com/itm/CAROLE-LOMBARD-w-MASKED-PEOPLE-FOOLS-FOR-SCANDAL-Original-Vintage-1938-Photo/143880212180?hash=item217fedced4:g:444AAOSwHrtfxVdJ.

And please wear your mask during these difficult days. America has lost more than a third of a million people during this pandemic.

Take a Carole Lombard 8" x 10" portrait, combine it with a (reproduced) autograph of her, and you have a splendid post-holiday gift -- for yourself or for others.

We know Carole's signature is a reproduction for several reasons:

* The seller has two copies remaining as of this writing.
* The cost of the item, which measures 14" x 18" in all, is a mere $34.99. But once it's framed and hanging on your wall, who will know the difference?

Now that you're interested, here's how to order: Simply go to https://www.etsy.com/listing/576436129/large-vintage-carole-lombard-autograph?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=carole+lombard&ref=sr_gallery-1-9&organic_search_click=1.

Uncovering yet another Carole Lombard p1202 rarity is always a delight, and that holds true for this one. It's Paramount p1202-1301, advertised by its seller as "Original Striking 1936 Gown High Drama Art Deco Glamour Photo Carole Lombard."

Yes, it's striking, with some sort of Lombard dramatic glamour despite its setting, which looks to be outside a soundstage. And we know it's from 1936, since the only marking on the rear is this upside-down imprint:



It's an 8" x 10" that sells for $249.99, though you can also make an offer. If you'd like it in your collection, find out more by visiting https://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Striking-1936-GOWN-High-Drama-Art-Deco-Glamour-Photo-Carole-Lombard-369/324434882353?hash=item4b89d36f31:g:SEMAAOSwjmFf6kQQ.

Yes, 2020 has been difficult for all of us, but at least mine is ending on an up note in one part of my life. For the second consecutive day, my romantic comedy script "Stand Tall!" has an achievement to be proud of. (Above is Carole Lombard reading a script in the mid-1930s.)

Yesterday, it was named a quarterfinalist in the inaugural Stage 32 New Voices in Animation screenwriting contest. Today, the honor comes all the way from Paris, where it beat out four rivals to be named the Beyond the Curve International Film Festival's best feature screenplay for November and December 2020.



I even received an award laurel...



...which I hope to soon superimpose on my promotional one-sheet:



Am I thrilled? Of course. The more honors "Stand Tall!" receives, the easier the script is to sell to a prospective producer, or an actor or actress interested in the property (more likely the latter, since script readers have praised lead character Colleen Cossitt's extreme likability and commercial appeal -- see below).



Since receiving these scores a few months ago, I've honed the script to address the reviewer's concerns and believe the current version of "Stand Tall!" (https://filmfreeway.com/projects/476988) is a considerably stronger work. Keep your fingers crossed for 2021, folks.

Above is Carole Lombard in animated form, as part of the opening credits for her 1937 Technicolor comedy "Nothing Sacred." That word -- animation -- entered my life today in an unexpected way, as I received some surprising news:



"Stand Tall!" is a quarterfinalist in Stage 32's inaugural New Voices In Animation Screenwriting Contest.

And just in case I didn't believe it, more proof was furnished...



...along with a long listing of quarterfinals, my script included:



I even received this quarterfinalist laurel:



Wow.

For newcomers to Carole & Co. unfamiliar with "Stand Tall!", it's a romantic comedy feature I've written and regularly re-honed. Until this honor, the following one-sheet is as close as it's come to animation:



From the start, I had conceived "Stand Tall!" -- the tale of triple-sized Vegas waitress Colleen Cossitt -- as a live-action feature, with any actress cast as 16-foot-plus Colleen singing and dancing her way through all sorts of one-third-scale sets and other CGI effects. But this spring, as the coronavirus pandemic grew increasingly severe, it became obvious that it would be extremely difficult to replicate a Vegas showroom with an audience or the giant Colleen's initial makeshift home (a laboratory that formerly was a trucking warehouse) in live action. Suddenly, an animated "Stand Tall!" appeared easier to achieve, although I have neither skills nor background in that field. (I commissioned what you see above from a German artist.)

In a few weeks, I'll learn whether this animated option is truly viable, and whether I advance to finalist status. If you're curious about the script (Logline: A Vegas waitress tripled in size becomes a beloved showroom headliner, falls in love with the scientist who accidentally enlarged her, then vows to rescue him when he's kidnapped by three mutual rivals), give it a look-see at https://filmfreeway.com/projects/476988. In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed that this unorthodox love story can somehow advance.

I trust you've had a merry and more importantly a safe Christmas as we enter the final week of this most challenging of years. The picture above is a trade ad from Christmas 1937 promoting Carole Lombard's final film for Paramount, "True Confession," and I thought I'd provide a few more examples of Lombard holiday cheer.







Two photos of Carole from her Mack Sennett years; holiday greetings from Lombard in both German and Hungarian; and a plaque from Carole and Clark Gable for a gift to Jean Garceau and her husband in 1941.

