Since today is Halloween, how about a ghost story with ties to Carole Lombard? No, it’s not about Carole and Clark Gable roaming the halls of the Hollywood Roosevelt — and it certainly isn’t about that hotel in Arizona which claims Gable and Lombard spent their honeymoon there (media accounts of them meeting the filmland press in Lombard’s home the day after their wedding make such a story impossible). In fact, Carole’s not the ghost here…but apparently someone in her family was, and it takes place in southern California. Not in Los Angeles, Santa Monica or Beverly Hills, though — this takes place in what’s known as the Inland Empire, specifically in Redlands, Calif.
It’s called the Morey Mansion, for shipbuilder David Morey and his wife, Sarah; they built the home (measuring 4,800 square feet) in the 1890s for $20,000 — big money in those days. It has a definite Victorian 1890s feel, with some other eclectic touches: Gothic windows, Italianate tower, an Indo-Saracenic onion dome roof. And marvel at the detail of the front door…
…and the exquisite interior:
Of course, if a place has ghosts, there is normally some tragedy to the site — and that applies here. Sarah died in 1901, only a few years after moving in. A despondent David Morey killed himself in San Diego in June 1902, and their ghosts are said to walk the place.
Fascinating, you say, but what’s the Lombard connection?
The mansion’s next owner was said to be a man whose last name was Cheney…who was Carole Lombard’s uncle. His ghost, too, has been spotted.
A check of Lombard’s ancestry at http://carolelombard.org/carole-lombard-information/ancestry-of-carole-lombard shows she indeed had some relatives named Cheney (on her mother’s side). An unofficial history of the mansion states the second owners were named Willard R. and Nancy Cheney, and that the mansion was to have been willed to Lombard, but she died before that could occur.
Did Carole ever visit Morey Mansion? It’s possible. We know that in December 1919, at age 11, Jane Alice Peters and her mother visited Kimberly Crest, another Redlands mansion, as they were distant relatives of the Kimberly family of Kimberly-Clark fame (http://laurasmiscmusings.blogspot.com/2011/10/carole-lombard-and-kimberly-crest.html). Here’s what Jane looked like at the time:
Morey Mansion has been restored in recent decades to its original magnificence and is now on the National Register of Historic Places — but its latest owners, Bill and Sara Taylor, are facing possible foreclosure. However, its previous owner, Janet Cosgrove, is confident the couple will come through.
Happy Halloween to all, and please be careful during your haunting tonight. While it’s fun to play a ghost, we don’t want you to actually become one anytime soon.
A heady compliment for any actress, but one Carole Lombard was used to receiving. This particular kudos came from the March 31, 1934 issue of Picturegoer, the popular British film weekly, with American Helen Mack on the cover:
Inside are features on Sylvia Sidney…
…Anna May Wong…
…and the Samuel Goldwyn film “Nana”:
Also inside are ads from British firms such as Cadbury chocolate…
…de Reszke cigarettes…
…and Lux soap, whose movie-star beauty approach worked on both sides of “the pond”:
For Lombard, by year’s end she would begin to be recognized for more than beauty, thanks to a pivotal comedic performance in “Twentieth Century” that won praise from critics. And that probably pleased her more than yet another compliment about her looks.
Two Carole Lombard Paramount photos — one a p1202 portrait, the other to promote her first lead vehicle at the studio (or should that be “leaden” vehicle?) — are currently available via eBay.
The Glassner collection of vintage photos has again returned to eBay; most of their Lombard pics were ones that no purchased the first time around, and among them was one I somehow neglected to post when it first circulated in July. It’s Carole, Paul Lukas and Ricardo Cortez in a scene from the lackluster 1932 programmer “No One Man”:
With Hurricane Sandy affecting the lives of so many here, I heard this song on the radio last night, and it seems appropriate for today — the Boswell Sisters, the greatest of jazz vocal groups, doing “River, Stay Away From My Door.” Recorded in November 1931, the Bozzies are backed by four of that era’s greats…Jimmy Dorsey on clarinet, Tommy Dorsey on trombone, Eddie Lang on guitar and Joe Venuti on violin. Whether your “river” be a stream or an ocean, please put safety first and foremost in these upcoming days.
