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!

Mr. Jordan is Looking at Joe. Bette is Looking at Joe. And Joe is Looking at ____?

  Evelyn Keyes, Bob & Claude Rains in Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)

Yeah, I'd like to get my hands on him too!

1941 Was Just Too Good a Year for Movies!

Back in the day, Life magazine would do a feature on a recent movie release.  In the August 18th, 1941, issue, the featured movie was Here Comes Mr. Jordan, a delightful movie worth the attention.  I mean, the cast was great:  Bob as the lovable boxer and the movie's hero; James Gleason as Max Corkle, Joe's trainer and music critic; Evelyn Keyes as Bette***, our heroine; Edward Everett Horton as the ever-frustrated messenger; Rita Johnson and John Emery as the delightful conniving murderers; and Claude Rains as the mysterious Mr. Jordan --- my, but wasn't he a great actor.  A great script and story, winning Oscars for both. And five more nominations:  Best Picture, Best Director (Alexander Hall), Best Actor (Our Bob!), Supporting Actor (Mr. Gleason), and Best Cinematography, Black and White (Joseph Walker).  Not bad.  And Bob had to go to Columbia Pictures to get a good role.  MGM certainly did waste the many talents of Mr. Montgomery.  Such a shame. 

The article contains a brief write-up of the movie and then tells the story in 16 captioned photos.  WARNING:  Spoilers abound! 

***Bob had the heroine's name changed to Bette as a tribute to his wife.  How sweet can you get!

Bob Looking Precious (As Always!)

I happened across this photo on eBay under the heading "Clark Gable and Wallace Beery in China Seas."  Something didn't look quite right.  Oh, hey, it's Bob in women's clothing!  Anyway, I purchased it and fervently hoped the vendor wouldn't send me a photo of Clark and Beery.  I'm trying to imagine the roles being reversed ... nah.  Bob, secure in his masculinity, handled the role with ease.  Clark ... I think he'd be quite uncomfortable in a dress. 

                                Forsaking All Others (1934)

November 20th was Evelyn Keyes' birthday.  Although they were not the most compatible duo off stage while filming Here Comes Mr. Jordan,  it doesn't show through in their performances.  I have always liked the scene at the end when the auditorium lights go dark and Joe says to Betty, "Don't be scared."  Did you know that Bob asked to have the female lead's name changed to Betty as a tribute to his wife?  (Or so they say!) 

                               Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)

Disconnected?

           Bob and Evelyn Keyes in Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)

Makes you wonder who Bob was admiring in the distance ... but they still make a handsome couple.