Happy Birthday, Shirley Jones

March 31, 1934

Wedding Day for Gable and Lombard

Clark Gable and Carole Lombard

Married March 29, 1939

On March 29, 1939,  Clark Gable and Carole Lombard were married in Kingman, Arizona.

With the help of Gable's press agent and friend, Otto Winkler, Gable and Lombard managed to elope without the press getting wind of it. Gable had a brief break from the filming of Gone With The Wind so he took full advantage of the opportunity to marry Lombard.

The pair would buy a modest (by Hollywood standards) two-story home from director Raoul Walsh. The press comically dubbed it the house of the two Gables.

From all accounts Gable and Lombard were perfectly matched. Both were at the top of the heap as far as fame and popularity were concerned and their personalities, Gable shy and withdrawn, Lombard outgoing and boisterous, complimented each other. They called each other Ma and Pa and settled into life on their "ranch" until the day of Lombard's tragic death in January 1942.

Olivia Munn White Teeth

Has anyone else noticed how perfect the teeth of Olivia Munn are?

You really gotta admire a set of teeth this spectacular and well taken care of.

And have you seen how white they are? Simply stunning, Olivia, you are a diamond in the rough.

Ernst Lubitsch, "To Be or Not To Be," and Lombard's last impression

Coming to America

Director Ernst Lubitsch left his native Germany in 1922 at the invitation of silent-screen legend Mary Pickford. He directed Pickford in two popular films, Rosita (1923) and The Marriage Circle (1924). Right from the start, his American films had a quality, polish, and sophistication that seemed fresh and new. Audiences loved the "Lubitsch touch" and his career in Hollywood prospered. When talking pictures took hold, Lubitsch adapted immediately without missing a beat.

Hollywood fights back

In 1935, Lubitsch's German citizenship was erased by the Nazis. Like many Europeans living in America, Lubitsch was horrified by the rise of Adolf Hitler and his ever-increasing stranglehold on his home continent. During the late 1930s the war in Europe was heating up and Lubitsch thought the time was right for a satire about Hitler and the Nazis. After all, The Great Dictator (1940), written and directed by Charles Chaplin was a huge hit. Surely Lubitsch with his talent for comedy would be able to be equally successful with To Be or Not To Be (1942).

Show me the money

At this point in his career, Lubitsch was working independently, without the backing of a major studio. As an independent, he had to obtain funding to make To Be or Not To Be, as well as work out a distribution agreement. From the beginning, the movie was meant to be a star vehicle for Jack Benny. Benny was a superstar on the radio, but his movie career never matched his radio success. To help secure financing, Benny actively courted Lombard to star opposite him. Lubitsch, anxious to work with Lombard didn't think the part was large enough to interest her. Surprisingly, Lombard loved the script. The fact that she would be part of an ensemble cast rather than being the "star" didn't seem to matter. Additionally, Lombard thought that with the rumors of a World War on everyone's mind, a satire like To Be or Not To Be would help in the fight against the Axis powers.

Together again: Lubitsch and Lombard

With Lombard onboard, the financing was guaranteed and production started in October 1941. From all accounts, the filming was a pleasant experience for Lombard and all of the cast. Benny loved working with Lombard and she helped him get past his anxiety about working with a director of Lubitsch's stature. Once again, Lubitsch allowed Lombard to act as uncredited producer, just like he did during the filming of Hands Across the Table, when he was in charge of production at Paramount six years earlier.

Remember Pearl Harbor
During the filming of To Be or Not To Be, Pearl Harbor was attacked and the United States entered World War II. The mood of the country was somber with American casualties mounting on a daily basis. Americans feared invasion from Japan, especially those on the west coast, which included Hollywood. Ever the patriot, Lombard wrote President Roosevelt to ask what she and her husband, Clark Gable, could do? His response: keep making movies to keep people's spirits up.

War bond tour

Not one to sit by the sidelines, Lombard went on a war bond rally on January 12, including a huge drive in her native state, Indiana. The goal was to sell $500,000 worth of bonds, but Lombard's enthusiasm and star power brought that total above $2 million! After a hectic bond-selling schedule (so hectic in fact that a January 14, 1942 stop in Chicago generated an article in the Chicago Tribune entitled "A Whirlwind! It Was Carole on Chicago Visit"), Lombard wanted to fly back to California, instead of taking the train as originally planned. She was anxious to see her husband and didn't want to waste the time on the train. Traveling with her mother, Elizabeth Peters and MGM press agent Otto Winkler, Lombard tried to convince her traveling companions that flying home was their best option. Peters and Winkler were against flying, but Lombard prevailed.

California bound
After a brief refueling stop in Las Vegas, the DC-3 plane that Lombard and 21 others occupied, took off for the west coast on January 16. They never made it home. The plane, flying too low, slammed into a mountain not far from the Las Vegas airport. Everyone on board was killed instantly.

Farewell to the screwball girl

On January 21 at 4 p.m., funeral services were held for Lombard and her mother at the Hilltop Church of the Recessional in Forest Lawn cemetery, Glendale, CA. According to Lombard's wishes, her funeral was simple with mostly family and friends in attendance. As reported in the January 22 edition of the Chicago Tribune, those present included "...Mr.and Mrs. Spencer Tracy, Jack Benny, Mr. and Mrs. Ernst Lubitsch, ... the William Powells, Louis B. Mayer, ...and the Fred MacMurrays."

