Customer Reviews (1)

Famous Movie Critic on the Legendary Lombard
The Pyramid Illustrated History of the Movies series were true treasure for film fans of the 1970's, I was a teenager at the time and loved to collect the series and still do.These are softcover books about 6x7 that are loaded with photos of films of the star in question along with a running commentary of the star's filmography and biographical information.Leonard Maltin's Carole Lombard may have been the first volume in the series I owned and it's definately one of the best ones.Maltin at the time was just another movie historian (a quite young one at the time) and several years away from becoming famous as the resident movie critic on ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT.Maltin has written about old films since he was a teenager and clearly loves the classic films and their stars.He is also a very fine writer and his style fits so perfectly with the Pyramid series it's regrettable this was the only entry he wrote in the collection.If you love Lombard, you will definately want this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

ALL AMERICAN GIRL

.....After watching the movie My Man Godfrey I was interested enough in Lombarde to purchase a book about her life.

.....She was a tomboy growing up and this led to to entry into the movies when she was spotted by a producer who was looking for her type in a movie role.From this unlikely beginning she worked her way up to one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood, married two of its top males along the way, William Powell and Clark Gable and was at the top of her career when she lost her life in a tragic plane crash.

.....The book was a little thin on background and read almost like a synopsis so I can't give it 5 stars but it is certainly worth reading.Carole Lombarde was a fine actress and universally liked by her peers

Carole Lombard
This book read as if the author just accumulated facts from other writers and listed them in a sterile "here are the facts and only the facts" type of way. Not fun. Not very interesting. Very little insight into Carole Lombard.

Really a disappointment.

Nobody did it better
Reviewed for H-Indiana by Randy Roberts (rroberts@sla.purdue.edu), Department of History, Purdue University

Nobody did it better.She did not invent the type, the scatterbrained blond who spoke faster than she thought, but Carole Lombard made it her own.When I think of her my mind wanders first to My Man Godfrey (1936), a film that without Lombard would be forgotten today.Except for a few fine character performances, and a couple patches of nice writing, it is not really that good of a film.But her breathless charm, her inability to finish a sentence without gasping for air or mouth a sentence that seems to contain a period, carries the entire production.Five minutes into the film the viewer is hooked.How could William Powell, or anyone else, resist her?I cannot imagine another actress in the role without wincing, nor can I picture anyone but Lombard being able to carry Ernst Lubitsch's brilliant, sardonic, and poignant To Be or Not To Be (1942).The two films illuminate another vital aspect of Lombard: She brought out the best in her leading men.William Powell and, particularly, Jack Benny were never better.Although Lombard lacked the range of Barbara Stanwyck, she is like Stanwyck in the respect that their finest films are ageless, as fresh today as they were in the 1930s and 1940s.

Wes D. Gehring's Carole Lombard: The Hoosier Tornado is a brief, valuable examination of Lombard's life and films.Part of the recently inaugurated Indiana Biography Series, it reminds us that she was born Jane Alice Peters on October 6, 1908, in Fort Wayne, though Indiana only played the part of bookends in her life.Her mother relocated the family--sans husband--to California when the future star was still a young girl, and, of course, Lombard was returning from Indianapolis to Los Angeles after a war bond drive appearance when the plane she was in crashed west of Las Vegas.She died on January 17, 1942, three months after her thirty-third birthday.What was most important about her life, the films she dominated as an actress in the years between 1934 and 1942, had almost nothing to do with Indiana.

Gehring, a professor of film, does not take a fashionable academic approach to Lombard's career.Today, more than ever before, writing about movies is divided between two poles: the theoretically oriented and the biographically inclined.Gehring largely goes the biographical route.He traces Lombard's early career, her automobile accident that scarred her face (never very noticeable) and changed her conception of herself, her marriages to William Powell and Clark Gable, and her salty language and fine sense of humor.But most of his biography is devoted to her films, her relationships with cast members and directors.What emerges is the portrait of an actress caught between worlds.We use the word "Hollywood" with exquisite imprecision.Is it a place, an industry, a product, or a state of mind?It is all these things--and more.It is worlds inside worlds--worlds of agents and producers, directors and stars, the Cocoanut Grove circle and the Ronald Colman clique.Lombard maneuvered through these various worlds, attempting to define herself when everyone else (mostly powerful men) wanted to control her.It all makes for an interesting story--a Hollywood story about Hollywood.

