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Gossip Friday: Ladies with a Plan
From December 1936: Departing from the studio after a wardrobe fitting, Joan Bennett was mildly surprised the other day to see four sweet-faced old ladies lined up determinedly on the sidewalk by her car. It transpired that they were visiting from Buffalo, and has a three-fold purpose in their visit to Hollywood. One was afternoon tea with Miss Bennett, one a chat with Lionel Barrymore and one the autograph of Clark Gable. Touched by their ambitions, Joan provided them with tea, and, when last seen they were observed moving off in the general direction of another studio to polish off the matter of Mr. Barrymore and Mr. Gable!
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The 1932 Mayfair Ball
The Mayfair Ball was annual event held every February by the exclusive Mayfair Club. It was the seen-and-be-seen event of the year, taking place in one of the posh Hollywood hotels. The event is best remembered by Clark Gable and Carole Lombard fans for being the birthplace of their spark, as they began flirting for the first time at the Mayfair Ball in 1936. Well, it turns out that that wasn’t the first time Clark attended the ball. In 1932, he attended with Ria on his arm, and the magic of the night was descibed by Picture Play magazine: Beauty, Fashion and Fame Assemble on That Night of Nights, The Mayfair…
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Gossip Friday: Tuesday night in Hollywood
From February 1937: This is the thing that keeps Hollywood the town of enchanting contradiction and makes it the most unexplainable spot in the world. Take one particular Tuesday evening in Hollywood, for instance. At the Cocoanut Grove: Lights, music, champagne, movie stars, a Joan Bennett surprise party, a director and a blonde actress breaking their hearts for a love they can’t have. On a Laurel Canyon hillside: A barbecue, Carole Lombard and Clark Gable, Gary Cooper and Sandra, his wife, hot sizzling steaks, stars overhead, old-time songs, new-time stories and mustard. In the overflow meeting for a religious lecture: Director Frank Capra, Ginger Rogers and her mother, Sid Grauman,…