Now, How Shall I Steal the Scene from Bette ...

June Bride (1948) will be shown on TCM (where else) this Wednesday at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST.  Hey, a decent show time for a change!  Great.  No reason not to watch it, just set the evening aside for a delightful movie.  And, yes, Bob steals a scene or two.  So, Bette, you're making a movie with Montgomery and you did not know this would happen?      

And the Best Straight Man Award goes to Tom Tully for the "Man's best friend is the apple" scene ...                         

Scene Stealer? Maybe. Funny? Definitely!

(It's National Flag Day!  Don't forget to display yours.) 

Wonder How Much That Ermine Coat Cost

Buying movie fan magazines just to read an article on Bob can become an expensive pastime.  Some are good buys and others, well, are not.  Thought I would share one of my purchases.   

Photoplay in the 1930s is just a wonderful treasure, a well-produced magazine with lots of "news" and gorgeous photos.  Unfortunately, the sale price for one in good condition reflects this.  I am not sure exactly how much this April, 1932, issue cost.  Too much, I'm sure.  It is a Norma Shearer cover, but the condition is not perfect so the cost was bearable! 

There are always full-page photos of the leading stars, two of the better ones follow.

And there are, of course several full-page movie ads.  This is a nifty one.

And speaking of ads ... this is a wondrously sexy Coca-Cola ad. 

 Big news in Hollywood was "who went where with whom wearing what."  In this case, it's Bob attending a premiere with Betty who was wearing an ermine coat.

Finally, we get to the Montgomery article.  It's about scene stealers, Bob being included among the likes of Wallace Beery, Marie Dressler, Jack Oakie, Victor McLaglen and Adolphe Menjou.  He gets just a small mention, but the cover art includes a photo of him next to the title. 

          The caption reads: "Mr. Montgomery, that scene belongs
          to Irene Purcell.  You give it right back to her."

And the only mention of Bob in a full-length article is as follows.

Gee, you'd think Bette Davis had written it! 

So, this Photoplay issue was enjoyable to me overall, but the Bob coverage was lacking.  Not a great buy if only seeking out Montgomery items.  Save your money for a good photo of Bob!

Which is Your Favorite?

This feature appeared in the June 30th, 1934 issue of "Film Star", an English magazine. 

A brief bio of the two is provided to help you make that difficult decision ...  and do note that Mr. Boles was actually born in 1895.  Even men had cause to fib when it came to age. 

Happy Birthday to the Wonderful Ms. Russell

Catherine Rosalind Russell was born June 4th, 1907.  I am glad Rosalind dropped her first name.  Roz is just perfect for her. 

I should have done this post last weekend, to give you a heads up re TCM's 8-movie salute to Roz on her birthday, which I thought for sure was next month.  Debbie very politely put me straight.  Anyway, her movies will be on demand on TCM until June 11th.  Do check them out.  I'm sure you can't pass up the chance to see Roz and Bob in Fast and Loose (1939)! 

Ms. Russell enjoyed challenges in her career and was highly successful in a variety of roles.  Whether it was as a heroine, portraying Amelia Earhart in Flight for Freedom (1943) ...

or romantic comedienne, with some of the tallest leading men in Hollywood!  Brian Aherne was 6' 3-1/2".  Here in Hired Wife (1940), Roz, who was at least 5'8", gets to look up adoringly into his eyes without having to stand in a ditch!  She made four movies with Brian, and five with 6' 1-ish" Bob.

Roz's comedic skills were so good she could stand on her own in a roomful of scene-stealers like Frank Jenks, Roscoe Karns, Gene Lockhart and Cliff Edwards in His Girl Friday (1940).  

And Roz would go all out, no matter the role, as in this musical number in The Girl Rush (1955).  (Dancers dressed as bottles of booze ... really?) 

Whatever, Ms. Russell, you were one of the greats.  Glad we at least still have you on film, still providing many hours of enjoyment.  Thank you, Roz.