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)

"Cardboard Lover": To Pretend To Be In Love --- I didn't know what that was either!

 A nice painting made for the 1928 silent, The Cardboard Lover.  It appears to be one of a series printed as a 5x7 fan card.  Quite the expensive ad campaign for a B&W 1928 movie.  Of course, it was a Cosmopolitan produced film and William Randolph Hearst always saw that Marion Davies got only the best treatment in her career.   Anyway, Nils and Marion make a handsome couple.  

        Marion Davies & Nils Asther in The Cardboard Lover (1928)

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) 

Ready on the Set! Bob, Wake Up!

 Have always thought it was rather amazing you could get good performances from movie actors under the very adverse conditions of filming in the early sound days.  All those lights, the heat, a huge camera, sound equipment, a dozen people crammed in a few feet from you ... yukky.

In the photo below, taken on a set of Ever Since Eve (1937), the set looks almost roomy.

A tighter shot on Bob and Marion ... Marion has pencil in hand, ready for action!  

                                                                                                                                                                    

        That's one bored Robert Montgomery.                                                                                                                                                

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. 

Two Pretty Ladies, A Hunk and A Quirky Guy

I started off collecting just photos of Mr. Montgomery, trying not to start spending money on non-Bob photos.  I failed miserably at that.  At first it was the occasional Ray Milland portrait, a few Robert Taylors, the rare William Powell that I could afford.  Then it branched out into photos that simply caught my attention, nice double-weight portraits by a good photographer.  Thought I would share a few with you. 

One of the first pictures I bought was this outdoors portrait of a Miss Gladys McConnell, taken in the late 1920s.  Such a pleasant looking young lady.  Gladys appeared in silent westerns, several with Ken Maynard and retired at the ripe old age of 25 in 1930. 

Charles Farrell was a popular leading man in the 1920s and into the early 1930s.  He made a number of films with Janet Gaynor, they were quite the popular couple.  Mr. Farrell, along with Ralph Bellamy, built the Palm Springs Racquet Club which helped make Palm Springs a successful resort destination.  As his career declined, he invested in real estate in the area, a great career change.  You should google him for other photos of the beautiful man in his youth.  Mr. Farrell has the distinction of being one of the first American actors to appear in a nude scene in a major motion picture, The River (1928).  Too bad there is not a complete copy of the movie in existence ...

I'm not a particularly great Harold Lloyd fan, but this portrait is interesting in that by simply taking off his black-rimmed glasses he is transported from being a movie comic to a quite handsome man.  Besides having been an extremely successful performer, the man had some interesting quirks.  Check out the extensive biography on IMDB. 

Just love this portrait of a youthful Marion Davies.  Such a fresh-faced beauty.  I really don't have anything to add that we all don't already know about her semi-tragic life with Hearst.  I can say that I have been fortunate enough to have twice toured the Hearst Castle back in the late 1980s.  Just fantastic!!  If you ever get the opportunity to tour it, please do not pass it up.  Seeing the awesome swimming pools is worth the trip alone.  One heck of a get-away. 

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.