"M.G.M.'s leading light comedian and fastest wisecracker has his serious moments. He brought one with him for this picture. Bob has been making big pictures since 1930, when he appeared in "Inspiration" with Garbo. This year (1934) you saw him with Joan in "Forsaking All Others" and '"No More Ladies."
Can you guess what I can't stop thinking about these past few days? It is a range of emotions from sheer ecstasy (hopefully seeing a clear print of a Beautiful Bob movie for the first time!), to having a nightmare about the Paramount+/Warner Bros. Discovery merger killing any plans to release Letty on DVD! Aaarrggh!
Favor to ask, if any of you or anyone you know are fortunate enough to attend the screening, please, please, Please drop us a line or two or as many as you want! The word for the day, good people, is Share!
Bob in his prime. Wearing that gorgeous white suit. Nirvana.
YAHOO!!!!!!!!!
Great news shared by Ms. Carrie today ... a 4G restoration of Letty Lynton (1932) is being featured at the TCM Classical Film Festival. On May 1st Letty will be shown in all its glorious B&W at the Egyptian Theatre in L.A. Just fantastic. Unfortunately, there is no mention of the movie being released to DVD, but surely TCM/Warner Archive will do the honors, particularly since Warner Bros. Discovery did the restoration.
Anyway, it is going to happen, period. I'm thinking about the scene wherein Mr. Montgomery makes his first appearance on the boat. Ahhh...
"Robert Montgomery is the host-narrator and occasional star of his popular dramatic series, "Robert Montgomery Presents Your Lucky Strike Theatre" and "Robert Montgomery Presents The Johnson's Wax Program," each seen on NBC-TV alternate Monday nights. Montgomery is also executive producer of the program." (12/18/53)
In case you are wondering about Bob's odd stance, it's a balancing trick. The lifted leg with his foot on the bench helps keep him stationary. If he were to stand straight up with both feet on the floor, he'll easily enough start to sway, a problem since the camera is focused on him probably shoulder high and any small movement would be noticeable. Hey, it's 1953 live television, you do what you can!
"In connection with the signing of Robert Montgomery by M-G-M it's appropriate to quote the old one about 'all good things come to he who waits.' Montgomery, who has bag and baggaged to the Coast, was signed to play opposite Vilma Banky a few months ago but it developed that he wasn't the type and James Hall was commandeered for the part instead. But M-G-M snatched him up and now he's in possession of a long-term contract."
One handsome couple do Bob and Myrna make. Here we have a stare down between Jimmie and Mary in When Ladies Meet (1933). I like the concept of Bob competing with Frank Morgan for Myrna. Too much. Still, it is one of Bob's better movies, definitely worth watching.
Handsome couple, don't you think. This publicity shot was taken for Bondie of the Follies (1932).
The usual pale-skinned Mr. Montgomery is replaced here with a heavily tanned Mr. Montgomery. Blondie was filmed June through July, and it appears Bob got in a few weekends playing polo. Yeah, looking good, Mr. Montgomery.
Bob and Marion Davies in Blondie of the Follies (1932)
Happy Birthday (almost late), Captain Kirk! 95 ... Wow!
I know, I can't help it. A guilty pleasure of mine.
Every once in a while, I get very lucky and pick up an original Hurrell. Even a Montgomery collector (hoarder) like me has spending limits, so obtaining one at a good price is always a thrill for me. I ran across this photograph taken for No More Ladies (1935) about a year ago. No thrills since ...
Just love the clarity of an original print. One can enlarge a part of it and the clarity is retained.
And if you need further validation, there's always that Hurrell M.G.M stamp on the back. The ink has faded; it is barely readable. The green stamp on the lower left corner is by the council set up to make sure everything produced by the studios passed code. Which explains the holes punched at the top of the photograph. Many of those photographs were kept in two-hole binders. What a way to treat an original Hurrell!
Two excellent postcards of Bob Montgomery. In both photographs he is wearing the exact same outfit: the same suit coat, same tie and clasp, same shirt, and same handkerchief. The hairline is the same ... it is the same photo session.
So, why does his face look so different?
Mr. Montgomery had an interesting face, indeed.
I appreciate the autograph collector who ID's the person whose autograph he collects. We might not think it necessary for Bob's name to be printed out, but when you stop to study the sample below it can be difficult to translate some of his efforts. I certainly would not if I had not seen it so many times before.
And he/she also gives the date of the signing! Nifty. Let's see, July 1st, 1939. Bob was in England with the family at the time. Then WWII heated up and they had to hightail it back to the States. Just a small bit of Montgomery history!
I have always enjoyed watching well-seasoned professionals doing their thing. Watching The Last Hurrah (1958) one gets to enjoy a rather large gathering of them, five of them are pictured below. Clockwise from upper left, we have James Gleason, most famous for the role of Max Corkle in Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941), and as Sylvester the cab driver in The Bishop's Wife (1947). On his left is Ricardo Cortez born Jacob Krantz, son of Jewish Austrian immigrants, who was anointed by Hollywood as one of the second comings of Valentino. Well, he wasn't but he did a good job as Sam Spade in the original The Maltese Falcon (1931) and would keep his acting career alive through the 1940s.
Next, seated, is Pat O'Brien. I did not know before this that O'Brien was a classmate of Tracy, and both were born in Milwaukee! The other three gents were all born in New York City, a much more commonplace hometown for performers. Anyway, the two friends even joined the Navy together to fight in WWI, but the war was over before they completed training. They probably had a beer or two to celebrate that blessing.