We'll close with the greatest holiday song of the rock' n' roll era, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" by Darlene Love. This now is 57 years old, and still sounds amazingly fresh. A merry Christmas to all.

"And so this is Christmas,
and what have we done?"
-- John Lennon, "Merry Xmas (War Is Over)"

The Christmas season is meant to symbolize joy -- after all, it's one of Christendom's most important holidays. But this year in particular, it's synonymous with despair. For the first time in more than a century, the globe is suffering through a pandemic, even in a nation whose resources and affluence should have put this under control some time ago. The economy is in the midst of major turmoil, while hate and racism scar our society.

The characters Carole Lombard and Gary Cooper played in the 1931 drama "I Take This Woman" didn't have to endure the depression the real world faced that year, or that many of us do now. Millions are struggling, deprived of work, of money, of help, of hope. Coronavirus has taken hundreds of thousands of loved ones from our lives, and even those who survive the virus will not go unscathed in one form or another.

I'm currently in a group home in Los Angeles, where I've lived since September 2018, and as bad as things are, I at least have shelter, friends and food. Money is minimal, but that's a perverse blessing in an area where Covid-19 is running rampant; you're not tempted to leave the household, where you could come in contact with someone spreading the virus (unwittingly or otherwise). My heart goes out to the thousands on Skid Row, unprotected from the pandemic. There but for the grace of God I could be alongside them.



Above is the New Yorker's first Christmas cover, from December 1925. The joy it exuded some nine and a half decades ago resonates today, to a world that needs it desperately. Yes, 2021 can't arrive soon enough.



That's actress Morgan Fairchild, one of my favorite Twitter pals, not just for her beauty (and talent) but for her brains and heart, wishing you a wondrous holiday season, and reminding us to wear a mask to protect both yourself and others. After all, isn't the Golden Rule what nearly every faith is about?

We'll leave you with some Lombard Christmas pics. Enjoy your holiday, whatever you celebrate, and stay safe.







To close, a holiday standard introduced during World War II, when the fate of the world was as uncertain as it is now -- "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," from the film "Meet Me In St. Louis," beautifully performed by Frank Sinatra.

"Nothing Sacred," in joyous Technicolor, is certainly among Carole Lombard's classic films. Now you can own an artifact from this screwball comedy. We're referring to... a glass slide promoting the production.



We've noted glass slides before (https://carole-and-co.livejournal.com/48696.html, https://carole-and-co.livejournal.com/55466.html). Theaters projected them on screens as coming attractions. They weren't very big -- only a few inches -- but they've become valued collectibles in recent years.

This "Nothing Sacred" slide, for instance, has vibrant coloring and some mild wear. And whereas the most expensive glass slide in the 2007 entries went for about $55, the opening bid on this is a whopping $349.99. Bidding ends at 10:13 p.m. (Eastern) Monday. You can place your bid at https://www.ebay.com/itm/CAROLE-LOMBARD-NOTHING-SACRED-SCREWBALL-COMEDY-GLASS-MAGIC-LANTERN-SLIDE-1937/383873332745?hash=item5960a23609:g:SN8AAOSwH-Bf5AcM.

Another Lombard glass slide is for "In Name Only," her 1939 RKO drama with Cary Grant and Kay Francis:



Its opening bid also is $349.99, with bids ending at 9:46 p.m. (Eastern) Monday. If you'd like to get in on the action, visit https://www.ebay.com/itm/CAROLE-LOMBARD-KAY-FRANCIS-CARY-GRANT-IN-NAME-ONLY-GLASS-MOVIE-GLASS-SLIDE-1939/114591848648?hash=item1aae34d8c8:g:YTUAAOSwVFhf4~9-.

"My Man Godfrey" charms audiences 84 years after its release. And that year, it did so on both sides of the Atlantic. Want proof? Take a look at this review from the Oct. 14, 1936 issue of the London satirical magazine Punch, about one month after it hit theaters in the States:



That the reviewer liked "Godfrey" should come as no surprise, but it's nonetheless fascinating to see the William Powell of "Godfrey" compared to the actor's role in "The Great Ziegfeld" earlier in the year. (Had "Libeled Lady" been released in the UK? I'm not sure.)

Powell is praised for his performance, although the writer somehow expected Godfrey to end up with snooty antagonist Cornelia (Gail Patrick) rather than Carole Lombard as leading lady Irene Bullock. Why? I don't know.

Also on the page is a review of Paramount's "The Texas Rangers," starring two of Carole's cohorts -- Fred MacMurray and Jack Oakie.



MacMurray would make many westerns over the next two dozen years, proving he was more than a romantic comedy leading man.

This page is available for $9.95. Interested? Visit https://www.ebay.com/itm/MOVIE-REVIEWS-William-Powell-Carole-Lombard-My-Man-Godfrey-CARTOONS-1936/193814280702?hash=item2d203b39fe:g:CkcAAOSwelFf32jm.

Unlike Carole Lombard's reaction in "True Confession," I'm pleasantly surprised by the news I received today. It's yet another honor for my romantic comedy feature script...



