Bob, Marion & Hearst Made Three

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)

So Clear Your Busy Schedules on May 21 and Watch Some Bob!

 Gorgeous photo.  As is the subject!  

                      By Hurrell for Blondie of the Follies (1932)

TCM has come through with a seven-movie Montgomery marathon for his birthday!  Mr. Montgomery would have appreciated that.   

 The list of movies with show times in PDT:

                 6:00 a.m. Piccadilly Jim (1936)

                 8:00 a.m. The Last of Mrs. Cheney (1937)

                10:00 a.m. Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941)

                12:00 p.m. They Were Expendable (1945)

                2:30 p.m. Night Must Fall (1937)***

                4:30 p.m. When Ladies Meet (1933)

                6:00 p.m. The Lady in the Lake (1946)

*** The TCM schedule lists the 1964 version of Night Must Fall.  I do hope someone catches that error!  

When Ladies Meet is the only pre-code movie.  This is a collection of Bob movies wherein he has developed into an excellent actor.  From a dramatic thriller (Night Must Fall), to a screwball comedy (Mr. & Mrs. Smith), to a dramatic war movie (They Were Expendable), Mr. Montgomery simply excelled.

And, yes, the photograph does not match up with the rest of the post. But ain't it sweet!

Two for the Price of One

Bob kills time on the set of Blondie of the Follies (1932).  Piano lessons were de rigueur for children of society back in the day.  Or basically every household that could afford a piano.   

Bob certainly had the hands that would help him out on the keyboard.  Just look at those long fingers!  And the cigarettes ... looks like Camels.  And he was doing Lucky Strike ads at this time ... 

And just look at that gorgeous profile.

And from the other side ... some unknown artist drew this Bob portrait on the back of the photo.  Not bad.  

More and More and More Bob Movies

Another great month for Bob's movies on TCM ... there are four streaming presently, with three more to come.  

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) ends earliest, on January 9th.  

Three Loves Has Nancy (1938) runs until January 31st

Then Blondie of the Follies (1932) and Ever Since Eve (1937) both end on February 2nd.

                    Robert Montgomery in The Big House (1930)

The Big House (1930) begins streaming January 14th.

Hide-Out (1934) was shown in December and begins another probably brief run on January 16th.  (They should just make it a permanent listing!)

And The Earl of Chicago (1940) is the 7th movie showing in January starting January 31st.  

 Young "Kent" anticipating what his life will be like in prison.

Blondie, Don't Fight Him, Grab Him!

 There are FOUR Bob movies available to stream on TCM:  

      Blondie of the Follies (1932), through February 16th;

      Ever Since Eve (1937), through February 23rd;

      Live, Love and Learn (1937), through February 25th; and

      Private Lives (1931) through February 26th.

Not bad!

             Bob and Marion Davies in Blondie of the Follies (1932) 

I Spend Way Too Much Time on my Computer!

I have a rather large file of photos I use as wallpapers, but I often go to a select few over and over again.  Pulled out ten of those for your perusal, in no particular order.  They all look better full screen, of course.  

Bob headed for Panama during his PT stage of his military career.  Bob is second from the left.  I particularly like this photo because this is real Bob, actually doing tour duty, not assigned to LA to make training films.  It was just so admirable of him to give up all the money he was making in 1940-1941 in order to do his civic duty, even though he was past draft age.  My hero.

A publicity photo taken for Three Live Ghosts (1929), his first movie, of course.  I have a photo of Bob's house in the early 1930s with this photograph displayed on a wall.  

Cagney and Bob on the set of The Gallant Hours (1960).  Great photo of two old friends finally getting the chance to work together.  Bob actually laughing, a full face smile.  Love it.

Bob directing on the set of The Gallant Hours.  Love the bullhorn.  He's having fun.

It's 1943, Bob has returned from his Pacific tour of duty and they have him doing some PR work.  Here we find him in Chicago being a master of ceremonies for some naval program.  A few fans have cornered him for autographs.  

Blondie of the follies (1932) with Marion Davies.  Great set, needs to be seen on a full screen.  The best hat ever!

The Shipmates (1931) publicity shots are all great.  It didn't hurt to have two good-looking stars as subjects.  