Posted by vp19 on 2012.10.28 at 17:59 Current mood:nostalgic
This is rather late for our usual monthly recap, but moving and then settling in forced a delay. “Brief Moment,” a publicity portrait for which is shown above, was how most of America saw Carole Lombard in October 1933 (although several of her earlier films still were making the rounds of movie theaters). But for Lombard herself, she began the month having just completed “White Woman” and ended it beginning work on “Bolero.” In between for her were all sorts of things — including yet another bout of illness.
Carole’s occasional frail nature seemed at odds with her sports background, which dated back to childhood. And to start the month on Sunday, Oct. 1, Utah’s Ogden Standard-Examiner ran a feature on Hollywood athletes:
At first glance, this Hollywood appears to have come from an alternate universe. The top female tennis player in the film colony is an attractive Paramount star…but according to this story, it’s not Lombard, but Claudette Colbert, who recent classic film buffs really don’t associate with the game. (Colbert also was noted as an outstanding swimmer, and she was photographed in the pool at her Barbados home into her final years.) British emigre Heather Angel was also noted for her tennis prowess. (To be fair, Carole first became associated with tennis through her sponsorship of Alice Marble, but that wouldn’t come for another year.)
Lombard’s in the story, but what sport is she associated with? You’ll never believe it:
Yep, lawn bowling. And the reference to “trick summer costumes” brings to mind a full-page feature the Ogden paper ran on the 29th, about how actresses gain notice with their legs, but lasting fame with their faces:
Is the leggy, lovely Lombard mentioned here? Of course:
News about Lombard began in October with the Laredo Times reporting on Oct. 1 that Lombard met Hepburn in Hollywood. No, not that one…or the other one, whose arrival in Hollywood wouldn’t come until after Carole was long gone. We’re referring to Patrick Buchan Hepburn, at 32 the youngest member of Britain’s Parliament and a former aide to Winston Churchill:
Fashion was a theme early in the month; witness this Oct. 2 entry from Wisconsin’s Stevens Point Daily Journal:
A few days later, a Bakersfield, Calif., department store exhibited several Paramount gowns, one of Lombard’s among them, at a local theater, and it was noted in the Oct. 5 Bakersfield Californian:
The next day (Carole’s 25th birthday), the Syracuse Herald featured her in a shoe ad:
Upstate New York’s Salamanca Republican-Press ran a column from syndicated writer Robbin Coons, which included a “behind the scenes” look at “White Woman.” Pity no one informed him the film was set in Malaya, not Africa:
And how about this for a “what might have been,” according to the Oct. 9 Lima News in Ohio — Lombard and recently-divorced husband William Powell in the Warners film “Bedside”?
“Bedside” was indeed made by Warners and released in late January 1934…but the leads were Warren William and Jean Muir.
So Carole never made that film, or the following one. It didn’t stop a Kansas paper, the Iola Daily Register from running an ad Oct. 10 in which Lombard starred in “The Worst Woman In Paris”:
In contrast, the Oct. 13 Tipton Tribune in Lombard’s home state of Indiana ran an ad for a film which she did appear in (the aforementioned “Brief Moment”), along with a Carole beauty secret of sorts:
In “Brief Moment,” Lombard plays a cabaret singer named Abby Fane. While that was a Columbia film, Paramount apparently toyed with the idea of having her play someone else named Fane. Hearst columnist Louella Parsons reported Carole would replace Gloria Swanson in the Oct. 10 San Antonio Light...
…but eight days later, the Manitowoc Herald Times reported it instead would go to Dorothea Wieck, with Lombard shifting to “Bolero.”
