And Today Is ........

 

Yes, Robert Montgomery Wasn't the Only Person in the Movie

This is Sally Starr and Phyllis Crane.  Sally plays Babs Babcock, the girl all the boys fight over, and Phyllis is Babs' best friend Betty.  The write-up on the back names their movie as "Happy Days".   

     Sally Starr and Phyllis Crane (1929)

Elliot Nugent portrays Eddie, Biff's best buddy.  (Biff is you know who!)   For this photo, the movie is referred to as "College Days".  

                                         Elliott Nugent, 1929

I am glad they finally chose So This is College.  Much better title.  

Just Love Those Blue Eyes

 My favorite picture frame photograph of Mr. Montgomery.  As many copies there are available of this and other photos like it, would mean a lot of picture frames were purchased for the photo already in the frame, not to be replaced by a picture of a boyfriend or family member.  I can picture myself with this photo being displayed on my bedstand.  Pleasant dreams indeed.  

It's the eyes that really stand out.  Love those blue eyes.  

And the smile, and the hair ... 

Now back to those eyes ... mesmerizing.  

Smart and Sassy, Yes. Too Good for Just "Oomph".

 Ann Sheridan was born February 21, 1915, in Denton, TX (just north of Dallas).  At 18 she won a beauty contest which got her a screen test at Paramount.  Warner Bros. picked up her contract shortly after and developed her into a leading lady who could handle a wide range of roles.  I preferred her in comedies, especially The Man Who Came to Dinner (1941), George Washington Slept Here (1942), and I Was a Male War Bride (1949).  

George Hurrell worked at Warner Bros. for a short time in the early 1940s, which happened to be Ann's peak years.  I don't know for sure that the portrait above is one of his, but it does look like it.  Now I know for sure the one below is a Hurrell.  I wonder if it was Ann or Hurrell who came up with the idea of the puddy cat ... 

Whatever, great photographs.  I like the way the color photograph below reminds us that Ms. Sheridan was a redhead.  

Ann died January 21, 1967, of cancer.  She was only 51.  Bummer.  

Looks Like Rita Has a Good Hold on Bob

Rita Johnson, Robert Montgomery, and Evelyn Keyes in Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)

As of today, there will be four Bob movies streaming on TCM:  

                Biography of a Bachelor Girl (1935), until Feb. 28th;

                 Live, Love and Learn (1937), until Feb. 28th;

                 Our Blushing Brides (1930), until March 7th; and

                 Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941) first shows today at                          3:15 p.m. PT and then onto streaming.

Oh, and The Secret Land (1948) sneaks in at 4:30 a.m. on Feb. 21.  It's doubtful I will catch that!

"I consider it an honor to be included in your collection."

   This is one of the very few examples of Bob's handwriting that I have come across.  The letters I have are all typed, and his early letters are probably both written and signed by his secretary!  I even have a letter from him to Mr. James Cagney ... and it's typed even.  At least he signed it, as Bob, not Mr. Montgomery!  

"I'm hoping for the best!" And Then Came WWII

The following article is from the October, 1939 issue of "Movie" magazine.  It is one of the longest articles on Bob, but worth the effort.  Really.  Besides, it appears Bob is actually being interviewed for it.  

 

Fun tidbit from the same issue:

Bob and Joan, the Cameras Loved Them

Our Blushing Brides (1930) is being shown tonight at midnight PST.  Unless you are a night owl like me, that is not the best viewing time of any Bob movie (Well, Night Must Fall, perhaps!).  Hopefully it will be available for streaming after the showing.  It is not the best of Mr. Montgomery's movies, but he and Joan make for a very sensual pairing and a good reason to watch it.  And just look at that curly hair (Bob's, not Joan's) ...

               Joan Crawford & Bob in Our Blushing Brides (1930)

Okay, Guys ... Just One More

 I have a whole series of Bob and Roz photographs taken for Live, Love and Learn (1937), every last one as good as the next.  They were taken by Clarence S. Bull, the head of MGM's photo unit after George Hurrell departed.  He was quite good as well.  Boy, talk about a specialized trade, only a few photographers per studio, and not that many studios in the entire country with just a few more in Europe.  Very lucky people in the midst of a worldwide depression for sure.  

I wonder what Bob and Roz were thinking.   Perhaps something mundane, like doing some grocery shopping on the way home from the studio.  Well, maybe Roz.  Bob I can't imagine in a grocery store in L.A.  

    Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell, Live, Love and Learn