One of my newer wallpapers and currently my favorite.  Such a gorgeous young mam.  Rrfff.

Now, That's a Hat!

 How did they attach those hats so they stayed in place?  Anyway, this one plus the dress frills makes for a nifty photo.  And it helps to have Marion Davies model it and Robert Montgomery simply be in the photo.  This print is the 'Art Souvenir' 16"x10" foldout from the February 4, 1933 issue of Picture Show Magazine.  It is in superb shape, except for the fold wear.  After 88 years, I was amazed it was still in the magazine and in one piece.  It deserves to be framed and displayed.  In my next life ...

 Blondie of the Follies (1932) is available for streaming on TCM through April 1st.  Also, The Big House (1930) can be seen through April 3rd and Hide-Out (1934) until April 11th.  That's a nice selection of early Montgomery movies for your viewing pleasure. 

And One Snazzy Dresser 'Twas He

You might think this was a photo taken on the set of Blondie of the Follies (1932), since Bob and Marion Davies are the leads.  I did.  But, nope, it's the set of Peg O' My Heart (1933).  The other gent is Robert Z. Leonard, the director.  The write-up on the back identifies the people in the photo and the name of the movie, but there is no explanation as to why Bob is in it.  Perhaps he just dropped in to say hi to Marion, because his set was nearby.

And what set would that be .... that hat looked familiar. 

That's it ... the same hat, same tie.

It's cocky Jeff Bidwell in Made on Broadway (1933).  And one snazzy dresser 'twas he. 

Belated Happy Birthday, Marion Davies!

Marion Cecelia Douras was born January 3, 1987, in Brooklyn, NY.  A star in her own right, she is, unfortunately, primarily remembered as the mistress of William Randolph Hearst.  

Bob and Marion's first movie was Blondie of the Follies (1932).  Bob and Marion were, respectively, 28 and 35 at the time.  So, Bob was at his prime, while Marion was already past her peak, way old for female stars of the time.  But, she carries it off in Blondie, while holding her own in gorgeously photographed publicity stills. 

             Bob and Marion Davies in Blondie of the Follies (1932)

Only five years later, Marion and Bob co-star in Ever Since Eve (1937).  It is the last movie for Marion who is now 40 and showing her age.  Bob turned 33 during filming.  He has left his gorgeous stage, adding a few pounds and losing some hair....but, still handsome.

                       Marion and Bob in Ever Since Eve (1937)  

How frustrating it must have been for actors of this period, the skills and knowledge of their trade improving while their appearances declined.  These days, those double chins, age lines and thicker waists are taken care of in the editing room, extending the career of many a middle-aged star.  

Another DVD Release!!

Warner Archive does it again .... this time it's Blondie of the Follies (1932).  All these releases all of a sudden.  Has a Bob fan taken over Warner??   Blondie is a fun watch.  Looking forward to seeing Bob and Marion, in all her Follies regalia, in the scene on the stairway with the Broadway lights in the background.  Just gorgeous...Bob and the scene!!

Thanks to Robert for bringing this to our attention.  (I am still stuck in a motel waiting even longer for my insurance company to get their act together, so for the most part I'm out of touch with the rest of the world!) 

Could this all mean others are to follow?  Hide-Out?  Unfinished Business?  Letty Lynton?  C'mon, WB!!  Do continue to make our day!

Where's Bob & Marion?

You know you have a good photo, when you can take a very small portion of it ...

...and enlarge it to a full-sized photo with this much clarity. 

My guess is it is a print from an 8x10-inch negative.  Whoa, can you just imagine the cost of that film today! 

One of the Better Scene Stealers

Ah, we have survived Thanksgiving and Black Friday.  That is no mean feat these days.  Of course, this has all been a warm-up to the Christmas season.  Thankfully, the season brings with it a long list of great movies to help us get into the spirit.  One of the better ones is The Bishop's Wife starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven.  The supporting cast is just as good, including Monty Woolley as The Professor, Gladys Cooper as Mrs. Hamilton, Elsa Lancaster as Matilda and James Gleason as Sylvester the taxi driver.  Scene stealers all.  Below, Cary eyes Gleason with a look of resignation, no point in competing for a scene with a pro like Jimmy.

