And 2022 WILL Be Better!!!

 It appears I have the flu.  My new goal is to survive the year and begin the blog anew on Jan. 4th, 2022.   May your New Year's Eve be far better than mine!!!

                                 Sydney Harbor, Australia

BULLETIN: Just noticed this ...

What's the Christmas season without it ... TCM will be showing Lady in the Lake (1946) this evening at 9:00 p.m. PT/Midnight ET.  If nothing else, catching the opening credits should help get you into the Christmas mood.

Office Christmas parties certainly have changed over the years.

Fa La La La La ... and a Merry Christmas!

 Taking off Thanksgiving week was a great idea for me.  Eased the stress.  It was so good that I have decided to do the same for Christmas.  Besides, you guys are too busy with your lives to check in on Bob and friends.  We'll be back Tuesday the 28th.  

Meanwhile, love and kisses from Jo Anne Worley.  

Waiting ... Hating ... Hoping ...

 This one-page piece on The Big House (1930) came with a group of clippings.  The magazine's name is not on the page, and neither is an author's name.  I'm guessing it might be straight from MGM's publicity office, without the pretense of it being written by a reporter for the magazine.  Anyway, it is a different take on PR releases.  

Poor Constance Wanted Bob, Got Franchot

 From the November 18, 1933, issue of Picture Show Magazine, one picture story of When Ladies Meet (1933) and two short articles featuring Mr. Montgomery.  

Wonder what happened to "Two Thieves" with Gable.  Sounds like a much more interesting project for Bob than Moulin Rouge.

Never Forget, Always Remember

Speaking of Rage ...

I wrote a post some years back about George Sanders towering over Bob in a scene from Rage in Heaven (1941).  George Sanders was a very large guy, particularly for 1941.  According to celebheights.com, he was 6' 2-1/2".  In the first photo below, he is towering over Bob, along with having a much larger head and body.  Big guy.  

Bob always claimed to be 6' 1".  Now I'm not saying he wasn't in his youth, but it is not unusual to lose height as we age.  Lets be generous and agree that he is 6' 0" at this time.  So, is George even taller or Bob shorter than 6' according to the photo?

And then study the photo below.  Same movie, same set.  What happened?  Is George standing on the other side of the room?  I mean, even his head has gotten smaller!  Just wondering.  By the way, Ingrid was 5' 9".  Wore a lot of flat shoes for sure.  

Bulletin: Rage in Heaven Tonight

 Just found out myself ... TCM is showing Rage in Heaven (1941) tonight at 4:45 a.m. ET.  It doesn't get shown that often, but worth a watch.  I apologize for the lack of warning.  Meanwhile, I'm now running late for a doctor's appointment, but Bob is always a priority!  

Smartest Guy on Broadway!

 Made on Broadway (1933), a favorite title of mine.  Yeah, definitely pre-code.  And Bob gets to play a tuxedo-wearing overachiever ... the smartest guy in town.  Methinks he didn't have to look very far to find his character for this movie.  

I also like the promotional materials for the movie.  Those photos of Bob in his full formal regalia are just too much.  The printed promotions are great as well.  The herald is classy, sets up the movie with minimal verbiage.  "He knows all, sees all, fixes everything ..."  You've sold me.  Two tickets, please.  

Do Enjoy Yourselves this Thanksgiving

 Me, I think I need a break, particularly after forgetting to do my post yesterday.  So, I'm going to concentrate on surviving Thanksgiving Day, be back on the 30th.  

I do hope your Thanksgiving is filled with loved ones, good friends and wonderful pumpkin pies. 

A Handsome Man Always

 A rather nice photo of Bob taken in 1948.  In other photos from that year, he is doing publicity shots for The Saxon Charm, wearing one of those atrocious ties he wore in character as ruthless Matt Saxon.  Here he's wearing the solid-colored tie that becomes his style in the late 1940s on into the 1950s.  The man dressed well.  Love the smile.

 

Happy Veterans Day!

I'm sure they wouldn't mind a hug or two as well. 

