Only 2-1/2" Tall ... and Yet So Handsome!

 Still amazed at how great many of the trade cards of the mid-30s were produced, particularly the "Ross" cards.  Ross was a German company with a branch in Los Angeles.  

If you take a subject like Bob, a photographer like Hurrell, and a photo company like Ross ... well, that's a description of Perfection!  

Gems Found in a Good Fan Magazine

I would have subscribed to "The New Movie" magazine in 1931, if I had the 10 cents a month purchase price that is.  Newsy, good reviews, great full-page photos ... an entertaining read.  The April, 1931 issue was worth every bit of 10 Cents!

Bob has a full-page portrait, two of his movies are reviewed and there is a mention and small photo.  His career really does pickup in 1931. 

He may have gotten co-star billing in The Easiest Way and Inspiration, but they are both starring vehicles for the ladies, Ms. Bennett and Ms. Garbo.  Bob is barely mentioned in the reviews. 

Two of the full-page portraits really stand out.  Anita Page gets the full Hurrell treatment.

And Otto Dyar does a superb job of capturing Ms. Lombard's sexual allure. 

Lastly, William Powell is featured in an article on stars and their fathers.  Appears Bill moved his parents from the cold winters in Kansas City, MO to be nearby in warmer Los Angeles.  Now that's being a good son. 

She Just Was Not Very Nice to Young Bob

Now, this is a beautiful still photo from Inspiration (1931).  Black and white photography can be just marvelous.  Love it.  Unfortunately, my blog format is too limited to show this properly.  So ...

How about a blow-up of the photo's centerpiece.  Hey, it's Yvonne (Garbo) and Andre (Bob) headed up the stairs to his apartment. 

Hmm....what could they be thinking about.

Garbo was not happy about being in Inspiration, not liking the role, the script and apparently her co-star who she gave the cold (or more accurately frozen) shoulder throughout the movie.  Bob was humiliated in front of the entire crew, not a nice thing to do to the young actor.  Power just does not bring out the best in people.

Wonder How Much That Ermine Coat Cost

Buying movie fan magazines just to read an article on Bob can become an expensive pastime.  Some are good buys and others, well, are not.  Thought I would share one of my purchases.   

Photoplay in the 1930s is just a wonderful treasure, a well-produced magazine with lots of "news" and gorgeous photos.  Unfortunately, the sale price for one in good condition reflects this.  I am not sure exactly how much this April, 1932, issue cost.  Too much, I'm sure.  It is a Norma Shearer cover, but the condition is not perfect so the cost was bearable! 

There are always full-page photos of the leading stars, two of the better ones follow.

And there are, of course several full-page movie ads.  This is a nifty one.

And speaking of ads ... this is a wondrously sexy Coca-Cola ad. 

 Big news in Hollywood was "who went where with whom wearing what."  In this case, it's Bob attending a premiere with Betty who was wearing an ermine coat.

Finally, we get to the Montgomery article.  It's about scene stealers, Bob being included among the likes of Wallace Beery, Marie Dressler, Jack Oakie, Victor McLaglen and Adolphe Menjou.  He gets just a small mention, but the cover art includes a photo of him next to the title. 

          The caption reads: "Mr. Montgomery, that scene belongs
          to Irene Purcell.  You give it right back to her."

And the only mention of Bob in a full-length article is as follows.

Gee, you'd think Bette Davis had written it! 

So, this Photoplay issue was enjoyable to me overall, but the Bob coverage was lacking.  Not a great buy if only seeking out Montgomery items.  Save your money for a good photo of Bob!

More Treasures From the Vault ...

I bought a lot of movies titled "Unknown Movies/Actors."  This is the kind of stuff I really enjoy messing with.  For me, seeing the word "Unknown" is like waving a red flag at a bull, I love the challenge.  Now, I'm quite often as clueless as the vendor, but on occasion I can troll out a good find or two. 

The quality of this photo is not the greatest, but finding an original photo from Inspiration (1931), I consider to be a rarity.  The dress Garbo is wearing is what caught my eye, rather unique, isn't it.  I would have preferred finding a photo with Bob in it instead of Lewis Stone, but ...

And this photo was easy to identify because I remembered having seen it before.  There is something about seeing Joan Crawford in prison garbs that kind of sticks in your mind.  The photo number in the lower right-hand corner confirms the movie title, Paid (1930).  It is 520, the Inspiration photo has the number 521.  MGM had a simple and consistent numbering system for its movies, it has been a great help for me in identifying stills from Bob's movies.  Considering he wore a tuxedo so often in his movies, it can be confusing! 

                              

Garbo, Buster and a Three Decker

I just love the fan magazines of the early 1930s.  Photoplay Magazine was one, if not the best of its kind in the 1930s.  Richly done, great photos of the stars and, appropriately, on the expensive side for collectors.  In Britain, there were two highly successful magazines which covered U.S. movies, as well as their own.  I'm guessing Picturergoer was No. 1, with Picture Show not far behind.  Bob made the cover of both several times, and I snarf them up whenever they show up for sale. 

And, whereas I may purchase a magazine for its cover or a lead story, it is always fun to run across any small surprises inside.  Below is a photo of the young Mr. Montgomery --- note the full head of wavy hair! --- and a dog named Buster, perhaps MGM's answer to Rin Tin Tin.  Bob appears to be finding Buster a more enjoyable co-worker than Garbo...

And found in an article on the favorite sandwiches of the stars:

I wish they had provided the kind of bread he liked, which dressing he used.  I mean, there are so many unknown things about Bob we will never know, and now there are even more.  Sigh.