Happy Thanksgiving!

Elegant, Debonair & Dressed to the Nines X Two

TCM is showing The Last of Mrs. Cheyney Monday, Dec. 1st at 11:30 a.m. EST.  Bob and Bill Powell on the same set ... my. 

           The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1937) with Joan, Bill and Bob

Well, the bird is slowly thawing and I'm pretty sure I have everything needed for our Thanksgiving feast.  I am not domestically inclined, but do go all out for Turkey Day, even bake my own pumpkin pies!  After gorging and napping most of Thursday, we'll watch our Missouri Tigers hopefully beat Arkansas on Friday.  The real fun is on Saturday when Christmas decorating begins.  It all sounds great, just hope the ole' body can handle it all once more.  And I hope the holiday brings you happiness, a full stomach and good memories.  

Bob Looking Precious (As Always!)

I happened across this photo on eBay under the heading "Clark Gable and Wallace Beery in China Seas."  Something didn't look quite right.  Oh, hey, it's Bob in women's clothing!  Anyway, I purchased it and fervently hoped the vendor wouldn't send me a photo of Clark and Beery.  I'm trying to imagine the roles being reversed ... nah.  Bob, secure in his masculinity, handled the role with ease.  Clark ... I think he'd be quite uncomfortable in a dress. 

                                Forsaking All Others (1934)

November 20th was Evelyn Keyes' birthday.  Although they were not the most compatible duo off stage while filming Here Comes Mr. Jordan,  it doesn't show through in their performances.  I have always liked the scene at the end when the auditorium lights go dark and Joe says to Betty, "Don't be scared."  Did you know that Bob asked to have the female lead's name changed to Betty as a tribute to his wife?  (Or so they say!) 

                               Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)

If You Met a Movie Star, Would You Take a Photo or Ask for an Autograph?

These photos were taken by an amateur photographer during the filming of They Were Expendable (1945), truly candid shots, not the posed "candids" taken by the studios.  Bob in real life ... wearing a coat and tie, signing autographs and hanging out with navy brass.  I said real life, definitely not a normal life.  By the way, that's damage to the photo, not Bob wearing messy pants! 

There were several filming locations for the movie.  I'm guessing these were taken in Miami, but it could have been Key Biscayne.  This location was used at the beginning of the movie.  It is the scene wherein the boats return to the base as part of a review by the big brass, and then Brick and Rusty walk with the brass while the crew are lined up along the road between the wharf and the base housing.  (The road looks more like a sidewalk from the perspective of the picture below.) 

I have enlarged part of the above photo to get a good look at Bob.  Notice that the sailor is not offering him assistance in getting into the boat.  By this time, Bob has had a bit of experience with boats.  Expendable is definitely one of my favorite movies, not just because Bob is in it (although that doesn't hurt), but it's a great movie with Bob giving one of his best performances. 

Meandering Thoughts on a Thursday Morne

When I ran across this photo in an early 1930s magazine, I thought how ridiculous it was.  It shows starlet Joan Marsh wearing a sun mask "to retain white skin on the face while tanning the rest of the body."

Later, I ran across a current ad for a "solar visor."  The idea still seems ridiculous. 

An explicit sex scene, 1929 style ... Run girl, run!!!

        Devil May Care (1929) with Ramon Novarro & Dorothy Jordan

 Ah, Alfie ... my favorite Brit humorist.  

                             George Sanders in Rebecca (1940)

"Give a Veteran a Hug Day"

... they all deserve one.

                            Lt. Cmdr. Henry Montgomery, Jr.

Three Blonds and a Brunette

Alan Ladd, Robert Redford, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert Montgomery ... and what do these four people have in common, you might ask.  Off hand, I'd have to say Bob seems to be the odd man out.  (I mean that in a positive sense!)  And not just because of his hair color. 

Well, they all appeared in versions of The Great Gatsby.  Bob played Gatsby in a May 9, 1955 airing of Robert Montgomery Presents.  Unfortunately, I know little about it.  I read an article some time back which was a comparison of the various Gatsby performances.  The author said that Bob's portrayal was the most convincing, if you could get past his being too old for the part.  Bob was going on 51 at the time, and, well, pretty much looked it.  Still ...

The show was to have been aired on April 11th, but delayed until May 9th because of Bob's illness.  Being live television, Robert Montgomery Presents was cancelled that night.  Weird to think of that happening today.  And by the way, does anyone know what illness struck down our Bob?  He must have been very, very ill. 

              Bob and Phyllis Kirk in Robert Montgomery Presents:
                              The Great Gatsby, May 9, 1955

Reggie Truscott-Jones ... One Handsome Dude

My scanning an 11x14 photo means image loss, but young Mr. Milland's gorgeous face remains intact.  (As always, my kudos to wife Mal for keeping the marriage going for 53 years!)

                                Wings Over Honolulu (1937)