Good book for new Lombard fans ...
... but, as some reviewers have noted, it's not for the die-hard fan. That's because the book is basically a rehash of well-known anecdotes and draws heavily upon other biographies and articles. As for the lack of photos/thin volume, one must keep in mind that this was published by the Indiana Historical Society. It's very expensive to get the rights for photos, not to mention print them on high quality, glossy paper. Like another reader however, I give high marks just for getting a book on Lombard published - and that can be attributed to the Indiana Historical Society. I've published books and I have been pitching a biography of Carole Lombard for YEARS. I even have a complete outline and have chalked up years and years of research ... but publishers don't want to touch it. They just don't think she'd sell. There needs to be an angle, etc.

So this is the first book in a long time to be devoted solely to Lombard. In fact, it's been over 30 years since there has been any great interest in her. In the early and mid-70s there were a rash of books: Frederick Ott published 'The Films of Carole Lombard', Warren Harris published 'Gable and Lombard' - a poor film adaptation was made with Jill Clayburgh and James Brolin. Joe Morella published, 'Gable & Lombard & Powell & Harlow' and Leonard Maltin published 'Carole Lombard'. Then Larry Swindell published 'Screwball' - the only true biography of Lombard, which was also published during a time when so many of her peers were still around to be interviewed. Lyn Tornabene's bio of Clark Gable, 'Long Live the King' was published during this time and contains perhaps the best descriptions of Carole Lombard ever - sort of a bio within a bio. Several years ago, there was a glimmer of hope when Robert Matzen published a bio-bibliography of Carole Lombard. It was a rather dry read and suffered from odd print - but it was afterall, a bio-bibliography and so it was good in that respect. So, Gehring's book is really the first of its kind since Swindell's 'Screwball.'

I agree that Carole Lombard deserves so much more - and she should be able to stand alone (not just as the star-crossed, glamorous appendage of Clark Gable). I haven't given up hope yet! Although this book is not the best read, having it out there is very important and fans must keep in mind that the author was probably limited to the publishing house's resources. If you enjoy Lombard's movies and don't know much about her, this book is a good starting point.

Carole Lombard, the Hoosier Tornado
The book was poorly written. It started with her death, but shed no new light to what the average movie fan already knew. It seemed that the writer went on the internet, found some old articles and put them together and called it a book. I read it in one hour and just finished it simply because I started it. ... Read more

Product Description
"Her wit and charm made her the social as well as the artistic hub around which Hollywood revolved. She was years before her time, and her independence established her as the oracle of the New Woman...." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

If you like Carole Lombard, don't read this book!

It seems that the person that wrote Screwball does not even like Carole!It seems he was assigned to write this book, and had no real interest in Carole.He could not have been a big fan of hers and think she was fabulous like I do!
I say that because most of the book seems to be about the Hollywood studio system, not about Carole specifically.He goes on and on about every minute detail of all the movie studios, all through the years.
Also, as he goes through all the movies that Carole made, he says that they were not good at all, and/or they were flops.Amazingly, the only movie of Caroles he says was good was her last.
Mr. Swindell, how could an actress who only did bad movies that flopped at the box office become the highest paid star in Hollywood??That just does not make sense, and we all know most of her movies were good, and she was wonderful in them!

Carole Lombard was a smart, funny, kind, creative, witty, beautiful, generous actress who's talent and glamour stand the test of time.Her life ended tragically way too soon.It is too bad she was never able to write her own autobiography.I'm sure it would have been fantastic!
I hope that people never forget her or her movies.
But, if you want to read a book to learn about Carole and her life, please do not read this one.Find one by an author who seems to actually love her as much as us fans of hers do!

A Girl From Indiana
Whereas most Hollywood biographers give you only a photograph of the star in question, Larry Swindell's "Screwball: The Life of Carole Lombard" is more of a gallery painting, its rich and soft hues leaving you with a true impression of its subject that lingers. You really feel like you know Carole Lombard after reading this most extraordinary look at the life of one of Hollywood's most fondly remembered stars of the 30's and 40's. Though some stars are remembered mostly for their untimely death, Carole Lombard is not one of them. Yes, the story of her plane crash as she was returning from a war bond drive in Indiana is always mentioned when the subject comes up, but it is her life and the effect she had on other people which Swindell shows to be her true legacy.

Swindell has written a classy biography which not only gives us a real sense of the person, Carole Lombard, but the period itself in Hollywood. Perhaps the most startling thing here is just how much Carole Lombard meant to Hollywood itself. If any one person truly stood out as both representing and helping make such a disparate group into a true community, it was Carole Lombard. Her death was felt most on a personal level by the Hollywood community who knew her, and it is no wonder that many point to her passing as the beginning of the end for that Hollywood we film buffs regard with such nostalgia.

