Photos

The Mayfair Ball

Carole "all done up in tulle and violets" snuggling up to Cesar Romero...I think this was before Clark arrived

As Clark and Carole fans all know, the 1936 Mayfair Ball was the site of the beginning of their love story.

David O.Selznick (producer of Gone with the Wind) was the president of the Mayfair Club at the time and asked Carole to head up the annual ball, as she was known for throwing the best parties in town. Carole decided to make it a white ball, and all ladies were asked to wear white gowns, and the men white ties. White flowers of every variety filled the room.

Bill Gargan and wife, Harold Lloyd and wife, Dolores Costello Barrymore (even wearing a white wig)

Tickets were $20 apiece, and for that you got dinner (alcohol was extra though, thankyouverymuch), dancing, a show and some pretty fine company: Frederic March, Irene Dunne, Merle Oberon, David Niven, Buster Keaton, Barbara Stanwyck, Claudette Colbert, Gloria Swanson, Harold Lloyd, Jeanette MacDonald, Bing Crosby, Lupe Velez, Johnny Weissmuller and many more. Including a certain Mr. Gable, who escorted Eadie Adams, a young blonde singer who performed a lot of the dubbing work at MGM. They arrived with Marion Davies and William Randolph Hearst.

Janet Gaynor, Gene Raymond, Marion Davies and Dolores del Rio

Clark and Carole reportedly exchanged a few smiles and winks throughout the evening. Carole, whose date was Cesar Romero, didn’t have much time to revel in her grand party as she was running around greeting everyone. Two dresses had caused her to raise an eyebrow: Joe E. Brown’s wife had arrived in light blue and Jeanette MacDonald was in a muted mauve. Carole let this pastel colors slide, as they weren’t too offensive to her color scheme.

David Niven, Merle Oberon, Norma Shearer and Irving Thalberg

And then Norma Shearer appeared. Norma, arriving in grand style on the arm of her husband Irving Thalberg, was quite the sight in a skimpy, bright red dress designed by MGM costume designer Adrian. Carole was furious; she had to be talked out of marching over to Norma and kicking her out or throwing a drink on that dress.

Another shot of David Niven, Merle Oberon, Norma Shearer and Irving Thalberg

Clark and Carole memorably shared a close dance followed by a ride in his car. When he asked if she wanted to come up to his hotel room, her quip of “Who do you think you are, Clark Gable?” ended that idea pretty quickly! But the spark had been sparked….

10 Comments

  • Tally Haugen

    Wow! SO THAT was THE red dress! What a tacky thing of Shearer..(Always thought so but amazing to see it in a photo.) Carole looked stunning, Bless Her! Thanks for posting! 🙂

  • Louisa Jacqueline Holmes

    FANTASTIC…I have seen ONE of these pictures of Norma Shearer irving Thalberg Merle Oberon AND the lovely David Niven but not any of Carole Lombard and Cesar Romero…didn’t Carole discover him? Carole as always the feisty one…they should have let her at Norma…BUT of course the main reason that Norma did this AND knew that she would get away with it was being with her husband probably THE most influential man in pictures at the time…Irving Thalberg…BUT then Clark and Carole clicked!…

  • Jessica P.

    Ahah! So this is what the scene Jezabel was based off of! I can’t say that I like Norma’s dress very much…how brazen!
    Great post, as always 🙂
    It’s probably a good thing Carole said no. That probably kept him intrigued and lead to further courting 🙂

  • rmarsh2010 @comcast.

    So nice to see these pictures. Especially Carole. Also, David Niven and his first wife. They looked so happy together. So sad what fate had in store for her.

  • edward powers

    Nice comment about David Niven but his date that night was actress Merle Oberon who was Norma Shearer’s good friend and who was trying to become Mrs. Niven. Unfortunately the lady he did marry looking for a place to hide while playing a sort of hide and seek game at a party mistook the door to the cellar for a closet an died from falling down the stairs.

  • Frank3d

    Odd… I can’t find any information online supporting edward powers’ story about a woman falling down a flight of stairs to her death. Is there any truth to this, or is it yet another urban legend?

  • Carol

    I never thought Norma was beautiful. I think she’s okay, but not s great beauty.
    I’m happy that I finally found a picture from the Mayfair Ball.
    Thank you.

  • Virginia Gobetz

    Thank you for this post.I think Norma Shearer’s dress was awful!Carole looked beautiful .It was great seeing those photos of the various party goers.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *