• Mood: melancholy

One last trip to the lobby

Since beginning this community more than 26 months ago (hard to believe it's been that long), I've pointed out all sorts of memorabilia from Carole Lombard films -- and chief among them has been the lobby card. For those unfamiliar with the item, lobby cards were made of cardboard, usually measuring about 11 x 14 inches, that helped promote the current or an upcoming feature in the lobby (hence the name).

Virtually every feature Carole appeared in -- even those going back to her starlet days at Fox -- had lobby cards as a promotional item...but some are easier to find than others. And one film for which lobby cards are relatively difficult to locate turns out to be both one of her best-known and her last. We are, of course, referring to "To Be Or Not To Be."

I'm not completely sure why this is the case. I'm tempted to think that studios may have cut back on such products after Pearl Harbor, or that many of these were turned in during wartime paper drives, thus decreasing the supply. Whatever, you don't come across a "To Be Or Not To Be" lobby card very often.

However, one has popped up on eBay:



We don't know whether that was the actual color of the gown Carole wore in that scene (since the film was shot in black-and-white, the color of the gown was largely irrelevant), but you can imagine Maria Tura wearing something in this shade. Moreover, I do not know whether this was produced before or after Lombard's death.

What I do know is that its relative rarity )it's considered in "fine" condition) makes this an expensive item. You can "buy it now" for $295, or you can try your hand at a regular auction over the next few weeks; the choice is yours. For more on this item, go to http://cgi.ebay.com/TO-BE-OR-NOT-TO-BE-42-CAROLE-LOMBARD-BENNY-LOBBY-CARD_W0QQitemZ160358941543QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2556234367&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14.