The Last Hurrah (1958)
I'll skip Spencer Tracy. Nothing to add to the above trivia. The last person is Edward Brophy, who portrays "Ditto" in the film. The small chubby faced gent played a number of similar characters throughout his career. As an MGM contract player, he appeared in three of Mr. Montgomery's movies: Free and Easy (1930) (an uncredited role as Benny the Stage Manager - look fast!); Our Blushing Brides (1930); and Hide-Out (1934) (as Detective Britt who arrests "Lucky").
The rest of the cast isn't shabby. Pros to include Basil Rathbone, Donald Crisp, John Carradine, Frank McHugh, and Wallace Ford. It would take John Ford as director to keep this crowd under control!
When I first ran across this photograph, it caught my eye because two of my favorite people, Reginald Owen and Frank Morgan, were in it. And there is Virginia Bruce, as well, all decked out in a gorgeous gown and fancy hairdo. I thought it was a publicity shot for The Great Ziegfeld (1936), since Owens, Morgan and Bruce were all in it, but it is named on the back as being Escapade (1935). Then, looking up the movie, I found that William Powell and Luise Rainer star in both movies as well! What?
It did take a long time to film Ziegfeld, from April 8th to December 1935. Escapade filming began at the same time, April 3rd, but was wrapped up in May. Did the studio make Escapade to build up fan interest in Ziegfeld, a much larger production? Use the core cast for both movies while having to wait out the year to film all the other performers? Sounds 'bout right. It is interesting that Escapade has a 7.3 rating on IMDB, while Ziegfeld has the lower score of 6.6.
I would love to see the movie but, of course, it is not available anywhere. Shuckie-darns!
Ah, those lucky young men that ended up in Antarctica for their tour of duty... poor, poor souls.
TCM is showing The Secret Land (1948) until March 31st, if you are so inclined to watch military exercises in Antarctica. This documentary is well done, and it is always great to listen to then Commander Robert Montgomery. It's just not everyone's cup of tea.
I just noticed something checking out IMDB --- the director's name is Orville O. Dull! Too much.
Back in the day, a cold was almost nothing to handle. Now I'm just happy to survive another day.
Meanwhile ... Mister Roberts (1955) has always been a favorite of mine. Starring four excellent actors, I'm most appreciative of Mr. Cagney's effort as the dictatorial Captain. And I'll always love just anything Mr. Powell contributes on the big screen.
Meanwhile ... that's all I can handle for now. Hoping life returns next week!
Adolphe Menjou, suave, debonair and a tailor-made scene-stealer, was born February 18, 1890. When changing studios during his career, it required trucks to take his wardrobe with him.
Dapper, well-dressed, no matter his age.
... And hamming it up as Nicolai Nicoleff in Gold Diggers of 1935.
An absolutely beautiful card received by my maternal grandmother in 1911. And, no, it was not sent by my grandfather to be. Grandpa was a good farmer but did not have the feminine touch to choose this.
Helen Rydell of Los Angeles, Cal. was a clever fan. She figured out that she could buy a 1 cent stamp for a postcard that she would send to MGM asking for a photograph of a favorite star and then receive in return a picture postcard of her star asking for either 10 cents for a 5 x 7 photo or 25 cents for an 8 x 10. 1 cent vs. 10 or 25 cents. Good one, Helen. This ad campaign was short-lived, just briefly in 1937 to 1938. It's no wonder.
She also asked for a Frank Morgan photo and receives one which includes Clark Gable as well.
Helen's request was for Maureen O'Sullivan ... not Beery.
Allas, a Swedish magazine did a good job on Bob's eyes, they are blue instead of the most-often colorized brown. The red lips, a tad over-the-top.
Nora Gregor was born February 3, 1901, in Austria-Hungary. The lady led an interesting life. May I heartedly suggest reading the biography included on IMDB (mostly under Trivia), as well as Wikipedia's entry on her second Husband Prince Ernst Starhemberg. Way too complex a life to condense to fit in this post! It would make for a great movie, if they would only make those kinds of movie anymore.
But the Flesh is Evil (1932) was a failed attempt by Ms. Gregor to establish a movie career in Hollywood. Her thick Austrian accent and age (31, after all!) did not appeal to the American movie audience.
"WEDDED BLISS . . . Helen Hayes and Robert Montgomery are the fight-and-make up newlyweds in "Another Language" in which they are starred by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer under direction of E.H. Griffith."
Bob and Helen Hayes in Another Language (1933)The studio certainly did not waste production money on using publicity stills to advertise Another Language. I have run across all of two publicity stills for the movie, this and another photo of Bob and Helen. There are a few on set candid's and that's it. IMDB notes the movie was originally intended to star Norma Shearer who backed out shortly before the movie was underway to take care of her ailing husband, Mr. Thalberg. That might explain the lack of planned publicity for the movie. I have never been a big Hayes fan, but I'm sure her performance was better than anything a miscast Shearer would have given.
Trading cards are just nifty. Most are 1-1/2" x 2-1/2" but can be both smaller and larger. Small is the key thought. Many are colored, like Bob the sailor with the great coat and scarf.
The German company "Ross" cards, both postcard and trading cards, are all in the elite category.
Have always admired the photographs of Bob and Ann Harding taken for The Biography of a Bachelor Girl (1935) using a clear white backdrop. The trading cards are much more affordable to collect than the 8"x10" format!
Another nice colored card of Bob in But the Flesh is Weak (1932).
Most cards are solo shots of stars and film couples. Have not run across many scenes from movies. The production needs to be good enough for the scenes to be legible. Keeping in mind trading cards are give-a-ways, the print company had to keep costs down as much as possible. This scene from Night Must Fall (1937) is definitely one of the better cards.
Yes, small and classy.