Swindell traces the life of Jane Alice Peters from her time as a tomboy in Fort Wayne Indiana to the sudden and tragic end. Those unfamiliar with Lombard will discover a wealth of information both surprising and sometimes poignant. Swindell does not gloss over the rocky marriage to Clark Gable, but gives us a very real look at a one-sided affair of which Mitchell Leisen commented: "was all give and no receive." Ernest Lubitsch later said: "The romance ended, but the marriage lingered on." Swindell is fair, however, and shows that a guilt-ridden Gable would become the man to fit his charm after Carole's death that she had always hoped he'd become.

This is late in the biography, however, and it is a very fun ride getting there. Lombard's silent days as a young girl wanting to be like Noma Talmadge and Mary Miles Minter are covered in detail. Silent cowboy star Buck Jones would say she was the prettiest girl he had ever seen or kissed. It was that beauty, however, which would get her a near miss as one of the girls in Mary Pickford's "Little Annie Roonie." Just as she was on the verge of films with Borzage and Barrymore, a serious car accident would scar her face and she would be dumped by Fox. She would be dumped by Pathe also but found Paramount when it was King.

Yet the trouble was hardly over. She would be shaken by the sudden and unexpected death of her friend Diane Ellis. Swindell reveals that Lombard's effervescent personality often hid a weak constitution which often kept her in poor health. She seemed susceptible to disease and would get toxic poisining on her honeymoon with first husband William Powell in Honolulu and then contract malaria. Though Powell and Lombard were not a good match, they would remain friends after the divorce. She would help Bill's friend Richard Barthlemess when he was down on his luck in pictures later on.

Lombard was influenced greatly by silent stars she met or heard about. Her legendary outbursts of profanity were actually fashioned after Mae Murray. Having heard how Murray's potty mouth often put men off, Lombard, trying to avoid being accosted and forever on the casting couch, would go home and literally have her brothers teach her the words and how to use them. They would later simply become part of her vocabulary. The influence of silent stars would not end there, however.

Irene Rich's custom of giving small gifts to the cast and crew of her pictures was not lost on Carole. This was done in genuine by Lombard, however, andshe would always surround herself with people she liked. Lombard was by far the most popular of Paramount's stars. She would rollerskate around the lot and remained loyal to her pal from the silent days, Madalynne Fields. When Carole's career took off, she would use her influence for others. She would not forget Walter Connolly taking her under his wing. She would do the same for a young Ray Milland. She helped Robert Stack and Evelyn Keyes get good press. She made Bill Haines the most popular decorater in Hollywood and postponed John Gilbert's decent, at least for a time. Swindell shows what an uncanny knack she had for the other side of the camera, her instincts for scripts and films respected by other actors and prominent directors.

Those picking up this terrific biography will already know the great catalog of films Lombard made, and Swindell deals with them with considerable insight. He also deals in a larger sense with the movie business itself. Few remember the many changes studios went through in the transition to sound, and fewer still are aware that radio nearly killed the movies in the early 1930's as people staggered by the depression saw no need to go out and waste money when they could sit around the comfort of their own home and be entertained.

But this is about a real person, not just a big name from Hollywood's past and Swindell never forgets that. Some will be shocked to learn that she considered George Raft to be the greatest lover in Hollywood. He was, according to many, everything Valentino of the silent era was only perceived to be. Even more will be shocked to discover that Gable was not, according to Carole herself, the great love of her life. It was crooner Russ Columbo, a popular rival, in a friendly fasion, of Bing Crosby. The life of the party, Carole Lombard, would once again be touched by tragedy. There have been many rumours in the decades since Russ Columbo's death about the tragedy and its origins, but Swindell chooses the high road here and refrains from speculation. It was simply enough to reveal how much he meant to Carole Lombard. This is a biography after all, about Carole Lombard, and not Russ Columbo.

Swindell sometimes jumps back and forth between time periods, but it is always pertinent and one of the ways in which we get a real sense of who Lombard was and how she got to be that way. She was an outdoor girl and though donned "The Orchid Girl" her favorite flower was the lily. Her keen sense of people would lead her away from Frank Capra's writer, Robert Riskin. He would propose to her but only after "Hands Across the Table" assured her stardom at Paramount. Lombard said he was fonder of her frame than she herself.