..."Stand Tall!", an official selection of the Beyond The Curve International Film Festival of Paris (https://www.bciff.org/official-selections-nov-december, https://filmfreeway.com/BeyondtheCurveInternationalFilmFestival).

Some of the entries are full-fledged films, whether shorts or features. Others, like mine, are screenplays. There are several dozen selections in all, and later this week I should learn whether I'll add an award to the collection "Stand Tall!", the sweet-natured tale of 16-foot showroom headliner Colleen Cossitt, has earned.

At the very least, it's good to be part of the French cinematic community, just as Lombard pretended to be in 1931 when she posed with a Renault on the ever-so-continental Paramount lot

Some of you likely wonder where I've been the past few days (my previous entry was Sunday night). Let me assure you nothing's happened with my health, no Covid-19 or anything to that effect. But after 13 1/2 years of running this site, taking time off only for matters such as homelessness and the like, I simply needed a few days to relax and recharge, similar to what Carole Lombard is doing above. Now it's time for another entry, and I think I've got a good one.



It's Lombard skeet-shooting near Lake Arrowhead in 1937 with "True Confession" co-star Fred MacMurray and its screenwriter, Claude Binyon, whom we've written about before (https://carole-and-co.livejournal.com/76563.html). The pic is Paramount p1202-1702, from photographer Tom Evans, and the rear side describes the action, although Binyon's name is misspelled "Binyou." (Well, better to misspell the screenwriter than the stars, right?)



Even in 1937, Lombard was a feminist icon.

This photo is up for auction at eBay. It's in fine condition with trimmed edges and corner wear. Earlier today, there was one bid, for $4.95; now there have been five, topping at $32. Moreover, the auction doesn't end until 10:36 p.m. (Eastern) a week from Monday, so this well could soar to triple digits.

Want to get in on the action? Then go to https://www.ebay.com/itm/Carole-Lombard-Fred-MacMurray-Skeet-Shooting-Original-1937-Candid-Photograph/373382419628?hash=item56ef5394ac:g:8uYAAOSw2V5fzrvR.

Photographer Eugene Robert Richee (1896-1972) and subject Carole Lombard made for quite a team during the early and mid-1930s. He took many of Carole's most sensual Paramount portraits, especially during the pre-Code era (witness this still at top of Lombard for the 1933 potboiler "White Woman"). But he could also photograph her in a more refined atmosphere. This picture is proof:



And here's that shot without borders:



Richee also photographed the likes of Marlene Dietrich, Claudette Colbert, Clara Bow and Louise Brooks at Paramount.

This photo is up for auction at eBay. As of this writing, three bids have been made, topping at $16.16, and the bidding doesn't end until 10:09 p.m. (Eastern) next Sunday. It's said to be in fine condition with soft corners. If you're a Lombard collector who'd like to add this to your haul, go to https://www.ebay.com/itm/Stunning-Art-Deco-Glamour-Girl-Carole-Lombard-Original-30s-ER-Richee-Photograph/373341545936?hash=item56ece3e5d0:g:hHMAAOSwjVtfsYec#viTabs_0 to find out more.

We've previously run this photo from Carole Lombard's "I Take This Woman," as her New York socialite character, now on the Wyoming turf of her new rancher husband Gary Cooper, meets some of his pals as he shows off his taxidermy skills. Yes, gang, it's going to be a 1931 version of a culture clash (but since I've seen the film, don't fret -- there'll be a happy ending between Coop and Carole).

This is an original 8" x 10", though the rear shows it initially was part of the collection of one Jacques Moreau:



You can buy this original still for $249.99, or make an offer. Get all the details at https://www.ebay.com/itm/Gary-Cooper-CAROLE-LOMBARD-I-TAKE-THIS-WOMAN-1931-PARAMOUNT-ORIG-PHOTO-357/324415098301?hash=item4b88a58dbd:g:rCYAAOSwWUJf1RbY.

In May, Kino Lorber announced the upcoming release of three Carole Lombard titles on Blu-ray, which the studio had the temerity to list as the "Carole Lombard Collection I" (https://carole-and-co.livejournal.com/1094122.html) In a world where so many items are labeled as "first annual" without ever reaching a second, you could understand some skepticism about it all.

But, hallelujah, Kino is going to deliver on its promise. Coming April 6...



Unlike set I, which took three of Carole's early '30s releases with little inherent reason, set II pinpoints a period in Lombard's life when her career as a comedic actress truly took off -- with the fall 1935 release of her first top-tier comic vehicle at Paramount, "Hands Across The Table," followed by a pair from early '36, Universal's "Love Before Breakfast" and a re-teaming with Fred MacMurray in "The Princess Comes Across." Her film following these three? "My Man Godfrey," where her career took off like a rocket.

Like its predecessor, set II will include audio commentaries for all three, as well as the "Love Before Breakfast" trailer. I'm especially thrilled for "Hands Across The Table," which features terrific direction (with genuine sexual tension, a year after the Production Code was imposed) by the underrated Mitchell Leisen.



Thank you, Kino Lorber.