Two days later, Ohio’s Mansfield News noted someone else had been added to the “Bolero” cast — former Wampas “baby star” (now fan dance favorite) Sally Rand:
A 180-degree turn from the sultry “Bolero” comes in the next article, from the Florence Morning News in South Carolina on Oct. 22. It’s an interview with Charlotte Henry, winner of the “Alice In Wonderland” sweepstakes, who notes she hasn’t yet met Lombard or some of her stablemates:
Now to the ailing Lombard of late that month. Word first came on Oct. 24, in papers such as the Mason City Globe-Gazette in Iowa:
Three days later, things looked far more severe, as reported in Missouri’s Jefferson City Post Tribune...
…the Salt Lake City Tribune…
…and the Massillon Evening Independent in Ohio, which put Carole’s face on the front page:
Everything would turn out all right, and Lombard soon returned to work on “Bolero.”
Add yet one more way to experience “Carole & Co.”, and — by extension — Carole Lombard. We’re pleased (and proud) to announce that we’ve been accepted to join Classic Movie Hub’s BlogHub (http://www.classicmoviehub.com/blog_hub.php).
As CMH’s Annmarie Gatti explains, “BlogHub’s mission is to create a place where Classic Movie Fans can find the BEST in Classic Movie Blogs and Posts. Fans will be able to easily explore, rate and share your posts, and when they click on ‘read more’ to see your full blog post, the google ‘hit’ will go to you (not to CMH).
“That said, your Classic Movie Blog Posts will be listed on the ‘Hub’, and will also be featured periodically on the Classic Movie Hub Home Page Slide Show.”
And by that, we’re referring to the 1928 Pathe silent buddy comedy starring William Boyd and Alan Hale Sr. as construction workers, with Lombard and Joan Bennett (in her first film) in small supporting roles, playing two of the “dames” in their lives.
As far as I know, “Power” has never had a legitimate DVD release (like most Pathe films of the late ’20s, it’s probably in public domain). But if you own a 16mm projector, you can watch this movie, as a vintage (albeit not original) print is being auctioned at eBay.
Here are some screenshots from “Power”; none feature Lombard, but it will give you an idea of the print’s condition (passable for something nearly 85 years old):
I believe the woman whose face we see above is Jacqueline Logan, who was higher-billed than either Lombard or Bennett and is, for all intents and purposes, this movie’s leading lady.
Here’s more info from the seller:
The film is on two 1,200 ft. reels that run about 1 hour and will be shipped by media rate mail within one day, with the exception of weekends and holidays, after payment is received.
Also, with the bidding on the film, there are four 400 ft. reels with additional footage for this film. They have not been screened but could be replacement footage for any future print damage.
These reels are labeled as one, two, three and four to correspond with the actual segments of the film. The footage is on four plastic cores with tails out. They will be sent with the feature to this auction’s winner.
Reel One: has a short head leader; the title and credits are replaced; the inter titles appear to be original. There are several single frame cement repairs along with some tape repairs. These don’t affect the picture or storyline. There is a complete ending to this reel with very short tail leader.
Reel Two: has a long head leader, half dozen scattered cement repairs, a complete ending with fade-out to “The End” card and short tail leader.
Both reels are in very good condition with no sprocket damage, edits or vinegar smell. There is some age-related wear. This is not an original print but probably much like other prints on the market. Inter titles are original. The picture contrast varies with lighter footage as well as darker sections.
Given their age, I am nearly 100 percent certain this is a nitrate print, combustible in the wrong hands, and unless you’re well versed in handling such volatile film stock, I do not encourage buying this. I can’t emphasize that enough.
We’ve previously discussed Shadoplay, the short-lived sibling of the more successful Photoplay (http://carole-and-co.livejournal.com/484371.html). Its September 1933 issue is now being auctioned at eBay, and while we’ve seen the cover before (exquisitely painted by Earl Christy), a look inside features another Carole Lombard item, specifically an ad:
It’s for Borden’s Malted Milk, a tie-in with her latest film, “Brief Moment,” and Carole and co-star Gene Raymond are shown having a “Hollywood lunch” — a Borden’s, accompanying a sandwich. Interesting, since much of “Brief Moment” revolves around Raymond’s character consuming something significantly stronger than malted milk.