Lombard always tried to bridge the gap between herself and others when they could not reach out. Her parties were the stuff of legeng and still are. They were fun and adventurous to be sure, but the mix of people, and the opportunity for big stars who could not go out in public to enjoy themselves as anyone else would, was what they were really about. A carpenter or cook could find themselves chatting with a great director or on a carousel with a big star. Lombard loved being a star in Hollywood but was always a girl from Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was she who perhaps more than anyone gave Hollywood during the period a sense of community. Those who read this biography will be astounded at a few of the names hooked up by Lombard. The amazing thing was that the people Lombard got together, stayed together.

An electrician Lombard was fond of was involved in a plane crash which left him unable to find work. Lombard had it written in her contract that he was to work in all her pictures, enabling him to earn a living. This biography is full of life and energy and filled with stories such as that one which gives a clear yet, warts and all, look at a great film star. It is no wonder that in 1942 Irene Dunne christened the Liberty ship "Carole Lombard." It would serve in the Pacific for the duration of the war and be involved in a famous rescue mission.

Lombard sort of represents the American spirit, alive and vital, even if not always right. It is no wonder that Kay Gable, Clark's later wife, had no objections to his wish to be buried next to Carole Lombard, the love of his life. If you only read one Hollywood biography, Larry Swindell's "Screwball" is not a bad choice. It succeeds where other bio's fail in giving film buffs both the nostalgia they crave while at the same time giving a flesh and bone portrait of the star. In Lombard's case, it is a lovely and human portrait of a star taken in her prime. A terrific read.

An Amazing Book About An Amazing Person....
She had the kindest, most compassionate heart, yet her vocabulary would shock the most vulgar sailor. Throughout the 1930's she was one of Hollywood's top stars. Her name was Carole Lombard, and she was perhaps the most unique actress to ever appear on the big screen. Every person in Hollywood who came in contact with Carole loved her, and so did the American audience. She was friendly, funny and full of life, and these wonderful characteristics made people flock to her. She was also well-known at the time for her marriage to Clark Gable, the so-called "King" of Hollywood. Lombard's life was cut short, however, when she was killed in a 1942 plane crash. At first the world mourned, but with the passage of time, Lombard faded from public memory. Today she isn't as well remembered like her Hollywood peers, such as Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers. This is VERY unfortunate because Lombard was an amazing person, very different and extremely funny. I strongly recommed this book, especially if you have never heard of Lombard before. Any book on Carole Lombard is good, but this one is perhaps the most detailed. In this book, you will read about a fascinating woman who was truly one in a million! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A great overview of Carole's films.
Carole Lombard was one of the top stars of the '30's.this book is a must for any Lombard fan.There's a biography, reviews of all her films, along with cast & credit lists, release dates and running times.Best of all, it's loaded with photos, including Gable's favorite portrait of her. There's even a shot of James Montgomery Flagg's rendering of her.A greatstar - a great book!

Great Photos
The biographical section of Carole's life is way too short, as was her life.The photographs are priceless which make this book my most prized Lombard selection.INVALUABLE is the key word.Wish there were more out there

Films of Carole Lombard is thorough, yet all too brief.
Frederick C. Ott's book was my first full-length introduction to the great screwball comedienne, after reading about her (and becoming fascinated by her outgoing personality and ahead-of-her-time attitudes) in biographies of Clark Gable. My original first edition is somewhat dog-eared but it remains a favorite, even after the publication of such books as Gable and Lombard, Larry Swindell's biography, and Leonard Maltin's study of her film career. Filled with photos, both candids and studio stills, the book begins with a well-written, well-researched biography. The films section is familiar to most fans who read such books. My only criticisms regarding this book is that it's too short, but then that's hardly the fault of the author, is it? However, I would have liked to have seen coverage of Lombard's somewhat active radio career and her likenesses on the many ads she did for Coca-Cola, Lux Soap, DeSoto, and other companies throughout the 1930s. All in all, I still think Ott's book belongs in every Lombard library ... Read more

