World Famous Comics: Carole Lombard - The Glamour Collection (Hands Across the Table/ Love Before Breakfast/ Man of the World/ The Princess Comes Across/ True Confession/ We're Not Dressing)
Carole Lombard - The Glamour Collection (Hands Across the Table/ Love Before Breakfast/ Man of the World/ The Princess Comes Across/ True Confession/ We're Not Dressing)
Product Description: A queen of the silver screen Hollywood star Carole Lombard carved a place for herself in film history with her roles in the six films gathered here: MAN OF THE WORLD WE'RE NOT DRESSING HANDS ACROSS THE TABLE LOVE BEFORE BREAKFAST THE PRINCESS COMES ACROSS and TRUE CONFESSION. See individual descriptions for details.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR UPC: 025192845420 Manufacturer No: 28454
Amazon.com: In the 1930s, nobody combined glamour, romantic comedy, and drama better than Carole Lombard. Having entered show-biz at the age of 12, the former Jane Alice Peters (b. Oct. 6, 1908, in Fort Wayne, Indiana) distinguished herself from equally stellar contemporaries like Katharine Hepburn, Claudette Colbert, and Jean Arthur by establishing her versatility as a fashion icon whose beauty was matched by playful intelligence and a bright, independent persona (on screen and off) that predated feminism by 40 years and made her an appealing foil for admiring male costars. As this delightful half-dozen of her lesser-known features makes abundantly clear, her meteoric success was entirely well-deserved, and The Glamour Collection shows her as a star on the rise, gaining confidence and adoring fans with each new picture. As one of Paramount's most valued contract players, she starred in five of the six films included here (Love Before Breakfast was a loan-out to Universal), beginning with 1931's Man of the World, a Parisian romance written by Herman J. Mankiewicz (10 years before Citizen Kane) and headlined by future Thin Man star William Powell as an expatriate con artist who falls for Lombard's spoiled heiress--a romantic pairing made all the more believable by the stars' real-life marriage later that year.
A loose adaptation of The Admirable Crichton, We're Not Dressing (1934) is Depression-era entertainment at its most diverting, employing a full stable of Paramount players (including George Burns and Gracie Allen, Ethel Merman, and a young "Raymond" Milland) in a shipwreck romance between socialite Lombard and singing sailor Bing Crosby, who croons songs aplenty (including "Stormy Weather") and shares equal screen-time with an affectionate bear! Directed by Norman Taurog (best known for his later work with Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, and Elvis Presley), it's every bit as fun as the Marx Brothers hits from the same period. Arguably the best film in this set, Hands Across the Table is noteworthy for the typically stylish direction of Mitchell Leisen, who brings his reliable sophistication to the tale of a New York manicurist (Lombard) who must choose between potential suitors Fred McMurray (as a would-be heir to a fortune) and disabled ex-pilot Ralph Bellamy. (This being 1934, Norman Krasna's otherwise excellent script restricts Bellamy to the romantic sidelines with outdated feel-good sentiment.) Love Before Breakfast (1936) is a similarly enjoyable but typically chauvinistic dose of '30s high-society love-play, in which Lombard bounces between boyfriend Cesar Romero and a Wall Street tycoon (Preston Foster) who knows what's best for her and bosses her around accordingly. In the mystery/comedy The Princess Comes Across (1936), McMurray returns as a lovestruck bandleader, falling for Lombard's radiant Swedish princess (played as a playful nod to Greta Garbo) on a cruiser bound for Hollywood.
After completing the classic Nothing Sacred, Lombard (who married Clark Gable in 1939) teamed with McMurray yet again in True Confession (1937), a black screwball thriller/comedy elevated by the presence of comedy stalwarts John Barrymore, Edgar Kennedy and Una Merkel. It rounds out The Glamour Collection in fine form (Lucille Ball is said to have modeled her TV persona after Lombard's character), and leads the way to such later classics as Made for Each Other (1939) and To Be or Not to Be (1942). Tragically, Lombard's outstanding career was cut short when she perished (along with her mother and 20 other passengers) in a 1942 plane crash. Fortunately for DVD collectors, these six films (all remarkably well-preserved with clear image and sound) serve as a fitting tribute to Lombard's unique talent, allowing movie lovers of all ages to rediscover one of the most alluring queens of the silver screen. --Jeff Shannon
Carole Lombard This is when Hollywood was really Hollywood! Carole Lombard was funny, beautiful and a wonderful actress. Enjoyed all the movies on this DVD. Great buy!
Carole Lombard - The Glamour Collection Carole Lombard is one of the most talented & beautiful actresses that ever played on the silver screen. This is a must collection for anyone that has fallen in love with her movies. Enjoy
"Well, I'm not THAT unconventional." The Carole Lombard collection is a great way to see some of the films of the great screwball comedienne without spending too much money. This two disk set might be lacking in extra features, but you can't complain for the price.
