{New Article} Hollywood Personalities and Their Ideas About Food: Carole Lombard

carole lombard

Here is a little article that ran syndicated in newspapers throughout the country in January 1936. It’s supposed to be about food but the majority of the article prattles on about Carole’s early days in Hollywood and then she gives us a “recipe,” if you can call it that.

Hollywood Personalities and Their Ideas About Food: Carole Lombard

As Told by Valentine Lyon

Syndicated Press

January 23, 1936

When just seven years of age, Carole Lombard came to Hollywood with her mother and two brothers. They came only to stay six months, but none of them ever returned to their home in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Carole was familiar with camera scenes at a very early age. Always a tomboy, she grew up joyously, preferring the boy games to those of dolls. Even as a small girl she was not content to be star athlete among the girls, but insisted on participating in the boys’ sports and would scream with rage when opposed.

Her prized possessions are two medals received for sprinting and broad jumping. However, sports were not her only diversions. She took part in all school theatricals, playing varied parts. Once she characterized an old grey-haired mother, with a grown daughter, who was many years older than herself. Another time, she was the villain, carrying the character out even to the drooping mustachios. Still another time she was made Queen of the May and for this occasion she was robed regally, and to quote Carole, “my brothers kidded me to death, but I didn’t mind too much. they let me wear a grand taffeta period gown and a tiara, and that was compensation for the razzing.”

Soon after she entered High School, Carole was seen by a Fox executive and he suggested a screen test, which, although her mother did not approve, Carole accepted. This brought her a role in a melodrama with Edmund Lowe, “Married in Transit,” and later was put into three leads in Western thrillers; two with Buck Jones and one with Tom Mix.

“All I had to do was simper prettily at the hero and scream with terror while he was battling the villain. I was never allowed to express myself by giving my screen lover’s opponent a good kick,” Carole confessed. “It didn’t take me long to realized I adored working in the movies, but honestly didn’t believe that I was getting good training in Westerns.”

Mack Sennett next offered Carole a contract. She was advised to accept it, for many splendid stars had been through the Sennett pictures. She remained with the Sennett organization for a year and a half, then she left to play an important part in “Show Folks” on the old Pathe lot. This was a great success and she received a contract with Pathe playing the leads in many pictures.

Then the rising young actress came to the Paramount outfit, where she was considered a great find. She justified their faith in her and was cast opposite William Powell in two pictures, and later married him. Although they are now divorced, they are still the best of friends, and no affair at the Lombard home is complete without Bill Powell. As Carole says, “I must have liked that man or else I wouldn’t have married him in the first place. Now that we are divorced, we’re still the very best of friends. We’re both civilized people.”

The Lombard home is one of the loveliest in Hollywood. Of an artistic nature, Carole chose all the decorations herself. Her drawing room is in tones of blue with Directoire furniture–the dining room stunning with its white walls, black-and-white linoleum floor and dull emerald green satin drapes. Her boudoir is a symphony in dusty pink and rose beige.

One of Hollywood’s famous interior decorators remarked that Miss Lombard’s taste was so good that if she wanted to quit the screen she could become easily one of the leading decorators of the country.

When it comes to her screen wardrobe, Carole has as much to say as the designer, who admits that Carole’s taste is perfect. he admits that she is wholly responsible for her reputation as one of Hollywood’s best dressed women. Carole believes that flawless figure and pluperfect grooming are far more essential to a screen star than beauty.

A few weeks ago, Carole Lombard made her first solo flight, and is still thrilling over her new experience. She decided to become a flier herself after traveling by air several times to and from the Coast to New York.

Asked for her favorite recipe, Carole gave me a simple after the theatre or Sunday night dessert–she calls it A New Dessert.

A New Dessert

If you want to serve something really delicious try my newest and most “special occasion” dessert. Now that one may speak of champagne above a whisper let me at once announce that it is the first ingredient. That is, it should be iced while you choose your finest champagne glasses and put in each one a peeled, fresh peach with the pit intact. When the wine is iced, pour the champagne over the peach and sip it. The saturated peach makes the most delectable dish imaginable and for an impromptu supper after the theatre or on Sunday night there is nothing simpler to prepare.