Have a Wonder Bar Year!

May I join Ricardo Cortez, Dolores del Rio, Al Jolson, Kay Francis and Dick Powell, in wishing you the best for 2013!

 If you ever get a chance to watch this movie, Wonder Bar (1934), do.  It's a typical night at a pre-code Paris nightclub ... everybody wanting someone they can't or shouldn't have, Busby Berkeley dancers on the world's largest stage, Dick Powell at his warbling best, and Hugh Herbert and Guy Kibbee chewing up the scenery as two drunken lechers.  A real hoot.  You might want to fast forward through the amazingly offensive Al Jolson backface number.  Society does change over 80 years, sometimes even for the better. 

2012 Has Not Been One of My Better Years

I've always liked this portrait.  Bob is 36, the gorgeous young face has been replaced by one that's fuller and quite handsome.  He has begun to look a little more...er...human?  Anyway, I was rather excited when the following portraits came up for sale on eBay...I'd have a trio from the same photo session...even had a place chosen to display them.

Well, I won both on bids and sent off a message to the vendor asking for an invoice reflecting combined shipping.  Life was great.  But...I did not receive an updated invoice.  I followed up with numerous messages to the vendor, even contacted eBay and they sent a message as well.  I just could not get myself to put out $9.02 for shipping.  Then, after three weeks, I discovered the vendor had been removed as a seller on eBay and I was simply out of luck.  DRATS!!

This isn't the worse thing by far that happened to me this year, but normally my interest in all things Bob and classic movies in general, brings me only happiness and other good vibes.  It's just the pits when reality worms it's way into "Bob's World."  DOUBLE DRATS!!

Three days to go...

A Little Warmth on a Cold Winter's Day

                                              Clark and Joan

                                      Dick and Joan (Blondell)

                         And Robert Taylor all by his lonesome...

A Warm Merry Christmas to All!

From Dennis Day, Raymond Scott, Clifton Fadiman, Robert Montgomery, Don Wilson, Dorothy Collins, Eileen Wilson, Snooky Lanson, Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, Phil Harris, Mary Livingstone, Jack Benny, Carrie and Kathy. 

And What Was Bob Up To 81 Years Ago Today?

"LET'S GO TO THE POLO GAME WITH THE CANDID CAMERAMAN.  Here he is girls ... the candid cameraman made this unposed picture of Robert Montgomery when he stopped by to have a little chat with Clark Gable at the International Polo Match at the Riviera Country Club."  (All I can say is, where's Clark?)

The Last of Bob's Ladies

Happy Birthday, Audrey Totter!  Congratulations are due Audrey who turns 94 years young today, proving that Bad Girls Rule!   

                                   Lady in the Lake (1947)

Happy Birthday, Irene - A Day Early!

Two of Bob's ladies were born on December 20th.  Irene Dunne was a classy lady, I do not imagine she would mind celebrating hers a day early.

                                      Unfinished Business (1941)

Actress (received five Best Actress nominations), singer, devout Catholic, philanthropist, Republican activist ... only one  marriage which lasted from 1928 to 1965 (his death) ... resided just a few mansions away from Bob in Holmby Hills ... named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1958.  Is it any wonder she and Bob could share a good laugh?

          Gregory LaCava, Irene & Lt. Montgomery, March 11, 1942

Getting Into the Christmas Spirit

                      
... at least the 1952 version.  

Hitting the Wrong Button in the Wee Hours

I was working on a blog entry for later this week when I hit the dreaded Publish button instead of Preview, which means a notice was sent to you blog followers (ALL of you) although the blog entry was not ready to be published.  Not wanting to disappoint ... ta da ... a tidbit I ran across a short time ago.

The above photo has always been associated with Haunted Honeymoon.  It never really seemed to fit the movie.  I watched it again when TCM showed it recently and the scene just wasn't there.  A deleted scene, perhaps?  The mystery was finally resolved when I read a fanzine article on Bob who was at that time living in a rented manor while filming Haunted Honeymoon in England.  The following photo and caption accompanied the article.

Ta da!  It's not a still from a movie ... it's REAL Bob.  Elegantly attired, fine china, flowers on the table and a butler, of course ... for breakfast!  The man lived well.  

Mr. Cagney Takes to the Air, In Color

How could we NOT have won WWII?!!

He Made It Look Too Easy

                               Once More, My Darling (1949)

Hats off to James Garner for the following quote from his autobiography, The Garner Files:  A Memoir:

        "Robert Montgomery was a wonderful comic actor, but he
       didn't get much credit because he made it look too easy.
       You never saw him acting.  The actors who get the credit
       are the ones you do see acting."

I've always liked Mr. Garner.

Cleaners Courageous

Making cleaning look good...
From Lovers Courageous (unless I'm going senile, which is possible these days).

One of Bob's Prettiest (Leading Ladies)

Sally Eilers was born on this day in 1908.  She was born a brunette, Hollywood changed that.  The rest is an excellent example of Mother Nature at her best. 

                                  Made on Broadway (1933)

And, thanks to Tumblr, a delightful portrait of Sally, without the distraction of Bob.

                      Sally Eilers (Dec.11, 1908 - Jan. 5, 1978) 

Pearl Harbor Day

In remembrance of the 2,896 American casualties of the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941.

Bob Has a Bad Date

Drats, Another Mistake...Looking Forward to 2013!

In my previous blog, I referred to the Eddy/Mac club and eddymac.com.  Not quite right.  It's actually the Mac/Eddy Club and maceddy.com.  My sincerest apologies to those good people.  I would imagine the mistake would have the same teeth-gritting reaction for them as mine when I see a listing on eBay identifying George Montgomery as Bob.  Or Douglass Montgomery.  Or Bob being identified as Robert Young.  Meanwhile, as a mia culpa, another Eddy portrait, this one downloaded from the maceddy.com site.  A gorgeous portrait.  

Clark, Jeanette & Nelson

                                     San Francisco (1936)

Ah, Clark Gable in his prime...or even not in his prime...quite the hunk.  That's Jeanette MacDonald with him.  I've never thought of them as being a good match.  Jeanette was a good match with Nelson Eddy.  They made eight musicals together, made a fortune for the studio and were extremely popular in the 1930s and 1940s.  The Eddy/Mac fan club exists to this day.  Check out eddymac.com for more of everything Nelson and Jeanette.  Quite the loyal fans.  And Nelson was quite the handsome young man.  Love the hair!

Bob at his Skinniest

                                          War Nurse (1930)

I put it off as long as I could ... had to step on the scale.  Oh, Lordy ... or should I say Lardy.  Now begins the difficult time of the holiday season, putting the brakes on the overeating so I still have some room left in my clothes to handle all those Christmas goodies.  At least that is my goal every year, and one of these years ...

In 1930 Bob did not have to worry about too many cookies.  Without the coat in the above picture, he would look almost as skinny as the tree.  As the years passed, he would have to battle extra poundage like most people.  But at this time ... Lordy.