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Gossip Friday: Lombard in Saratoga?
From October 1936: There is a new custom in Hollywood00to get an actor and actress who are having a romance and team them in a picture. The fans want to watch the lovers they read about. Taylor and Barbara Stanwyck together in a picture were great at the box office. Metro is going to team Clark Gable and Carole Lombard in the flicker “Saratoga,” while they’re hot. ___ Not so much. As we all know, Saratoga starred Clark Gable and Jean Harlow. It was, sadly, Jean’s last role.
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Gossip Friday: Quite a Distraction
From 1954: In May, 1950, the big race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was only a few weeks away. To add to the excitement, MGM was hopefully trying to shoot scenes for To Please a Lady. The cameramen were trying to get shots of Barbara Stanwyck coming down the back steps of the Pagoda, but they couldn’t get into the correct position because of the crowd. Suddenly everybody started moving infield, and I, wondering what ruse they were using to distract the crowd, followed and saw four State Troopers. Walking in their midst was the handsome, smiling Clark Gable. This enabled MGM to shoot their scene, and enabled me to see…
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Gossip Friday: A Quiet Holiday
From December 1941: The quietest Christmas celebration in its history was observed in a Hollywood accustomed in the past to tossing around presents of diamonds and minks and sables like confetti. There were some valuable presents to be sure–but most of these were United States defense bonds. Few parties were given, with most of the stars and lesser lights celebrating only with their families and intimates. Only the families with children made the usual fuss. On this score the two busiest homes were those of Mr. and Mrs. Bing Crosby and Mr. and Mrs. Don Ameche. They each have four sons. Almost as busy were Margaret Sullavan and her husband,…
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Movie of the Week: To Please a Lady (1950)
This week’s movie is To Please a Lady (1950). Clark Gable is Mike Brannon, a decorated war hero and a ruthless race car driver who will do anything to win. Stanwyck is feisty Regina “Reggie” Forbes, who writes a no-holds-barred weekly syndicated newspaper column. She sets her sights to rip apart Brannon after he runs another racer off the track into a fatal crash. She confronts him about the crash following a race and is put off by his blasé attitude. Furious by his indifference, she writes a scathing column about how heartless he is. After that, Brannon is suspended from auto racing and can’t find a job racing anywhere;…
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{Photos} Night Nurse (1931)
For this week’s Movie of the Week, I don’t have any behind the scenes photos, as Clark Gable was just the lowly devious chauffeur, so was not in a position to command any behind the scenes interest. But here are some screenshots of a young and burly Clark: I do find it rather funny that the first time this evil chauffeur appears onscreen he is wearing polka dot pajamas! Poor Barbara. Knocked out cold. By a man in polka dot pajamas and a silk dragon robe no less! The chauffeur uniform isn’t exactly flattering, but look how young and chiseled he looks here, with his hair flopping onto his face.…
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Movie of the Week: Night Nurse (1931)
As I said yesterday, for the next year I will be featuring a movie a week (some lumped together for time’s sake). I’ll be doing a write-up of each film (yes, I am re-watching all these) and posting photos and trivia. These posts will not be in chronological order, so for no particular reason other than the fact that I recently re-watched it, I bring you Night Nurse! Night Nurse is a rather racy pre-code film. You’ve got every pre-code box checked: Half naked girls, men throwing women around, sexual innuendo, heck you even got children being neglected and murdered. What starts out as the story of poor, orphaned and…
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Gossip Friday: Storks Flying West?
From December 1939: The movie colony is as excited as a couple of maiden aunts over the persistent rumor that both Carole Lombard and Barbara Stanwyck are expecting babies. There’s no denying that Miss Lombard isn’t herself on the set these days. More than once she has displayed a Victorian fragility quite uncommon to her usual vivacious character by fainting during the filming of “Vigil in the Night.” For future father Clark Gable there may be some vigils in the night yet to come. Miss Stanwyck has been cancelling her picture engagements and now has no future commitments. Enjoying this period of inactivity with her is handsome husband Bob Taylor.…
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1936: A Hollywood Psychic Predicts Clark Gable and Carole Lombard’s Future
Featured in Screen Guide magazine in November 1936, here is one of those wacky articles that could only come from the 1930’s–a psychic tells you what will become of Hollywood’s great couples! “The Future of Ten Hollywood Romances as Predicted by Wanda, One of Hollywood’s Most Famous Seers” The ten blazingest Hollywood romances! How will the end? Marriage? Split up? This story tells. In presenting this remarkable set of predictions, I have kept in mind that my readers’ interest in the stars is no fleeting thing. You will be amazed as time goes on, to note the accuracy of Wanda’s readings. She has built for herself a tremendous following among…
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{Photos} To Please a Lady (1950)
Some photos from To Please a Lady, which was later re-released as “Red Hot Wheels” or “Indianapolis.” Filmed on location at the Indianapolis Speedway, there are some great on the set shots: And this, one of the most infamous on-set photos: Clark and Barbara were friends (and nothing more!), with great affection for each other and I think it’s apparent in their photos. Portraits: And some screenshots. 50 year old Clark isn’t looking too shabby!
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Gossip Friday: Teaming Up
From April 1940: 1940 is going to be a great year for husband wife teams. Joan Blondell and Dick Powell start things going in April when they co-star in “I Want a Divorce” for Paramount. Then Metro will follow with a picture co-starring Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, and another with Robert Taylor and Barbara Stanwyck. ___ Shame that never happened!
