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!

The Future According to MGM

 MGM's Screen Forecast for 1934 - 1935, is a small publication, about 3-1/2" x 4-1/2", with 28 pages.  I'm assuming it was given out as a freebee at theaters and tells briefly the movies MGM stars were cast in for release in 1934-35.  And just like the weather, MGM's forecast was somewhat limited in accuracy.  

Of course, not all were incorrect ... Robert Montgomery did co-star with Ann Harding in Biography of a Bachelor Girl (1935).  

Unfortunately, Robert Montgomery did not appear in Mutiny on the Bounty (1935). 

 

William Powell and Myrna Loy appeared in a whole lot of movies together, but The Casino Murder Case (1935) was not one of them.  Paul Lukas and Rosalind Russell inherited this crime mystery.  

Some slight changes were made to the Shearer romance movie, Marie Antoinette, not released until 1938.  Lets see, it lost Charles Laughton and Herbert Marshall, and gained Tyrone Power and John Barrymore.  Must have been some changes in the storyline as well.  I mean, I just can't see Herbert Marshall and Tyrone Power up for the same role.  No way.

And, saving the best for last, and I quote:  "Gloria Swanson will co-star with Clark Gable in a thrilling romance."  Now that's funny.  Gable must have choked on his steak when the MGM rep. brought up that idea.  Perhaps he let Joan Crawford take care of Swanson.  Trying to move in on her guy ... really.

Bob Learns From His Older Women

Bob's August Birthday Ladies, Nos. 3 and 4.  August 7th is the birth date of both Irene Purcell (1896) and Ann Harding (1902).  Irene is excellent in Man in Possession, a delightful pre-code movie.  The scene with Bob and Charlotte Greenwood mugging it up in the kitchen after Bob and Irene's tryst ... too funny.

                                  Man in Possession (1931)

Ann co-stars with Bob in Biography of a Bachelor Girl, a post-code movie based on a play written in  pre-code days.  Needless to say, the changes necessary to get the project past the censors mucked up the plot line.  It's still okay ... Bob's in it right?!  A character in the movie refers to Kurt (Bob) of "talking like a communist."  At the time, Bob was a New Deal Democrat so it was not particularly funny then.  I'm sure it caused a few giggles when watched in the 1950s, as Bob was by then enconsed in the Eisenhower White House. 

                           Biography of a Bachelor Girl (1935)

So, Happy Birthday, Irene and Ann! 

Cake, Tea and a Ten Minute Break

In most workplaces, a cake and small celebration is given co-workers for their birthdays.  In Hollywood, there is the slight difference of having it staged for the set photographer.  The photo below is from the set of Untamed  (1929) on which they are celebrating Director John Conway's July 19th birthday.  I'm sure Joan Crawford baked the cake for the boss!  Bob is stylish, as always, with a dressing gown swung over his bare shoulders.

Ann Harding serves cake at her own August 7th birthday event on the set of  Biography of a Bachelor Girl (1934).  Bob, far right, is again in a dressing gown, and quite the gown it is...what d'ya think, pure silk? 

There was no information provided for this photo taken on the set of The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1937).  None of the principal cast members had birthdays during the filming.  Maybe Joan just had the urge to serve afternoon tea.  It's not the clearest of pictures ... that's William Powell on the far left.  They found an interesting way to get Bob in front of the group.  I'll bet he enjoyed having Joan wait on him ...

Get Your Motor Runnin'

At least they didn't dump their bike - like I did. Probably because I didn't sit on the bike like she is (heh). I'm guessing Ann Harding? Am I right?

Update: We've got an ID - Biography of a Bachelor Girl. Here's the photo caption: "Bob and Ann prepare for a fast spin over the roads at Lake Arrowhead."

Summertime and the Blogging is Slow

Sorry, I'm not ignoring you (or Bob), just enjoying summer while I can!

A Couples of Two

Some picspam to break up your week. And here's something to think about. Bob always on the left-hand side of photos? Smith is the only one below that seems to break the pattern. Ok, enough useless observation.

Biography of a Bachelor Girl - Ann Harding

Blondie of the Follies - Marion Davies

Fast and Loose - Rosalind Russell

Inspiration - Greta Garbo

Letty Lynton - Joan Crawford (and her dress)

Mr. and Mrs. Smith - Carole Lombard

When Ladies Meet - Myrna Loy

Biography of a Bachelor Girl Trailer

I love how this starts with the 3 women...



Related, there's a good OTR version of this story with Joseph Cotten and Louise Albritton. Joseph is dead-on perfect as Richard Kurt. The file is a bit on the large side for me to host, but visit the Internet Archive page on the Screen Guild Theater and just scroll down until you hit Biography of a Bachelor Girl.

That's where I have the edge on you...I'm no gentleman

I'm about 10 minutes out from finishing Biography of a Bachelor Girl. Wasn't as good of a movie as I had wanted, but I'm in the mindset these days that any Bob movie is a good Bob movie. Maybe it was Una Merkel I didn't buy into...or the sometimes wordy scenes. I'll say this, the cabin up at Moose Lake certainly had a great view.

Another growing favorite of mine, Edward Arnold was also in the pic. Had a pretty decent German accent for the part. As someone who took four years of high school German, I know it's hard to fake an accent - I tried!

Movie Reminder

Go out & support TCM & RM by watching Biography of a Bachelor Girl tomorrow (4/4), 12:15 p.m. CST. Set your Tivo, VCR, or call in sick...

Everyweek Newsmagazine editor Richard Kurt pursues psuedo-portrait artist Marion Forsythe on her arrival from Europe after painting (and possibly being involved with) notables all over the continent. He convinces her to write her biography as a feature for his magazine. An old "beau" of hers also looks her up in New York; he is running for U.S. Senator from their home state, and is engaged to an influential publisher's daughter. He is fearful that Marion's tales could embarass him, so he tries to persuade her and Kurt to abandon the idea.

Need another reason to watch it? Edward Everett Horton!