I am Sooooo Envious...

                                              Ann Sheridan

                                              Rita Hayworth

                                              Jean Harlow

Heartthrob of the Day, Joel McCrea

I have to admit to a wavering eye ... there were so many handsome men in those Golden Age movies.  Some, like Bob when he was young, fit in the beautiful class.  In my eye, Joel McCrea was a beautiful young man, and remained a handsome man throughout his career. 

For a few years in the 1980s, I lived in Moorpark, CA, which neighbored the McCrea ranch.  Drove passed the entrance to his ranch numerous times, always hoping to catch a glance of the famous family.  No such luck.  Did know several people who had met Joel, never heard a bad thing said about the man.  Just not your typical Hollywood star. 

In 1962 he co-starred with Randolph Scott in Ride the High Country.  If you haven't seen the movie, do try to catch it.  It's just great fun to watch two old pros strut their stuff.  Of course, ever the modest man, Joel described their performance as simply "washed-up actors playing washed-up law men."  I do so have to disagree with you, Mr. McCrea. 

Happy Birthday, Joan!

Almost forgot...Joan would not be pleased.  (Yes, Carrie, the memory goes...)

Remember this scene from No More Ladies?
 

The following photo still is of Bob and Joan on the same set waiting for the filming to begin.

 

They may have had a rather 'cool' relationship, but they were great together on film.

Down to the Basics

Needs a mustache ...

   

Doesn't.

Happy Monday!

               Douglas Fairbanks visits the set of Private Lives (1931)

You tell me, are Bob and Norma playing footsies?  And Bob's shoes/slippers....did he borrow a pair from Norma?  I mean, they have at least one-inch heals and look two sizes too small for him. 

                                Live, Love and Learn (1937)

And, keeping the above photo in mind, check out deviantart.com and do a search for Robert.  There are a number of computer drawings of him and one artist's version of the above with a different lady.
Enjoy.

HELL BELOW!!

Great ad campaign...the name of the movie is shouted out at you, the submarine shows that it's an action movie, and oh, yeah, there's the usual romance element, but it's obviously second place to the action.  The whole movie conveyed to the viewer in a matter of seconds.  Hats off to the ad department!

                                     Hell Below (1933)

Myrna on My Mind

                                    Myrna Loy by Hurrell

Myrna graced my life twice this week.  Discovered the above photo on the back of a clipping I got of Bob.  One good looking lady.  And later, in the midst of trying to organize our books --- a long overdue challenge in a home decorated in a "Reading Library" theme --- I ran across not one, but TWO copies of her autobiography "Myrna Loy: Being and Becoming."  A nice find since it is one of the few books I have of any real value...not that I'd sell any of them, mind you.  Anyway, she and Bob were good buds until the 1947 HUAC hearings.  There are very few good things to say about politics.

Bob & Sally All Gussied Up

                 Made on Broadway (1933), Bob with Sally Eilers

I didn't get my act together to write up the blog I had intended to do ... Life Happened!  Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this still as much as I do.  Ya' just can't beat the clothes you find in 1930s movies.  And that checkered suit ... Bob's so classy he can get by wearing it. 

Lt. Henry Montgomery & PT 107

                                    Lt. Henry Montgomery

This year, I have run across two new finds (for me) that I need to share ... re Bob, of course.  I'll try to get the second one together for Thursday.  Last week I was surfing Montgomery photos on the internet when the photo below caught my eye.  Could that really be Bob?  Well, it is actually Lt. Henry Montgomery along with other officers of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Five on the S.S. Joseph Stanton headed for Panama c. Sept, 1942. 

I have enlarged part of the photo so you can appreciate the trimmed down Henry with his shorts tailored to cut off just at the knee. 

The top photo of Henry and his PT 107 was taken in July, 1942, during training exercises off Melville, RI, where Squadron Five received its initial training. 

While stationed in the Panama Canal Zone, Henry served as executive officer of the squadron.  The commander was a career Navy man who did not care much about his assignment to a motor torpedo boat squadron, never learned how to operate one and was rarely even on one of his boats.  He "was rather content to let his squadron exec. (Lt. Henry Montgomery) handle the day-to-day running of the unit."   Henry stays with the squadron until November, 1942, when he is assigned to a light cruiser which had joined the Pacific Fleet in the Solomons. 

The photos and most of the above information can be found on a terrific site called PT Boats of WWII (pt-king.gdinc.com).  The photos are just fantastic, make great backgrounds for your computer!  It is a rather extensive site so I am listing the three sections that pertain to Lt. Henry.

Find six photos of Henry operating his PT 107 at: 
http://pt-king.gdinc.com/PTsquadronfive.html

The photo of Lt. Henry and fellow officers can be found at:
http://pt-king.gdinc.com/PTsquadronfive3.html

Scroll down to the end of the article, to find the story of Henry's commander at:
http://pt-king.gdinc.com/PT109article.html