It begins with Man of the World, the earliest movie in the set. It features Lombard with her real-life husband William Powell. Lombard plays Mary Kendall, a wealthy girl on holiday in Paris. Her uncle is being blackmailed by the very man that is dating Mary, but she doesn't know it and falls deeply in love with him. Lombard doesn't have much to do in this movie other than be beautiful; it is more of a showcase for Powell. However, the film is lacking overall and isn't great for viewing multiple times.
We're Not Dressing is slightly better, but it isn't wonderful either. An updated version of the silent Male and Female, Doris Worthington (Lombard) is wealthy and snobbish to her yacht's deckhand (Bing Crosby). When they are shipwrecked on an island together, she is forced to treat him with respect. The major downfall of the movie is the presence of Ethel Merman whose foghorn voice is dreadfully annoying. George Burns and Gracie Allen have a cameo too and they are alternately funny and annoying. We do get to hear several Crosby songs though including "Once in a Blue Moon" and "She Reminds Me of You."
Turn the disk over and you'll have my favorite movie on this set. Hands Across the Table is a delightful romantic comedy featuring one of the best pairs in the history of cinema: Lombard and Fred MacMurray. Why aren't they given the credit they deserve? The two absolutely sizzle on the screen. Each are hilarious and romantic at the same time, making a film with an average story become outstanding. This is a fun little film about a gold digging manicurist named Regi (Lombard) who meets a rich man, a cripple who adores her company. Because of his inability to walk, she disregards him as a love interest, but she does spill her problems to him. One of them begins when she meets Theodore Drew III (MacMurray), a formally rich man who lost his fortune in the stock market crash. Now he and Regi are in the same boat, hoping to marry for money. But they have another thing in common; they're falling in love with each other.
Disk two begins with Love Before Breakfast, an okay film, but much less exciting than those with bigger stars. Lombard plays Kay Colby, a woman who thinks she is in love with one man (Caesar Romero) but who is being wooed by another (Preston Foster). She does her best to spurn his advances but she can't help but be influenced by him a little bit. This is the shortest film on the set.
The Princess Comes Across is a who-dunit on a boat headed toward America. A journalist, an average dame disguised as a Swedish princess, and a group of detectives sail together not knowing their paths will cross, but when blackmail and murder occur, they're all linked together. This film is advertised as a comedy, but it is more of a romantic drama than anything else. There are times of wit, but the mystery of the murder and figuring out which characters are innocent and which are guilty is more dominant. There is also a decent love story between the reporter (MacMurray) and the princess (Lombard).
True Confession is a truly wacky movie with an even loonier Lombard as Helen Bartlett, a woman with a penchant for lying and a husband (MacMurray) who detests it. When she goes behind his back to get a job and finds herself wrapped up in a murder case, she confesses to the crime even though she did not commit it in hopes of saving her skin. Her husband, a lawyer, defends her in court, completely ignorant of the true. The only people who are in on the gag are Helen's best friend (Una Merkel) and a creepy criminologist (John Barrymore).
CAROLE LOMBARD GLAMOUR COLLECTION This is a very good collection of Lombard movies that have been difficult to obtain. The video quality is good for this vintage material.
A Collection of Love Stories starring Carole Lombard This is a set of six movies on two discs; Man Of the World, We're Not Dressing and Hands across the Table; and Love before Breakfast, The Princess Comes Across, and True Confession.
Man Of the World Romancing a Smooth Criminal! - This is a love story set in depression era (1931) between a hustler and wealthy young woman. William Powell plays Michael Trevor, a smooth criminal, who makes living by blackmailing wealthy people. As an investigative journalist, he comes to know dirty little secrets of rich, and then threatens them that he will reveal the secrets unless he is bribed. His crooked life gets the better of him, and thus he is forced to leave Unites States. While in Paris, he goes after a wealthy American, but falls in love with his beautiful niece, Mary Kendall (Carole Lombard). Mary, a naïve young woman thinks Michael is an honest and caring man until his assistant brilliantly played by Wynne Gibson (as Irene Hoffa), threatens Michael that his way of living will be revealed to Mary and the police. Michael reflects on his life, and convinces himself that he has to come clean with Mary about his past. Mary takes his story positively and still would love to marry him, but old ways never disappear. He eventually blackmails Mary's uncle and walks off with a hefty check, and decides to leave for South Africa accompanied by Irene. Michael realizes that something don't look right, in a sudden change of heart he destroys the check. The movie is directed by Richard Wallace and story is by Herman Mankiewicz. It is unfortunate that this movie has bundle of talents but not utilized well. Carole Lombard is beautiful, and Wynne Gibson is outstanding as an aggressive assistant of Michael. William Powell does not fit well in the role of a con man, but soon the "Thin Man" series (1934) with Myrna Loy changes his career.
