Carole Lombard

[knives]

Big News (Gregory La Cava 1929)
Newspaperman Robert Armstrong is sure a local speakeasy owner is running a dope ring, gets fired, gets rehired, gets framed for murder, solves murder, the end. Utterly standard issue newspaper drama from start to finish. Lombard (still billed as “Carol,” as she will be until her Paramount years) is given the first of what will be many thankless female lead roles as Armstrong’s wife that calls upon her to do literally nothing but show up, nag a little, and then exit. Director La Cava shows as little promise here as Lombard, though both will go on to great success in the next decade, including together with My Man Godfrey. (R1 Public Domain)

This wasn’t an interesting film for the reasons you mention, but it also has one of the most blatant lesbian coded characters I’ve ever seen. That “you can be gay on your own time” scene has to be in at least a few compilations. It was a nice surprise in an otherwise by the books film.

[domino harvey]

Archival original newspaper report on the crash that killed Lombard

I learned recently that the crash site is mostly intact and likely still contains the remains of Lombard and fellow passengers, leading to a few excavators who have trawled the wreckage for baubles and souvenirs. I’ll spare you links to guys bragging (and hopefully bullshitting) about finding a wedding ring that would have to be attached to Lombard’s missing left arm…