Product Description
It's 1939 and Atlanta is preparing for the premiere of "Gone with the Wind". But Hollywood has a bigger story breaking: a kidnapper has been targeting star babies. The amateur sleuthing team of Carole Lombard and her dashing husband Clark Gable are in hot pursuit--vintage Hollywood and vintage Baxt. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Last in Baxt's celebrity mystery series.
I'm not that sorry to see the end of Baxt's celebrity murder case series.The books are not bad stories, but not great either.I did like the many glimpses I got of famous starts from the 30's and 40's.In this book, I particularly enjoyed Groucho Marx and W.C. Fields.As I read the books, I found that I picked up a lot of celebrity gossip, as Baxt appears to be intimately acquainted with these glamourous people.In this book Carole and Clark try to help Detective Villon find one of Carole's missing protégés, who had been kidnapped.While everyone is working on this case, a body of a man washes ashore at celebrity beach party.Could these two seemingly unrelated instances be connected?Carole thinks so, and puts her considerable intelligence to work to help the police find Lydia Austin, and to determine who killed the gangster that washed up on the beach.It was not a bad story, with Baxt's trademark satire liberally sprinkled throughout.For anyone who is interested in this golden era in Hollywood, this series will be worth the time.

Ar play witht he stars
Wonderful book, puts you right in the niddle of the era and makes you part of the goings on, I am old enough to remember a lot of these stars and the columnists. The bits of whimsical insight into what was going on behind the scenes is really fun to learn.I worked at Paramount Pictures for two years and this brought it back. Besides I could just hear Enda Mae Oliver saying "Mr. Dick what shall we do with this boy" or "you evil woman" to Madame Defarge in Tale of Two Two Cities.Wonderful book.

Clever dialogue and delightful dish
Though not one of Baxt's strongest (I would heartily recommend The Dorothy Parker Murder Case), there is enough clever dialogue and delightful dish to carry you through the rather weak plot. Baxt once again takes great joy in raking through the bones of celebrities, exposing the sexual proclivitiesand excesses of Hollywood stars. I found reading it enjoyable, though notcompletely satisfying as a murder mystery

I wpuld love to read that book.
Is this book at the libaray yes or no and can the libarary get it

Famous Personalities In Search Of A Decent Plot
This book was an immense disappointment.The vivid personalities of Carole Lombard and Clark Gable might have lent themselves to any number of marvelous plot situations.Unfortunately, author Baxt chose to write MissLombard as a giggling dingbat (the words "tee hee hee" arescattered liberally throughout) with the wit of a gnat.Poor Clark Gabledoesn't fare any better.This mystery inspires the question,"Whodunnit?"Unfortunately, the author GEORGE BAXT "dunnit" ~and he done it all over Carole Lombard and Clark Gable.What a misbegottenmess. ... Read more

Product Description
Carole Lombard was among the most commercially successful and admired film personalities in Hollywood in the 1930s. This volume includes a biography which brings to life this vivacious, unconventional woman. The comprehensive bibliography that follows contains citations for anonymous and attributed magazine articles, books, and films. Full text reprints of a revealing interview for Motion Picture magazine and her only published article provide interesting views of Lombard. The never before published Civil Aeronautics Board investigative report of the airplane crash in which she died, 15 previously unpublished photographs, and detailed examination of many articles, biographies, and film history books that deal with some aspect of her life and/or career make this bio-bibliography an excellent resource. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great for research...
... but I'm afraid the overall content & quality did not not justify the high price - and I'm someone who usually eats up anything Lombard, regardless of cost. Don't get me wrong - I'm glad to have this in mycollection, but the biography section did not reveal anything new andpriced at 50 dollars, I guess I expected the quality & content to bebetter. The layout, paper and typeface are atrocious. Still, I'm giving itthree stars because it is well-written and frankly, I would not deteranyone from learning more about an actress who was not only an icon of theGolden Age of Hollywood, but also a wonderful human being.

Many points of interest; heavy dependence on fan magazines
Some rare photos, plus this book contains the CAB report on Lombard's 1942 plane crash ~ interesting.Matzen relies heavily on contemporary fan magazine articles profiling Lombard, which do her a disservice of sorts,since they more than likely originated with publicity handouts from thestudio or her press agent.Filmography is quite thorough. Overall,anintriguing addition to the library of any Lombard enthusiast.(Beware thetypesetters' chosen font -- VERY tough on the eyes!) ... Read more

Product Description
A remarkable and historically authentic look inside Hollywood's Golden Age and the legendary romance between Clark Gable and Carole Lombard.This novel explores Lombard's life and how the twin burdens of illegitimacy and silence shaped her daughter.When Cass McGowan, Lombard's grand-daughter and professor of film history, discovers her famous grandmother's diaries and edits them for publication the reader is plunged into a world twisted between the present and the past where time and space lose their hold.Cass chases her grandmother through her story, seeking her own answers as she explores the subtle complexities of love told through the stories of three generations of women--an interwoven strand of blood and love.Cass's search moves as swiftly as the trains Carole knew so well until it reaches its own spellbinding conclusion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Starts well, becomes a mish-mosh of spiritualism.
The book starts out promising but eventually falls into a confusing line of new age- spiritualism-reincarnation-false religion stuff. The author used a lot of offensive language, but that is the least of the issues I had with the book. Too bad, I really wanted to enjoy this selection. Overall, a waste of time and money.