                                 The Bishops Wife (1947)

Gleason was 47 years old when he arrived in Hollywood along with the talkies.   After years in stock companies and touring shows, he had already developed the persona which would help him become a highly successful and very busy character actor.  Always older, always balding and always the tough, warmhearted character, Jimmy played variations of the role for 29 years.  His first movie with our Bob was Blondie of the Follies.  He plays 'Pa' McCune, to Marion Davies' Blondie. 

                               Blondie of the Follies (1932)

Nine years later he is Max Corkle in Here Comes Mr. Jordan, the long suffering trainer of Bob's Joe Pendleton.  Max has to put up with Joe's saxophone playing, his reincarnations and the mysterious, invisible Mr. Jordan.  He is just great in the role and is appropriately rewarded with a nomination as best supporting actor. 

                              Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)

Jimmy, who was born into a theater family, joined the army at the age of 16 to fight in the Spanish American war and, before serving again in WWI, he marries Lucile.  Lucile was his partner in the theater as well, and became a successful character actress in the movies.  She and Jimmy were two of the 21 founding members of the actor's guild, Lucile becoming the guild's first treasurer.  Jimmy continued to act until a year before his death in 1959.  His last role was as 'Cuke' Gillen in John Ford's The Last Hurrah starring Spencer Tracy.  Quite fittingly, he was one of a superb supporting cast including Pat O'Brien, Basil Rathbone, Donald Crisp, Edward Brophy, John Carradine, Wallace Ford and Frank McHugh.  And does he ever hold his own in his last scene of the movie and his career.  Good job, Mr. Gleason.
 

                                  The Last Hurrah (1958)

Blondie of the Follies - It's the hat!

Just love stills from Blondie of the Follies (1932).  The movie so exemplifies how wondrously over-the-top movies could be in the early 30s.  The sets are just fantastic.  The women are all beautiful and dressed in attire found only in Hollywood.  And, of course, the tux attired drop-dead handsome male lead is seen either with a drink in hand or gazing longingly into the leading woman's eyes.  What a wonderful escape it had to have been for moviegoers living in the Great Depression.  (It's a great escape now!)

Marion Davies was born on this day in 1897.  She made two pictures with Bob, Blondie and Ever Since Eve (1937) and lived a somewhat sad, but fascinating life.  Never, Ever pass up a chance to see the Hearst Castle ... even the bus ride up to the Castle is memorable.  Most of 1930s Hollywood is long gone, but the Castle is still there in all its glory.  

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

Two-gether

Continuing the birthday picspam-o-rama:

Virginia Bruce, The First Hundred Years

Marion Davies, Blondie of the Follies

Audrey Totter, The Lady in the Lake

Elizabeth Allan, The Mystery of Mr. X

Fightin' Norma Shearer, Private Lives

Leila Hyams, The Sins of the Children

Carole Lombard, Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Sightings

Some recent bits from around the Internet:

Free Movies on DVD is now offering Haunted Honeymoon and Ride the Pink Horse for sale. For those of you I baited with the 10 minute YouTube clip on HH, here's your chance to catch up!

Cinema Styles has dug up a fun photo I hadn't seen before from Blondie of the Follies.

And a tip from Laura's Miscellaneous Musings, an interview with Audrey Totter, including some interesting bits on how she was selected to star in Lady in the Lake.

Marion Davies

Don't know much about Marion Davies? That's ok, neither do I. That's why there's the Marion Davies Fan Club web site - MarionDaviesFanClub.org.

A few tidbits gleaned from the site:

• Born January 3, 1897 in Brooklyn
• A Ziegfield girl
• Made 47 feature films
• William Randolph Hearst's gal (some nice homes...)

Oh, yeah...Marion & Bob were in two movies together: 1932's Blondie of the Follies and1937's Ever Since Eve. Be sure to check out the Marion's Leading Men page.

Blondie on a PT Boat

Now that I have your attention, I've got another home decoration tip for ya. You won't find this on Trading Spaces. Decorate that rec room or the hallway to the basement with some reproduction posters from AllPosters.com:

• Blondie of the Follies
• They Were Expendable

Both are 11x17 and start at $19.99.

I vote for the Blondie artwork...