Tuesday, December 31, 2019

The 12 Days of Carole Lombard: Conclusion

One on the most famous actresses to have ever graced the silver screen, Carole Lombard started of =, and made her way up through the film industry at a steady pace. First she = as a dancer, then onto silent films, where she began to hone her comedy skills. Most of these were minor parts, but there were some starring roles here and here. By the end of the 1920s, she was beginning to be cast in early talkies, as a supporting lead to players like Robert Armstrong and William Boyd.

Lombard quickly rose to prominence with her gifted acting and = comedic skills, and soon nabbed the lead parts in many films. Soon she was the top-billed name at the front, towering over everyone else, either to the friendly congratulations or [pissed-off =] of her fellow cast members. She worked with just about everyone, from Bing Crosby, to Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, George Raft, and of course William Powell, her first husband and co-star of some of her most famous movies.

She was known for her fiery personality, and working well with her fellow actors. If she wasn't enjoying a film shoot so much, she'd play jokes, and if she didn't share much chemistry with her romantic lead, she'd pester them until they did.

Carole was on top of the world with her new = status, and while she occasionally dipped her toes into other genres, like straight drama or horror (to mixed success, with some lauding such efforts, while others being labelled the absolute worst of her career, by contemporary critics). This culminated in 1942s To Be or Not to Be  It was the last picture she made before her tragic death in a plane crash, in 1942. She was survived by her second husband Clark Gable, and left behind = . Her life was cut far too short, and one wonders/can't help but wonder what else she would've done had she not passed away at such an age. If she managed to do so much in such a short amount of time, we can freely imagine she'd have conquered the world!

Carole Lombard's legacy as a performer are her dozens of hilarious and romantic films. Some are better or worse than others, of course, but all are worth watching when she's in the driver's seat...

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