To Be or Not To Be released

Lombard's last movie was met with generally good reviews, but audiences weren't flocking to see it. It's hard to know why, since today, To Be or Not To Be is considered a classic. More than sixty years after its release, the American Film Institute in it's list of the one hundred funniest films of all time, ranked it at forty-nine. Some people thought the black humor was too much for wartime audiences. New York Times critic, Bosley Crowther wrote in his March 7, 1942 review, "To say it is callous and macabre is understating the case." Other period reviews were positive: "It's an acting triumph for Lombard, who delivers an effortless and highly effective performance..." (Variety).

Lasting legacy
It's sad that a talent like Carole Lombard was taken from us at the height of her career. The plans to make another movie with Lubitsch, Preston Sturges, and Billy Wilder would never be realized. But fortunately for us, she left a body of work that still brings us joy, laughter, and tears.

"A loud cheer for the screwball girl!"

Happy Birthday, Steve McQueen

1930-1980

Celebrity Odd Couples

Celebrity Odd Couples

Celebrity Odd Couples
Relationships aren't always about beautiful people latching onto beautiful people, sometimes even in Hollywood.

here are the list of the 14 top Celebrity Odd Couples:

1. Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie

Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie

2. Jesse James and Sandra Bullock

Jesse James and Sandra Bullock

3. Howard Stern and Beth Ostrosky

Howard Stern and Beth Ostrosky

4. Marilyn Manson and Evan Rachel Wood

Marilyn Manson and Evan Rachel Wood

5. Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez

Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez

6. Chris Robinson and Kate Hudson

Chris Robinson and Kate Hudson

7. Jordan Bratman and Christina Aguilera

Jordan Bratman and Christina Aguilera

8. Donald Trump and Melania Knauss

Donald Trump and Melania Knauss

9. Clive Owen and Sarah-Jane Fenton

Clive Owen and Sarah-Jane Fenton

10. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes

11. Devendra Banhart and Natalie Portman

Devendra Banhart and Natalie Portman

12. Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey

Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey

13. Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley

Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley

14. Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness

Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness

Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941) trailer

Check out this classic trailer for Mr. and Mrs. Smith. You've got to love the stylized approach.  Supposedly, Alfred Hitchcock was surprised that Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery had never worked together before. The trailer touts this fact.

Enjoy

The Truth about "Mr. and Mrs. Smith"

There is a belief today that Mr. and Mrs. Smith  (1941) starring Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery and directed by Alfred Hitchcock was a flop. Nothing could be further from the truth, but for some unknown reason, this "untruth" seems to crop up whenever the film is discussed or written about.

For the love of Carole
It is true that Hichtcock directed this film as a favor to Lombard, whom he loved and admired, but he didn't dread the task, nor did he just go through the motions, not caring about the result. The production and texture of the film is very polished. It has the look of a very expensive production, and the cast, including the supporting players, are first-rate, accomplished performers. As Lombard films go, it's not in the same league, perhaps, as Nothing Sacred or My Man Godfrey, but in its day, audiences voted it one of the best films of the year, along with Hitchcock's classics Rebecca and Foreign Correspondent!

Udder hilarity

When Hitchcock moved to America, he rented a house owned by Lombard and the two became fast friends. Ever the prankster, Lombard had fun with Hitchcock and his supposed comments saying "actors are like cattle" by having a corral with three calves in it installed on the set for the first day of shooting. Each calf wore a nametag of one of the three leads: Carole, Robert, and Gene (Raymond). It was important for Lombard to set a congenial and fun atmosphere on her film sets, and this stunt must have been planned to do just that. To keep the jokes going, Lombard insisted on directing Hitchcock during his brief cameo. Not able to resist temptation, Lombard insisted Hitchcock do take after take until his "performance" was to her liking.

Held over at Radio City

When Mr.and Mrs. Smith opened at Radio City Music Hall on January 20, 1941, it played to sold-old audiences. In fact the first nine days were booked solid and the film was held over (it was something of a big deal to be held over at the Music Hall, back in the day). The reviews were almost unanamously good with Look magazine saying that "Hitchcock has employed the same strategy that marks his blood-chilling melodramas," utilizing the "same casual approach, the same pell-mell finish, the same corner-of-the eye viewpoint.... The net effect is the same, too: another Alfred Hitchcock hit." The New York World-Telegram said that "Portly Alfred Hitchcock abandons melodrama, but not entertainment, in the frisky, scampish, gleeful comedy called Mr. and Mrs. Smith." Other reviews positively noted that for an Englishman, Hitchcock seems to know exactly how American couples think (New York Herald Tribune). The New York Post compared Hitchcock's first comedy to those of Ernst Lubitsch!

Check it out for yourself

Modern audiences can decide for themselves whether or not Mr. and Mrs. Smith is a classic or even a worthwhile entertainment, but one thing is for certain: Lombard's timeless appeal shines through and Montgomery proves to be one of Hollywood's most adept film comedians.

Rent it from Netflix and see for yourself, then let me know what you think.