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Gossip Friday: Scouting a Star
From July 1941: Because Clark Gable and Carole Lombard interested themselves in his career, tall handsome Reed Hadley, who hails from Texas via New York theatre and radio acting stopovers, appears to be safely launched in Hollywood. Young Hadley first attracted Miss Lombard’s attention when he appeared with her on a national radio broadcast. Gable met him at that time also. Both were impressed with young Hadley’s appearance and talents. Gable subsequently suggested to Director Clarence Brown that Hadley be tested for the role of a young British officer in “They Met in Bombay” at MGM. Gable and Rosalind Russell are co-starring in the picture and a requirement of the…
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{75th Anniversary of Carole Lombard’s Death} January 20, 2016
On January 20, grieving Clark Gable took his wife and mother-in-law’s broken bodies back to California. Gable Plans to Take Carole’s Body Back to Hollywood Today Clark Gable planned to return to Hollywood with the crushed body of his wife, Carole Lombard, today after identification of the body of the film actress’ mother. Gable’s film studio associates said a double funeral would be held tomorrow or Thursday for Miss Lombard and her mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Peters, both victims of an airline crash in which 22 were killed. Only a few personal friends will be invited to the services at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park, it said. Miss Lombard’s body will…
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{75th Anniversary of Carole Lombard’s Death} January 19, 1942
By Monday, the reports were grim indeed. Dental Records Needed to Identify Remains of Carole Lombard Gable Grim But Brave During Long Ordeal Tentative arrangements were made today to return the shattered body of Film Star Carole Lombard, killed with her mother and 20 others in an airliner crash Friday night, to Hollywood tonight in custody of her grieving husband, Clark Gable Plans called for the body to be placed on the Union Pacific, Los Angeles Limited leaving Las Vegas at 9:20pm and arriving Los Angeles at 8:30am tomorrow. Definite arrangements were delayed pending positive identification of the body of Miss Lombard’s mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Peters. Studio associates of Gable…
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{75th Anniversary of Carole Lombard’s Death} January 18, 1942
By the time Americans received their Sunday morning papers on January 18, the headlines changed from Carole Lombard being “feared” dead to being a confirmed casualty. Carole Lombard Among 22 Killed in Air Crash Blonde, carefree screen actress Carole Lombard, her mother and 20 other occupants of a luxurious TWA skysleeper crashed to flaming death last night on 8,5000-foot Table mountain. Searchers on horseback reached the scene today, nearly 18 hours later, and found the shattered wreckage, with bodies scattered for hundreds of yards up the mountain’s face/ Because 15 army ferry pilots were aboard, army guards were sent to the scene to take charge. A patrol also barred the…
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{75th Anniversary of Carole Lombard’s Death} January 17, 1942
Yesterday we looked at the headlines from the day of Carole Lombard’s death, published before she perished in a plane crash later that day. The next morning, the world was greeted with the frightful headlines: Carole Lombard Among Those On Plane That Has Crashed In West Screen Star, Army Men Crash Victims Carole Lombard Feared Dead in Plane Crash Carole Lombard, 20 Others on Wrecked Airplane Carole Lombard, Screen Actress, 15 Army Fliers Among Accident Victims Hollywood Performers Weep at Death of Carole Lombard Carole Lombard Believed Victim of Air Tragedy They all said the same thing, in different ways. Carole Lombard and 21 Others Killed As Air Liner Crashes…
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Remembering Carole Lombard on the 75th Anniversary of Her Death
Carole Lombard died 75 years ago today, at the age of only 33. Every year this day comes around and every year I can’t believe she’s been gone as long as she has been. This being the 75th anniversary of her death, I am going to spend the next few days chronicling the newspaper headlines that everyone was reading each morning. Back before the news was immediate and in the palm of your hand–when you had to wait between the morning edition and the evening edition or crowd around your radio to get the latest news. Since the plane crashed in the evening, the headlines the morning of January…
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Gossip Friday: Private Showing
From February 1941: Two years ago Gable married Carole Lombard and they moved onto a twenty-two acre farm at Encino in the San Fernando Valley. The Gables seem to hit it off fine. They spend most of their time at home together, go on frequent hunting trips, and once a week come into the studio to see a picture show. It’s too tough to go to a regular theater; they get mobbed when they try it.
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2016 in Review
Happy 2017! Here’s to a happy new year with less shocking celebrity deaths! Please! Here’s what went on around here in 2016: New articles added to the Article Archive: 1936: Gable Changed? 1932: Gable Denies Divorce Rumors 1931: Will Gable Take the Place of Valentino? 1935: What I Think About Clark Gable by Jean Harlow 1935: What I Think About Jean Harlow by Clark Gable 1937: A Real Day with Clark Gable 1950: Love Walked In 1950: Fit For a King 1955: Clark Gable: After 25 Years in Hollywood, He’s On His Own The ever-popular Carole Lombard Month was in October with the following features: Carole Lombard, Clark…
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Gossip Friday: A Pain in the Eye
From January 1942: A hot rumor that Clark Gable was in one of the local hospitals under an assumed name suffering with eye inflammation kept this writer busy. After spending most of the day and half the night checking I learned Gable has had a bad cyst in his eye. He was told he should have it removed but so far he has not gone into the hospital. He was not able to go duck hunting as he planned, but spent New Year’s Eve in town and went to a private small party with Carole Lombard. ___ Sadly, their last New Years Eve together…
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Gossip Friday: Charitable Pair
From December 1941: Charity has a big place in Hollywood’s Christmas. The English group sends food and clothing to Britain, give gag presents to friends. Leaders are the Rathbones, the Brian Ahernes, and so on. Last year Carole Lombard and Clark Gable sent notes saying they planned to give only to a local children’s hospital, and hoped their friends would do likewise–most of them did, too. Irene Dunne is closely connected with an orphanage and always takes dinner there with the children on Christmas Day. This year she is taking her daughter, Missie, with her to give each child a present.