...And who would play Nora in her movie?

 Nora Gregor was born February 3, 1901, in Austria-Hungary.  The lady led an interesting life.  May I heartedly suggest reading the biography included on IMDB (mostly under Trivia), as well as Wikipedia's entry on her second Husband Prince Ernst Starhemberg.  Way too complex a life to condense to fit in this post!  It would make for a great movie, if they would only make those kinds of movie anymore.

But the Flesh is Evil (1932) was a failed attempt by Ms. Gregor to establish a movie career in Hollywood.  Her thick Austrian accent and age (31, after all!) did not appeal to the American movie audience.  

Yes, the Flesh Certainly is Weak, When it comes to Mr. Montgomery ....

 But the Flesh is Weak (1932) has just begun a full run on TCM's streaming service, showing until April 17th.  The movie may not be one of Bob's best, but a fun watch, nevertheless.  I mean, it's not often that you get to see Bob take a bath.  And disrobe from underpants with ties instead of an elasticized waist band!  

               Bob and Nora Gregor in But the Flesh is Weak (1932)

So, Bob was only a Substitute on the Team?

 

Nora Gregor and Robert Montgomery.

 

Ralph Forbes standing at the trophy table.  That's Neil Hamilton, seated, with the soft hat and the dark glasses.  Behind him is Spencer Tracy.

Guinn Williams, Dr. Wilson, Harry Branders (with broken wrist) and Robert Montgomery helping him off the field.  Bob will change his clothes and take the injured player's place on the field.

At the edge of the field, Bob Montgomery, Henri de la Falaise, Constance Bennett and Guinn Williams.

After the game there was much business of autographing the polo balls.  Below, Bob Montgomery is signing on the stitched line.  Constance Bennett, Mrs. J. Thompson, Henri de la Falaise de la Coudraye and David Manners are also in the group.

And now Constance adds her famous signature.

Constance Talmadge, Mrs. Jack Lawrence, Guinn Williams (back to camera), Johnny Mack Brown and Will Rogers.  

I'd put good money on the possibility that the blurry young man in his polo outfit who is entertaining the ladies, is Mr. Montgomery.  

But the Flesh is Weak ...Great Title for an Autobiography

 "Director Jack Conway, Robert Montgomery, the star, and Nora Gregor, the leading lady, discuss the next scene on the set of The Truth Game."  

Yeah, the final name of the movie, But the Flesh is Weak (1932), is an improvement.  It lets the audience know right up front what the movie is about.  I like having the father/son duo as the Gold Diggers.  C. Aubrey Smith (Dad) and Bob (son) are quite believable in their roles.  

The photo below displays the set built for the swing of the two lovers.  Just love the contraptions the movie's crew would come up with.  

Thought you might like to actually see the people in the photo.  

Marathon, Part 2 (One Day To Go!)

And now for the other five movies being shown tomorrow ...

Untamed (1929) receives a 4.6 rating on IMDB.  Ouch.  Granted, the movie is one of those rather awkward transition from silent to sound movies.  The use of titles for scene changes at the beginning is right out of the silents.  Hey, we are still learning about sound films, give us a chance!  If you are a Crawford fan, you will enjoy the beginning.  Joan, as "Bingo", gets to both sing and dance.  It is interesting to see musical numbers being used in the early sound pictures, whether it had anything to do with the rest of the movie or not.  Even Bob has to sing a love song to Bingo.  Too much.

I would suggest going 21 minutes into the movie and watch it from Bob's entrance on, the movie improves greatly.  This is Bob's third movie.  His transition is from stage to the talkies and he still has room for improvement.  But it is simply fun to watch him, the young, very exuberant Bob, still working on his basics, the way he walks, what to do with his hands when standing still.  The boxing scene is great fun, with some attempt of disguising just how skinny and small-framed the young Bob is.  But he can throw a lot of punches very fast!

Three years later, Bob has improved significantly.  In But the Flesh is Weak (1932), he has become the Bob we know so well ... so handsome, elegant and smooth.  The rating is only 5.7, probably so low because of the main plot of Bob and his Dad being gigolos with the quest of Bob marrying  a wealthy woman.  Yes, not exactly politically correct these days, but it was all fun in 1932 having men in the usual role held by women, of looking for a sugar daddy.  The beginning has a great scene of Bob preparing for and taking a bath, do watch that if nothing else.  I have always felt the big weakness of the film was Bob's co-star, Nora Gregor.  She was quite popular in Europe, but did not catch on in Hollywood.

                   Bob and Nora Gregor in But the Flesh is Weak

In Made on Broadway (1933), Bob gets to play a different role.  He is a fast-talking, streetwise fixer, not his usual suave, upper crust self.  He meets his match in Sally Eilers, and the two work to make her into a celebrity.  He begins to fall in love with her, while his wife, Madge Evans, waits patiently to see if he returns to her.  Bob is quite good in the role, interesting to watch.  IMDB's rating is 6.5.  That's fair.

