Thursday, February 12, 2026

25 cents for an 8 x 10 star portrait ... I'll take 5 of Robert Montgomery, 4 of William Powell ...

 Helen Rydell of Los Angeles, Cal. was a clever fan.  She figured out that she could buy a 1 cent stamp for a postcard that she would send to MGM asking for a photograph of a favorite star and then receive in return a picture postcard of her star asking for either 10 cents for a 5 x 7 photo or 25 cents for an 8 x 10.  1 cent vs. 10 or 25 cents.  Good one, Helen.  This ad campaign was short-lived, just briefly in 1937 to 1938.  It's no wonder.  


She also asked for a Frank Morgan photo and receives one which includes Clark Gable as well.  


Helen's request was for Maureen O'Sullivan ... not Beery.  



So, the three photos cost Helen a total of 3 cents.  They cost me a tad bit more.  

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

Well, except for the rosy-red lips ...

 Allas, a Swedish magazine did a good job on Bob's eyes, they are blue instead of the most-often colorized brown.  The red lips, a tad over-the-top.  


Thursday, February 05, 2026

...And who would play Nora in her movie?

 Nora Gregor was born February 3, 1901, in Austria-Hungary.  The lady led an interesting life.  May I heartedly suggest reading the biography included on IMDB (mostly under Trivia), as well as Wikipedia's entry on her second Husband Prince Ernst Starhemberg.  Way too complex a life to condense to fit in this post!  It would make for a great movie, if they would only make those kinds of movie anymore.

But the Flesh is Evil (1932) was a failed attempt by Ms. Gregor to establish a movie career in Hollywood.  Her thick Austrian accent and age (31, after all!) did not appeal to the American movie audience.  


Tuesday, February 03, 2026

... and Bob does an Excellent Turn as a Heel

"WEDDED BLISS . . . Helen Hayes and Robert Montgomery are the fight-and-make up newlyweds in "Another Language" in which they are starred by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer under direction of  E.H. Griffith."  

        Bob and Helen Hayes in Another Language (1933)

The studio certainly did not waste production money on using publicity stills to advertise Another Language.  I have run across all of two publicity stills for the movie, this and another photo of Bob and Helen.  There are a few on set candid's and that's it.  IMDB notes the movie was originally intended to star Norma Shearer who backed out shortly before the movie was underway to take care of her ailing husband, Mr. Thalberg.  That might explain the lack of planned publicity for the movie.  I have never been a big Hayes fan, but I'm sure her performance was better than anything a miscast Shearer would have given.  

Thursday, January 29, 2026

"Hello, Dahlings!"

                      Tallulah Bankhead, b. January 31, 1902