Chasing Carole review
So excited to get this book and so disappointed to read it.It got so silly half way through that I couldn't even finish it!I just can't believe all the rave reviews this book is receiving; it is just awful!
I love Carole Lombard and have read/seen everything about her for years and just don't understand the good reviews this book is getting.A true disappointment and uninspired writing-

Rave Review
After reading this book, I came away with a better sense of a real flesh and blood person. The line between fact and fiction is blurred. At times, I forgot that
parts of it weren't real.
Ms. Washburn combines actual documentation ( personal notes from Mrs. Lombard Gable) with a well crafted story around these personal entries.
True to form, the book shows you what Carole Lombard Gables' convictions and innermost thoughts were. It takes you throughsome of her most potent life experiences.
I thouroughly enjoy this book. I've read two other biographies on Carole Lombard Gable.This by far is the most engaging. It enables you to get rightup close and personal, to see beyond the public
persona of a very human and compassionate person.

Chasing Carole: A Review
Though on a much smaller scale, in this novel Barbara Washburn gives us a simplified version of The House of the Spirits (Isabel Allende), set in present-day North America, the Golden Age of Hollywood (1930s and 40s) and the spirit world that connects them. This fine novel calls upon us to open up to spirits not of this world, spirits interacting with very real women of this world.

Here we have interwoven narratives: a remarkably personal view of Carole Lombard -- one of the foremost stars of the depression era screwball comedy -- during her affair with and marriage to Clark Gable. At intervals comes the story of a fictional modern-day granddaughter of Lombard (Cass) and her almost-partner Cameron.

I must admit, the modern-day relationship between college professors Cass and Cameron are my favorite part of the book. While I liked the firsthand stories of Lombard, set in her Golden Age of Hollywood world, Ms. Lombard doesn't come to life the way Cass and Cameron do. Perhaps it's a generational bias of mine -- the characters of Cass and Cameron are my contemporaries, very easy for me as a reader to identify with. These modern parts of the book look very much like real life to me, flesh and blood women facing the challenges of life.

Yet I also like stories that challenge skeptical views of the spirit world. And here, as with Isabel Allende's novel noted above, I found myself wanting to believe in the supernatural elements of the story. This is a strength of the novel for me. I'm one of those spirit world skeptics, but not here. The intimacy of the the portraits of Lombard and Gable are startling; "how could Ms. Washburn know that?" I kept asking myself. The details ring very true. And the Hollywood insider information on their contemporaries strike me as have come from a very accurate source.

With Chasing Carole, Barbara Washburn provides us provides a novel at once fearless in its frankness yet tender and loving at its core.

Compelling to the End
Barbara Washburn takes historical figures and weaves true life events into a fictional setting that makes for a wonderful and compelling novel. The reader comes away feeling kinship and understanding for Carole Lombard, the real life woman, not just the screen persona or media created personality. The book certainly made me look at our celebrity-obsessed world a little differently. You don't have to be a film buff or well versed in the Golden Age of Hollywood to enjoy this novel. The appeal is in the well-told story itself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

One of the Most Beautiful Collections of Actress Photos
I have loved this book for over 25 years now.I still have my copy I acquired when I was a teenager, the dust jacket is long gone but the book is still cherished.These are five extraordinary women in film history.This book is not as lavish as Larry Carr's first book FOUR FABULOUS FACES (on Crawford, Garbo, Dietrich, and Swanson)but it's an awesome collection of pictures and a good introduction to these stars.I've always felt Davis and Hepburn may have been included for their still being household names and good selling points for the book, though they certainly deserve to be in here, Carr is clearly not as enthusiastic about them as the other ladies and Davis particularly gets a bit of criticism that is sound but seems a little inappropiate given the way he praises Del Rio, Loy, and Lombard to the skies.This was actually the first book published that I can recall that took Davis to task for her ego and allegedly troublesome behaviour. Nevertheless, only a fool would deny Bette Davis is one of the five greatest women stars in film history, and most would say she is in the top two or even number one.The only woman who can compare with her is Katharine Hepburn and while Carr mentions a quirk or two of Hepburn's he is generally highly complementary.Carole Lombard had a major revival in the 1970's and Carr is right there with the crowd praising her elegance and wonderful comic talent; the cooly glamorous Myrna Loy is clearly another major favorite of Carr's, although recognized as a superstar, she is not written about on the level of Hepburn and Davis or even Lombard so it's especially nice to see her getting her due.And then there is Dolores Del Rio.I had never seen her before I got this book 25 years ago, probably never had even heard of her.Back then, I kind of resented someone I was not familiar with at all was put on a pedestal with these mega superstars.Well, I am pleased to say I got over my ignorance, today I absolute love Dolores Del Rio and recognize her awesome, almost peerless beauty.She was also an excellent actress and quite a historically important one given her trailblazing career as a Hispanic star.She most definately is a "fabulous face" and one that deserves to be recognized one of the most dignified and breathtakingly beautiful women motion pictures will ever know. This book is a must for anyone who loves the golden era of Hollywood.