In the same year, Bob made When Ladies Meet.  Based on a very sophisticated and successful play, the movie has simply a great cast; Ann Harding, Myrna Loy, Frank Morgan, Alice Brady along with Bob.  It is a witty play about current day morality.  Myrna is in love with Frank who is married to Ann, while Bob is in love with Myrna and will do anything to get Frank out of the picture.  It sounds strange to have Myrna in love with Frank rather than Bob, but Mr. Morgan makes it believable.  The laughs are provided by Alice Brady, and the "country home" set by Cedric Gibbons is amazingly beautiful.  I seriously want that home for myself.  The movie's rating is 6.9.  The main complaint would be that it could be viewed as being too talky. 

Lastly, Trouble for Two (1936) reflects being made after they began enforcing the Hayes Act.  Bob gets to kiss Roz Russell gingerly and that's about it on the sex front.  It is based on a story by Robert Louis Stevenson, "The Suicide Club", and is primarily a somewhat strange mystery, with Bob and Roz as European royals, and Frank Morgan (again!) as Bob's watch dog.  It is rather an adjustment for me watching Bob with a mustache and a curly wig!  It is also an under use of Ms. Russell, as often happens.

My, but it is getting late (or early, depending on your perspective!)  Hope my rambles make sense.  Remember, Monday is Bob's Day! 

Obviously Bob Takes After His Mother

TCM will be showing But the Flesh is Weak (1932) this Friday at 7:15 a.m. EDT.  It is definitely worth a watch, if you have not seen it before.  Actually, it is worth a watch if you have seen it before.  It is definitely a pre-code movie.  The basic story line is about the Clements (Bob and his Dad, C. Aubrey Smith) who seek out rich women to support them.  What this implies they do for these women in return for their money, well.... 

Any movie that starts off with Bob bathing, has my definite okay.  Below, father and son prepare for an evening at the theater to check out the ladies.  That's the landlord telling Dad to pay his back rent soon or leave the apartment.  For me, that's two too many men sharing a bathroom.  (I'm just jealous, because he asks his Dad to scrub his back and not me.)

For me, the main problem of the movie is the co-star, Nora Gregor.  Being from Austria, Flesh is her first English-speaking role, a challenge for anyone.  Secondly,  she does not appear to be the woman Bob's character would fall in love with at first sight.  In the photo below, she is with the aristocratic woman Bob was pursuing only for her wealth.  To me, they look too much alike.  Bet you can't tell for sure which of the ladies is Nora. 

Flesh has a number of good lines.  Favorites ... Bob asks Nora why she didn't tell him she was in love with him.  Her response, "Because, I didn't know until you hit me!"  And, when Bob introduces Nora to his father as the woman he wants to marry, Dad advises him not to, "it's not in you to be faithful to one woman."  There is definitely a serious side to the movie, the threat of jail for gambling debts, Nora's character on the verge of poverty and so forth, not entirely a feel good movie.  But, putting everything else aside, it is definitely a great opportunity to watch the 28-year-old Bob in his prime. 

Just remembered.  Ray Milland has an uncredited role as a party guest.  Look for him at about 8'30" into the movie. 

But the Flesh is Very Weak

               Well, I would not have thrown him out ... no way!

                         My only utterance would have been:
                             "Why are you still in that tux?"

Bob and his Ladies Week

I do so enjoy the marvelous sets created for 1930s movies.  Just think of all the effort involved in setting up the sets used in the photos below.  How would you like to have been the one that was assigned to adhering all those flowers to the "tree" to create the background for Bob and Nora's swing scene in But the Flesh is Weak.  Beautiful setting.  And I love the touch of having the pair of swans swimming behind Madge and Bob.  Fantastic sets created for maybe a minute of film, then broken down and readied for the next scene. 

                   But the Flesh is Weak (1932) with Nora Gregor

Nora Gregor seems to have appeared in only one U.S. movie, making mostly German movies.  Douglas Fairbanks in his autobiography, The Salad Days, relates a rather amusing story of an inebriated Nora showing up for a performance in a play in which they were co-starring, after "carouzing mit your freund, dat Bobbity Montygummarrry."  She makes it until the second act when she gets sick and leaves Doug alone on the stage.

Actually, Nora's life would make a great movie --- successful stage and film actress becomes the mistress of an Austrian prince and politician, eventually marrying him; flees Austria in 1938 (Nora's parents were jewish) leaving behind the family fortune; moves to South America in 1942; and finally, living alone in dire straits in Chile, commits suicide in 1949 at the age of 47.  What d'ya think, a young Meryl Streep role?

                        Piccadilly Jim (1936) with Madge Evans

Madge Evans had the same problem as Bob re typecasting.  She was quite often cast in the 'nice girl' roles with little opportunity to break out of that mold.  She made five movies with Bob:  Lovers Courageous, Hell Below, Made on Broadway, Fugitive Lovers and Piccadilly Jim.   In 1939 she married playwright Sidney Kingsley, trading Hollywood for an estate in New Jersey and a marriage that lasted until her death in 1981, just five months before Bob passed.  Not as exciting a life as Nora's, but seemingly preferable.