He Was, Simply Put, A Very Funny Man

Robert Benchley was an actor, author, playwright, drama critic and master humorist, who blessed two of Bob Montgomery's movies, Piccadilly Jim (1936) and Live, Love and Learn (1937).  
 

      Robert Benchley, b. Sept. 15, 1889 and d. Nov. 21, 1945, age 56

Happy Birthday, Mr. Benchley (and my brother, as well)!!

Bob, Joan, Franchot, George & Adrian

September is a big month for Bob movies on TCM, five movies in total.  That's a lot these days.  Two of his movies with Joan Crawford will be shown in the wee early hours of Friday, Our Blushing Brides (1930) and No More Ladies (1935).  Ladies produced some great publicity stills, with the always wonderful photography of George Hurrell, and aided by Ms. Crawford's gown by Adrian.

            Bob, Joan and Franchot Tone in No More Ladies (1935)

The photo below was not taken by Hurrell ... but, it is, well, interesting.

Robert Benchley Plays a Drunk - I bet he had to do extensive research for the role!

Live, Love and Learn (1937) will be shown on TCM tomorrow (the 12th) at 7:45 a.m. EST/4:45 PST.  If you haven't seen it, recording it for viewing at a more sensible time would be a worthwhile effort.  After all it has Bob (the struggling artist), Rosalind Russell (the rich society girl), Robert Benchley (Bob's drunken buddy), Helen Vinson (the other woman) and Monty Woolley (rich guy into horses).  If only the script was as good as the actors!

The March 26, 1938, issue of the British magazine "Picture Show", features the movie. 

I like their one-page photo and story re-caps.  That's a lot of info on one page!

An enlargement of the best photo:  Bob and Bob (Benchley) have carried in one very large painting of a horse, to be admired by Woolley (in a gown of some sort with matching furry slippers) while Roz simply stands modeling her mink coat (while wondering if she'll ever get a decent role). 

There Are Other Men in My Life Besides Bob ...

It has been ages since I did a Ray Milland post.  And even then it was a "belated" Happy Birthday entry.  Not a nice way to treat Ray, a basically good guy who happened to be extremely handsome.  Besides, my Milland folder is overflowing with great photos.  So ...

Hotel Imperial (1939) is set at the end of WWI with Ray as an Austrian soldier who runs into a woman out for revenge, and a Russian spy up to no good.  I don't remember having seen it, but it has a 7.2 rating on IMDB.  Unfortunately, finding a copy of it might be a bit of a challenge.  Please let me know if you do! 

In a totally different kind of movie, we find Ray and Paulette Goddard in The Lady Has Plans (1942).  Okay, it is another spy movie, but this time it is a comedy.  A 7.0 rating, and once more, not available.  Sigh.  At least there is this photo of the two incredibly handsome stars to appreciate. 

And, lastly, Ray plays Stanford White, a highly successful architect at the turn of the 20th century who has an affair with a young showgirl played by Joan Collins, and is later killed by Joan's crazy husband, Farley Granger.  The movie, The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing (1955), was based on a true story, but heavily sanitized by the studio, being the 1950s and all.  It is difficult to imagine Joan Collins as ever being innocent.  This would be the movie that is available on DVD.  Love the look on Ray's face, the handsome devil. 

My, God ... Is that who I think it is?

One of my favorite Bob items ... an autographed cocktail napkin from a private club in (of all places) Indianapolis, IN. 

Columbia Club, a private club originally for Republicans only.  It seems to be a rather nice place, 5-star restaurants and a lot of mahogany paneling.
 

Yeah, it looks like a place Bob would hang out at in Indianapolis.  I think one can assume Bob was on the road campaigning for a Republican candidate, perhaps Eisenhower.  He did a lot of that.  The bar has probably been updated, but I'll guess the paneling is much the same. 

 So, you get over the shock of seeing Robert Montgomery in Indianapolis and get up the nerve to interrupt his evening by asking for his autograph.  Good girl, I'm proud of you.  And you treasured it for so many years.  Now it's my turn.  Thank you.