Bob, Don't Let Them Touch Those Curls!

 Bob was a featured player in The Sins of the Children (1930), originally titled The Richest Man in the World.  Somebody decided 'Sins' would more easily catch a viewer's attention ... and they were probably right.  Cosmopolitan Pictures had an arrangement with MGM who put its logo on and distributed the movie.  Elliott Nugent, close friend of Bob's from their working together on So This is College (1929), is a featured player, as well as sharing credit for the story and dialogue.  So at least Bob gets to pal around with Nugent while being loaned out to Cosmopolitan.  

Whoever was responsible for publicizing the picture did not have much of a budget.  There just is not much available to collect.  I ran across this photo on eBay listed with no reference to Bob.  It was a fun find for me, seeing that face jump out from my computer screen.  Now, Bob, do not let those two barbers touch that curly head of hair.  After all, look at their haircuts! 

 

At Least Frenchie was in Technicolor

 Happy Birthday, Joel McCrea!  Well, almost, his birthday is this Friday the fifth.  And, yes, he is one of my 'other' men ... gorgeous, tall, athletic build and thick wavy hair.  Rrrff.  The still below is from Bed of Roses (1933) starring Constance Bennett.  Lucky Constance!

Between 1946 and 1959, Joel was in a whole lot of movies and only one was not a western.  Great career move.  A cowboy can be middle-age, no having to look younger for his 20-year-old leading lady, his horse.  He was still one handsome cowboy as in 1950s Frenchie.  His co-star was Shelley Winters.  I personally don't see that pairing work all that well.  1950 was a bad time for the industry as a whole.  Our Mr. Montgomery was wise to bail out and go into television.  A Great career move as well.

The Man Who Lost to Truman in 1948

 It is November 2, 1948, the day of the Presidential election.  Gathered for what I'm guessing was a radio broadcast are Republican candidate Thomas E. Dewey and his wife, and a collection of entertainment people, politicians and businessmen.  I'm also guessing it was a get-out-the-vote event (with Bob as MC), or perhaps they were the early arrivals at Dewey's celebration for winning the election.  Everyone is so happy in the photo.  I wonder how long that feeling lasted for them. 

 Yes, that's our Bob next to Dewey, they were life-long friends.  Dewey's permanent residence since 1939 was a large farm outside Pawling, NY, not that far from Bob's farm outside Millbrook.  They kept in touch.  The gent on the far left is James Melton, a singer associated with The Met in the 1940s. 

 Seated in front are Irene Dunne and John Hodiak. 

 And the lady in the back row, far left, is Zasu Pitts. 

 Bob had this tendency to injure himself throughout his adulthood.  There was the broken left wrist  playing Polo, the broken left foot from skiing, the broken left arm suffered from a fall on ice arriving at a New Year's party (probably at the Deweys') ....  this is my first news of a broken index finger.  And, yes, it's the left hand.  You know, that looks painful. 

An ALL-TALKING comedy-drama ... Wow!

 "When the last scene in Three Live Ghosts was shot, the three title characters were snapped with the director.  Left to right:  Claud Allister, Thornton Freeland, who directed this all talking comedy-drama for United Artists, Charles McNaughton and Robert Montgomery."

Hey, a 1929 publicity shot ... not bad. 

And who said Bob always wore tuxedos in his early movies.   Really.  (Although, the movie does end with him wearing a tux.)

 Just look at young Mr. Montgomery.  All that hair.  And that hanky came in handy to cover up his long neck.  Personally, I don't spend much time looking at Bob's neck. 

Betcha Betty Didn't Brush his White Bucks!

 Gorgeous young man.  Dashing ... the white slacks and shoes, the (probably) blue blazer and open collared white shirt.  Just too much.

But what's with the pose, Bob?  Your leg raised high, using a fire hydrant as a prop ... were you thinking of Louis B.? 

The Easiest Way ... Never Found it, Drats!

