• Mood: artistic

To the power of soft-focus-glam

A new book -- actually, a new version of an old book -- has piqued my interest lately. For this, credit a blog in the Austin Chronicle, where Kimberley Jones writes, "I'm trying this new thing where I spend a couple pages before lights out with 'Hollywood Movie Stills: Art and Technique in the Golden Age of the Studios' (Titan Books) by former London Time Out film critic Joel Finler. I haven't even touched the text yet; right now, I'm just reveling in the pictures."

And guess who's in one of those pictures?

"There's Carole Lombard, all soft-focus-glam in 'Twentieth Century' promo stills..."

But there's one problem. What stills? There's no accompanying illustration of Carole, nor could I track one down in other reviews of the book. Could it be this (hey, it shows the train the film is named after)?



This?



This?



Or possibly this?



Of course, this is assuming the still is of Lombard by herself. Several stills were made of Carole with co-star John Barrymore, including a few rejected by industry censor Joseph Breen (http://carole-and-co.livejournal.com/62897.html, http://carole-and-co.livejournal.com/448257.html).

Whatever, the book "Hollywood Movie Stills: Art and Technique in the Golden Age of the Studios," first published in 1995, has been reissued this month:



The new version is said to be both bigger and better than its predecessor, as it features an expanded reference bibliography, additions and corrections to the original text (including a more complete list of studio stills photographers). There are also 30 more pages of photographs and captions.

I'm sort of embarrassed to say that I don't think I saw the original version of the book (if I did, it was little more than thumbing through a copy at a bookstore), but I am familiar with Finler, the author. He's written quite a few film-related books, including one of my favorites and unquestionably the best book ever written on the classic studio era from both a business and artistic perspective, "The Hollywood Story":



Plainly put, the man knows his stuff, and I'm certain this will be an invaluable resource for anyone interested in classic Hollywood still photography.

If you've already picked up this book (or have the old edition), somebody please tell me which Lombard photo was used (assuming it was also in the '95 version). This inquiring mind wants to know.

Oh, and don't forget that we're seeking nominations for a suggested post-1965 film to "star" Carole in for the blogathon "The Great Recasting," set for late next month.



You also have to come up with co-stars, a director, and a year (during Lombard's lifetime) to set this retro-film. I've come up with one of my own, but let's submit a second from our readership. Go to http://carole-and-co.livejournal.com/520083.html to leave your suggestion; the deadline is midnight (Eastern) Saturday.

This week's LiveJournal header shows Carole with newcomer Cary Grant (before anyone, much less the man himself, knew he was Cary Grant) in 1932's "Sinners In The Sun."