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Carole at her blondest

Over the years, Carole Lombard -- like many top actresses of her day -- changed the color of her hair. Perhaps she did it to fulfill the needs of an upcoming role, maybe she was trying to keep up with Hollywood trends, or possibly she simply wanted to try something new.

In the early thirties, Jean Harlow rose to fame with the platimun blonde look...



...and many stars took her lead and, like her, headed to the hair salon...



...to get their hair lightened. Lombard, who had yet to find a successful niche since signing at Paramount in 1930, was one of them. And while Carole never went completely platinum, she amplified her blondeness to a stunning degree. (That was also true for the likes of Bette Davis and Alice Faye, who were far blonder at the start of their careers than they were later on.) Anyway, here are a few photos of Lombard from this era. Whether or not it succeeds as a look is for you to decide.





One thinks of the sixties advertising slogan, "Is it true blondes have more fun?" But given Carole's sensibilities, she could have fun wearing virtually any shade.