There’s lots of other vintage Hollywood stuff inside, too. The cover shows “Hollywood’s Most Dangerous Lover,” and we find out it’s…
…Gary Cooper, shown with Fay Wray. Other highlights include two-page spreads on “Footlight Parade”…
…”Little Women”…
…and a photo feature, “These Women Would Be Lovely Anywhere,” including the likes of Jean Harlow, Ginger Rogers, Colleen Moore and newcomer Margaret Sullavan:
And, of course, there are movie ads as well, such as this one for the recently re-circulated “Night Flight”…
…or this ad for “The Song Of Songs,” where Marlene Dietrich somewhat resembles another MD — Marion Davies:
That stunning portrait of Carole Lombard was taken by Eugene Robert Richee to promote her 1933 film “White Woman.” It has nothing to do with the following anecdote, which involves a man who knew and liked Lombard, but unfortunately never had the chance to work with her, and a much younger woman whose controversial life has included some acting, though she’s better known for music.
We’re referring to a pair of people who you’ve probably never linked before — Billy Wilder and Courtney Love.
Here’s how Courtney described it:
Famously known for her nonchalant attitude and wild antics, Courtney revealed an anecdote about the time she met acclaimed Hollywood filmmaker Billy Wilder.
When the Academy Award-winner paid her a compliment by comparing her to screen siren actress Carole Lombard, Courtney misread it completely.
“I was once taken to an amazing dinner at Billy Wilder’s apartment and he told me I reminded him of Carole Lombard,” Courtney recalled. “I was rather shocked that such an amateur thought of me as funny.”
Not sure what to make of this, and Love’s reference to Wilder as an “amateur” particularly rankles — unless she’s criticizing herself and her thoughts at the time. Also, she probably then deemed herself first and foremost a musician, and being called “funny” likely wasn’t what she wanted to hear; that certainly wasn’t the point of her music. And the “amateur” reference? Perhaps something to do with Wilder’s unfamiliarity with rock. Or maybe at the time, Love wasn’t well-versed on classic film, though someone must have told her this man directed classics such as “The Apartment,” “Sunset Boulevard” and “Some Like It Hot,” working with all sorts of icons along the way.
It may also say that Love primarily thought of Lombard as a high-spirited comedic actress, not realizing there was much more to her than that.
Love is now 48, and we hope for her sake that she’s finally conquered her self-destructive demons. By now, she probably also recognizes Lombard as a glamour icon, because she’s now in the fashion business, having started a line called Never the Bride. And if what’s seen below is a sample of the style, it’s something Carole might have liked wearing.
In the latter part of 1936, audiences were discovering the magic of “My Man Godfrey,” arguably the greatest of screwball comedies, with magnificent performances by William Powell and Carole Lombard heading a peerless cast. And you didn’t even have to speak English to get in on the fun.
The Dec. 20, 1936 issue of the French magazine Le Film spotlighted this movie, telling its story with plenty of pictures. The article went on for at least four pages; alas, I only have three available, the one above and these next two:
The good news is that this complete 36-page issue is being auctioned at eBay — and it includes another image of Lombard as part of a story about stars in Hollywood:
And the magazine’s cover subject is an actor who was as hot as Powell in late 1936 (albeit for drastically different reasons), Robert Taylor:
Add three heretofore unseen (at least by me and at Carla Valderrama’s photo archive at carolelombard.org) images, all from the same seller, to the Carole Lombard p1202 Paramount gallery. None of them are original vintage photos, but all were struck from original studio negatives in the early ’70s, and all are double-weight; two of them measure 11″ x 14″.
It begins with p1202-63 above, from late 1930 or early ’31. If the shirt Lombard’s wearing looks familiar, it’s because you’ve probably seen it in the more common p1202-61:
vp19 on 2012.10.31 at 01:09
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