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! 

                              

What! You Dare To Laugh At Me? You Will Pay!

The image of the tie Bob wears in The Saxon Charm was seared into my memory cells long before I actually saw the movie.  Which is unfortunate, because when I did finally see the movie, all I could see was the tie!!  Well, perhaps I exaggerate a tad, but I did have to laugh when I first saw the nasty Matt Saxon and his incredible tie on the screen.  I do not think Bob would have appreciated my reaction to his character.  Looks like he just heard my comment in the photo below.  Easy Bob, the suit is great, as always.  And the shoe tassels are over-the-top!

                               Bob in The Saxon Charm (1948)

Attaching a colorized version of the tie, as displayed in one of the film's lobby cards.  Now, just try to wipe the image from your memory. 

And another tie from the movie ...

The costume designer must have loved having the elegant Mr. Montgomery wear those ties. 

Robert Montgomery ... A Man of Rapier Wit

It is a 5x7 fan card.  The 88-year-old photograph has begun to show its age.  But little distracts from the image of the beautiful, curly-haired Mr. Montgomery.  I do not know if it is from the first sitting with George Hurrell, but definitely from that period.  Of course the camera loved Bob, but throw in Hurrell and you have a real romance going on.  As I have said a few times before ... rrrff!!

                                     Bob in 1929, age 25

Not Bob Taylor, Nor Ben Hogan

Few things give me more pleasure than discovering a new and nifty Montgomery photo ... particularly one that was identified incorrectly as "Bob Taylor" and cost me all of $2.  Yes, that just made my day.  The correct Bob is wearing the outfit he wore for the golfing scene with Ann Harding in When Ladies Meet (1933).  I'm assuming no golf ball was used in the making of this photo, or the photographer was a lot braver than me! 

Happy Birthday, Mr. Benchley!

Robert Benchley was born September 15, 1989 and died a mere 56 years later.  He was a very, very funny man who appeared in two movies with our Bob, Piccadilly Jim (1936) and Live, Love and Learn (1937).  My brother, David, was born on September 15 in a later year, is still alive (although living in Florida he recently gave his sister a bit of a scare), and has never appeared in any movie at all.  Yet, he makes his sister laugh.  My love goes out to them both.

This is a photo of Mr. Benchley.  The following quotes are his, not my brother's.  Don't want to confuse anybody! 

Sand is also a good place on which to write, "I love you," as it would be difficult to get into court after several years have passed.

 Anything can happen, but it usually doesn’t.

 When I was a child I was of an affectionate disposition, but not enough to get arrested.