Though it says more, these 4 stars are my favorite
First Edition, 265 pages. This book is a sequel to Larry Carr's previous book, "Four Fabulous Faces". In this edition, he concentrates on five legendary Hollywood actresses: Bette Davis, Katharine Hepburn, Dolores Del Rio, Carole Lombard and Myrna Loy.

Through ton of incredible B&W photographs, Mr Carr traces the lives and film careers of each woman and the evolution of their appearance, using screen test shots, movie stills, studio portraits, high fashion sittings and candid photographs. Many of the B&W photographs are full page size and rarely published. This book is a must for fans of old Hollywood and any one or all of the five actresses included. The book is 9" x 11" in size.

As to it saying More in the title, this book is part 2 even better fo me than part 1 which are 4 different starlets.

I was especially pleased that he had interviewed Myrna Loy for the book. So her biography part was top drawer, as are the others.

So many pages that this is the best of both worlds without sacrificing either element photos or bios. And I bought it for the photos I'll admit, and was not sorry. It is a beautiful 1st rate photo book. And I collect the best of them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A serviceable book
Harris perpetuates a "great legend".But the comments by Jean Garceau, Lombard's secretary, are telling.

Helpful Biography
If you're looking for a detailed biography of the life of this Hollywood couple, this book is not for you. This is a short read that will give you an idea of what Gable & Lombard's relationship was like, and offers a brief glimpse into the lives of each. For an in-depth view into the two stars' lives, I recommend separate biographies for each, instead of this book which is only good for the merely interested reader.

What a disappointment!
I have ordered this book thinking it would be the perfect companion to the Gable & Lombard video (that great film directed by Sidney J. Furie, starring James Bronlin and Jill Clayburgh).
But...what a disappointment! The book has no life, I mean, no grace, no charm, Mr. Warren G. Harris seems unable to focus in the mood of the 1930s. Enjoy the movie, forget the book.

Avoid at all costs!
This is one of the worst books ever written in this or any other genre. It's an insult to Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, not a tribute to them. Avoid at all all costs!

This book is one of the best books ever!
This book is for all those Gable and Lombard fans. This book is a true hollywood love story.It gives a complete history of Gable and Lombard affair with some humor added in.You should buy it or check it out of your library today! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Biography lite, but diverting
This bio of four big stars from Hollywood's golden age is fairly fun, but strictly lightweight; there is no annotation, for instance, and consequently the facts don't seem as unassailable as they should.It isthe kind of thing that would be an enjoyable beach read for the casualmovie (or gossip) fan--but not something for serious fans. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 116 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Signed essays ranging from 500 to 2,500 words, written by subject experts and edited to form a consistent, readable, and straightforward reference. Entries include subject-specific bibliographies and textual cross-references to related essays. ... Read more

