Post by teleadm on Oct 6, 2018 8:52:19 GMT
Carole Lombard, one of the movie stars that made screwball comedies a joy for audiences all over the world.
Carole Lombard was born 110 years ago into a wealthy family, the fortunes had been made by decendants to her parents, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, but was raised in Los Angeles by her single mother.
Her youth has been described as free-wheeling tomboyish, she participated in tennis, volleyball, and swimming, and won trophies for her achievements in athletics. At the age of 12, this hobby unexpectedly landed Lombard her first screen role. While playing baseball with friends, she caught the attention of film director Allan Dwan. With the encouragement of her mother, Lombard happily took a small role in the melodrama A Perfect Crime 1921, a movie that was not widely distributed at the time. She screentested for Chaplin's The Gold Rush 1925, but lost out.
Early contracts with Fox, Mack Sennett and Pathé amounted to only bit parts, and a scar. An ugly facial scar that she got in a car accident, an early plastic surgery procedure was made to make it less visible. Something she hidded cleaverly with make-up and lightning in her later career.
Her first movie success came with The Arizona Kid 1930, and it convinced Paramount to sign her under contract, to a $350-per-week contract (gradually increasing to $3,500 per week by 1936).
With the Production Code initiated and the coming of screwball comedies, her career took off, and by the late 1930s she was one of the highest payed actresses in Hollywood, following a deal which Myron Selznick negotiated with Paramount that brought her $450,000 (equal to $7,660,417 today), more than five times the salary of the U.S. President (offcourse this could be a publicity stunt too).
In the early morning hours of January 16, 1942, Lombard, her mother, and Winkler boarded a Transcontinental and Western Air Douglas DST aircraft to return to California after touring Bond Rallys. After refueling in Las Vegas, TWA Flight 3 took off at 7:07 p.m. and crashed into "Double Up Peak" near the 8,300-foot (2,530 m) level of Potosi Mountain, 32 statute miles (51 km) southwest of the Las Vegas airport. All 22 aboard, including Lombard, her mother, and fifteen U.S. Army soldiers, were killed instantly.
A sad loss to the film industry and to the world.
We can only theorize where her career would have taken her next
Here comes an uncomplete trip down memory lane:
Movie debut in A Perfect Crime 1921, with Monte Blue
The Arizona Kid 1930, with Warner Baxter, the movie was made at Fox, but it was Paramount who could see her potential.
Man of the World 1931, with William Powell, whom she had an unsuccessfull short marriage.
I Take This Woman 1931, with Gary Cooper
No Man of Her Own 1932, her only movie with future husband Clark Gable.
The Eagle and the Hawk 1933, with Fredric March
Bolero 1934, with George Raft, so popular that they danced the Rumba in 1935.
We're Not Dressing 1934, with Bing Crosby
Twentieth Century 1934, with John Barrymore
Hands Across the Table 1935, with Fred MacMurray
The Princess Comes Across 1936, again with Fred MacMurray
My Man Godfrey 1936, with real life ex-husband William Powell. This earned Carole her only Oscar nomination.
Nothing Sacred 1937, with Fredric March
Relaxing during Fools for Scandal 1938, with co-star Fernand Gravet.
Made for Each Other 1939, with James Stewart
On the set for In Name Only 1939, with Cary Grant.
Vigil in the Night 1940, with Brian Aherne.
They Knew What They Wanted 1940, with Charles Laughton
Mr. & Mrs. Smith 1941, with Robert Montgomery
To Be or Not to Be 1942, with Jack Benny
A treasure trove of wonderful movies with a wonderful actress.
Thanks for watching, hope you enjoyed.
Thoughts and opinions are welcome
Carole Lombard was born 110 years ago into a wealthy family, the fortunes had been made by decendants to her parents, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, but was raised in Los Angeles by her single mother.
Her youth has been described as free-wheeling tomboyish, she participated in tennis, volleyball, and swimming, and won trophies for her achievements in athletics. At the age of 12, this hobby unexpectedly landed Lombard her first screen role. While playing baseball with friends, she caught the attention of film director Allan Dwan. With the encouragement of her mother, Lombard happily took a small role in the melodrama A Perfect Crime 1921, a movie that was not widely distributed at the time. She screentested for Chaplin's The Gold Rush 1925, but lost out.
Early contracts with Fox, Mack Sennett and Pathé amounted to only bit parts, and a scar. An ugly facial scar that she got in a car accident, an early plastic surgery procedure was made to make it less visible. Something she hidded cleaverly with make-up and lightning in her later career.
Her first movie success came with The Arizona Kid 1930, and it convinced Paramount to sign her under contract, to a $350-per-week contract (gradually increasing to $3,500 per week by 1936).
With the Production Code initiated and the coming of screwball comedies, her career took off, and by the late 1930s she was one of the highest payed actresses in Hollywood, following a deal which Myron Selznick negotiated with Paramount that brought her $450,000 (equal to $7,660,417 today), more than five times the salary of the U.S. President (offcourse this could be a publicity stunt too).
In the early morning hours of January 16, 1942, Lombard, her mother, and Winkler boarded a Transcontinental and Western Air Douglas DST aircraft to return to California after touring Bond Rallys. After refueling in Las Vegas, TWA Flight 3 took off at 7:07 p.m. and crashed into "Double Up Peak" near the 8,300-foot (2,530 m) level of Potosi Mountain, 32 statute miles (51 km) southwest of the Las Vegas airport. All 22 aboard, including Lombard, her mother, and fifteen U.S. Army soldiers, were killed instantly.
A sad loss to the film industry and to the world.
We can only theorize where her career would have taken her next
Here comes an uncomplete trip down memory lane:
Movie debut in A Perfect Crime 1921, with Monte Blue
The Arizona Kid 1930, with Warner Baxter, the movie was made at Fox, but it was Paramount who could see her potential.
Man of the World 1931, with William Powell, whom she had an unsuccessfull short marriage.
I Take This Woman 1931, with Gary Cooper
No Man of Her Own 1932, her only movie with future husband Clark Gable.
The Eagle and the Hawk 1933, with Fredric March
Bolero 1934, with George Raft, so popular that they danced the Rumba in 1935.
We're Not Dressing 1934, with Bing Crosby
Twentieth Century 1934, with John Barrymore
Hands Across the Table 1935, with Fred MacMurray
The Princess Comes Across 1936, again with Fred MacMurray
My Man Godfrey 1936, with real life ex-husband William Powell. This earned Carole her only Oscar nomination.
Nothing Sacred 1937, with Fredric March
Relaxing during Fools for Scandal 1938, with co-star Fernand Gravet.
Made for Each Other 1939, with James Stewart
On the set for In Name Only 1939, with Cary Grant.
Vigil in the Night 1940, with Brian Aherne.
They Knew What They Wanted 1940, with Charles Laughton
Mr. & Mrs. Smith 1941, with Robert Montgomery
To Be or Not to Be 1942, with Jack Benny
A treasure trove of wonderful movies with a wonderful actress.
Thanks for watching, hope you enjoyed.
Thoughts and opinions are welcome