 The Easiest Way (1931) starred Adolphe Menjou (the Bad Guy), Constance Bennett (the Fallen Woman), and Robert Montgomery (as the sort of Good Guy).  This is definitely a pre-code movie.  A Nice herald, too. 

Constance's birthday is this Friday, Oct. 22nd.  Lived to be only 60, much too young.  Married five times, a very good businessman, and a skilled poker player.  In 1931 she was the highest-paid performer in films. Interesting lady. 

In 1931 Clark Gable is a supporting player in Bob's movie.  By 1934 Clark co-stars with Bob in Forsaking all Others and even wins the girl!  Impressive. 
 

And the Cutest Couple Ever Is ...

 Yes, another publicity still of Bob and Maureen O'Sullivan for Hide-Out (1934).  And, yes, they are a remarkably good-looking couple.  But ... there is a shade of difference.  Can you see it?
 

Bob is talking.  He has made Maureen laugh.  Yeah, it can be really tough making a movie. 

This and That Small Bob Items

 Bob did a once a week radio show in 1950-1951 on ABC, while also doing his TV show on CBS.  He also divorced Betty and Married Buffy during this time.  Busy, busy man.  Lee Hats sponsored the radio show.  Yes, hats were a bigger clothing item then they are now.  Personally, I miss good hats on men, I mean, baseball hats just don't go with suits.

There is a whole series of these matchbooks with movie stars on them.  Have you noticed that Bob is always carrying matchbooks, never a lighter?  I guess lighters were, like wallets, too bulky for his pants pockets.   

And Bob gets his own Star Stamp ... not totally sure of the purpose of these stamps.  Perhaps you collected them in order to fill in your stamp book?  Does anyone know about these stamps? 

Upward to the Stars?

 Uncovering the treasures held in the December 7th, 1946 issue of Picturegoer ... nice picture of David Niven and Loretta Young on the cover. 

 There are two items in the magazine that are of interest, Montgomery-wise.  I like the pictorial feature on Lady in the Lake (1946). 

The best find is this two-paragraph item.  Wonder what happened to the movie. 

 

Now What do I do with my Evenings?

I'm a Cardinals baseball fan, a passion similar to that of my being a fan of Robert Montgomery.   Tonight (Wed.) Schilt (the manager) put Reyes (a young pitcher who has over the season become quite erratic) into pitch in the 9th inning.  The score is tied 1 to 1.  There are two outs.  Yes, you guessed it ... he gave up a home run and we lose the NL Wild Card playoff to the dreaded Dodgers.  

I was a tad upset.  Still am.  This photo sums up how I feel right now.  Manager Schilt, you will stay out of Bakersfield ... won't you. 

                                 The inner Me ... Jack Elam.
 

Rich, Handsome and 46 ... Sounds Good to Me!

 This portrait was taken by CBS for Bob's upcoming appearance on The Jack Benny Show, April 1, 1951.  Nice photo.  He should have taken that CBS photographer back with him to NBC. 

What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?

 I love publicity stills from the studio days.  Everybody told to report most often on Saturdays in full wardrobe for hours of setups ... yeah, they just loved it.  Anyway, I was curious about the kinds of military service these gents had to portray these war heroes.  Of course, it is Hollywood so I wasn't too surprised to find that only two of the six served in the military.  Louis Calhern, the tall gent in the middle, served in France in WWI.  And the young man to his right is Dewey Martin, an actual war hero per his IMDB entry.  

Cast of Men of the Fighting Lady (1954) left to right:  Van Johnson, Walter Pidgeon, Dewey Martin, Louis Calhern, Frank Lovejoy and Keenan Wynn

" Martin joined the U.S. Navy in 1940 and served as a Grumman F6F Hellcat pilot in the Pacific Theater of the war. He fought in the Battle of Midway and had to ditch his Hellcat in the ocean because his carrier was damaged. He was shot down twice. The last time in 1945 and was held as a prisoner of war until Japan's surrender."

(Mr. Pidgeon was way past draft age for WWII, and as a young Canadian studying voice he was no doubt better fitted for the musical rather than the war stage.)