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Chapters: Carole Lombard, Thomas R. Marshall, Thomas A. Hendricks, Sherman Minton, Evan Bayh, Edward Everett Cox, Frank Mccloskey, David Orentlicher, Joseph A. Wright, Matthew E. Welsh, André Carson, Julia Carson, Paul V. Mcnutt, Samuel M. Ralston, James Whitcomb, Joel Palmer, Henry F. Schricker, Isaac P. Gray, Baron Hill, Edward Ralph May, Ashbel P. Willard, Joe Donnelly, Albert G. Porter, Brad Ellsworth, Rob Waiz, Paris C. Dunning, Timothy J. Roemer, Tom Galligan, Walter Q. Gresham, Joseph Lane, Claude Matthews, James D. Williams, Frank O'bannon, Birch Bayh, M. Clifford Townsend, Ratliff Boon, Pete Visclosky, Jill Long Thompson, Roger D. Branigin, Al From, Jesse D. Bright, John Brademas, Vance Hartke, Ron Klain, Bart Peterson, Abram A. Hammond, John Wesley Davis, Charles Harvey Denby, Jeff Modisett, William W. Wick, William Grose, Willis A. Gorman, Lee H. Hamilton, William Hayden English, Wayne Townsend, David Sanders, Robert Dale Owen, George Washington Buckner, Michael C. Kerr, John Tipton, Graham Richard, Claude Bowers, Nels Ackerson, Jim Jontz, Joseph W. Barr, Thomas Taggart, John W. Kern, Winfield Moses, Joe Kernan, Barry Welsh, Daniel W. Voorhees, Nancy Dembowski, Jonathan Weinzapfel, Tom Henry, Louis Ludlow, Adam Benjamin, Jr., Mike Montagano, Jon Jennings, Thomas Fitzgerald, Meedy Shields, Graham N. Fitch, Thomas Mcdermott, Jr., Frederick Van Nuys, Andrew Jacobs, Jr., Harrison H. Dodd, Samuel B. Pettengill, Charlie Brown, Earl F. Landgrebe, Cyrus L. Dunham, Randall S. Harmon, Benjamin F. Shively, William J. Hosey, J. Edward Roush, Kathy Davis, James A. Cravens, Andrew J. Harlan, Katie Hall, David Turpie, John G. Davis, Edward A. Hannegan, James Ellsworth Noland, Charles W. Cathcart, B. Patrick Bauer, Benjamin Bosse, John Pettit, Joseph E. Mcdonald, Thomas Rader, Dennie Oxley, Frank J. Anderson, Henry Burtt, Earl Hogan, John A. M. Adair, Strother M. Stockslager, John J. Barton, William E. Niblack, Norman Eddy, Willi...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=256672 ... Read more

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Les achats comprennent une adhésion à l'essai gratuite au club de livres de l'éditeur, dans lequel vous pouvez choisir parmi plus d'un million d'ouvrages, sans frais. Le livre consiste d'articles Wikipedia sur : Youri Gagarine, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Carole Lombard, Gaston Génin, Daniel Balavoine, Ginette Neveu, Graham Hill, Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque, Henri Déricourt, Theodor Eicke, Samora Machel, Roald Amundsen, Edmond Marin La Meslée, Maria Kaczyńska, Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier, Lech Kaczyński, Aaliyah, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Colin Mcrae, Steve Fossett, Rocky Marciano, Marcel Dadi, Carlos Gardel, Audie Murphy, Duy Tân, Vic Morrow, Jorge Newbery, David Purley, Omar Torrijos, Otis Redding, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr., Buddy Holly, Claire Roman, Albert Ball, Leslie Howard, Hélène Boucher, John Denver, Thierry Sabine, Camilo Cienfuegos, Maryse Hilsz, René Herbin, Charles Nungesser, Patsy Cline, Franz Von Hoesslin, Dag Hammarskjöld, Oswald Boelcke, Marcel Cerdan, Léon Lemartin, José Carlos Pace, Franco Indovina, Marcel Goulette, Sophie Blanchard, Maryse Bastié, Jorge Ibargüengoitia, Ryszard Kaczorowski, Subhash Chandra Bose, Robert Marchi, Alison Des Forges, Muhammad Zia-Ul-Haq, Lionel Poilâne, Donald J. Mcparland, Roberto Clemente, Władysław Stasiak, Maurice Noguès, Édouard Nieuport, Bert Hinkler, Anna Walentynowicz, Yves Du Manoir, Constantin Rozanoff, Maurice Arnoux, Charles Huntziger, Raoul Gervais Lufbery, Icare, Hansie Cronje, Cory Lidle, Andrew Beauchamp-Proctor, Marcelle Choisnet, Ludovic Arrachart, Mano Dayak, Pedro Infante, Alexandre Lebed, Michel Baroin, Barbara Olson, Valentino Mazzola, Léon Delagrange, Tony Brise, Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco, Paul Armand Petit, Jacques Thibaud, John Garang, Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka, Eusebio Castigliano, Jim Leroy, Gustave Adolphe de Suède, Duc de Västerbotten, Ahmed Ben Zayed Al Nahyane, Trafford Leigh-Mallory, Philippe Fouchard, Gabriel Guérin, Ronnie Van Zant, Yvon...http://booksllc.net/?l=fr ... Read more