We're Not Dressing Doris's Island; an Unrealistic Romantic Story - This is another unrealistic love story set in depression era (1934) starring Carole Lombard and Bing Crosby. Beautiful debonair Doris Worthington (Carole Lombard) entertains her guests on her private yacht in the Pacific Ocean. The company includes, sailor Stephen Jones (Bing Crosby), Doris's friend Edith (Ethel Merman), Uncle Hubert (Leon Errol), and two brothers; Prince Michael Stofani (Ray Milland), and Prince Alexander Stofani (Jay Henry). When the ship sinks after an accident, they take refuge in an island.
Stephen is the only one who has the practical knowledge to survive in the island and others pretty much depend on him until they find two biologists named George Martin (George Burns) and Gracie Martin (Gracie Allen). By the time their trip to home is arranged, the tough talking sailor falls in love with the rich debonair disappointing the two young princes who are competing for the hand of Doris in marriage. The highlights of the movie are fine tunes that include: "A Sailor Must Be True to Any One Girl," "May I?" "She Reminds Me of You," "Goodnight, Lovely Little Lady," "Love Thy Neighbor," and "Once in a Blue Moon" All sung by Bing Crosby. Carole Lombard offers a great performance as a hard-to-get love sick young lady, and Bing Crosby is very entertaining with his songs.
Hands across the Table Adorable Screwball Slapstick: A Wonderful Love Story - This could be considered as an earlier version of Erich Segal's Love Story, but the twist is that this movie is set not on Harvard University campus, but in New York during Great depression (1935). Carole Lombard plays Regi Allen, an adorable single woman living and working in Manhattan as a manicurist who is looking for rich husband. Her manager is more than helpful to direct her to the rich clients of the salon. When Regi meets Allen Macklyn (Ralph Bellamy), love doesn't strike for her even though he is everything she likes; rich, generous, loving, and handsome, but there is one problem, he is crippled. When her manager directs Regi to another rich client, Theodore Drew III (Fred McMurray), who is handsome, entertaining and known to be rich, luck seem to be turning her side. But she learns later that he's actually poor; his family fortune crashed in 1929, but he is engaged to be married to a rich lady. It is a strange love triangle involving Regi, Allen and Theodore. The two men try to outsmart each other to win the hands of Regi.
The movie has an interesting scenario, when Theodore misses his boat to Bermuda while his fiancée's family plans the wedding. He stays with Regi for a week so his fiancée thinks he's in Bermuda. There are some hilarious incidents when Regi helps him get tan under tanning light, and later she calls his fiancée impersonating a telephone operator linking Theodore from Bermuda. Carole Lombard is not only beautiful but spectacular as a young woman in love. Both Carole Lombard and Fred McMurray make a lovely couple in love; highly recommended.
Love before Breakfast An Uninteresting Love Story - This is another unrealistic and yet funny movie about discarded love of sorts. Kay Colby (Carole Lombard) plays a lovely young woman who appears to be in love with a young man named Bill Wadsworth (Caesar Romero), but she is strongly pursued by wealthy businessman named Preston Foster (Scott Miller). Preston is an autocratic oil magnate doing wise investments during Great depression. Mergers and acquisitions of his competitors companies are his business tricks, but his romantic life is dull since he is rejected by his love interest Kay Colby. Kay's mother Mrs. Colby (Janet Beecher) likes Preston, and wants her daughter to be marred to him; she helps him to find Kay; whether she is gone horse riding, sailing or at a night club. He is annoying and boring to Kay, but he doesn't give up sitting down. He does what he is good at; slicing his competition by promoting Bill Wadsworth and sending him to his new job in Japan. Bill enthusiastically takes the job which leaves Kay alone, and Scott takes full use of the situation to romance her unsuccessfully.
The "storm at sea" scene is particularly interesting, which involves Bill and Kay go on a boat on a stormy night only to be rescued by Preston's yacht. The movie ends abruptly when Kay marries Preston while she is still in her night gown and completely drenched in stormy water. This is another movie I wouldn't mind skipping while viewing the DVD.
The Princess Comes Across A slow moving thriller: Carole Lombard plays an out of work actress from Brooklyn, New York, impersonating a Princess of Sweden (Princess Olga) in this Lombard classic. She sails to Hollywood from Sweden with her companion Lady Gertrude Allwyn (Alison Skipworth), to act in a movie on million dollar deal; but things doesn't work in favor of Olga. The fellow travelers include King Mantel (Fred McMurray), a concertina player, his manager Benton (William Frawley), a group of detectives from the European community hunting for a French fugitive on board, and the captain who is extremely cordial to the "Princess." Also on board is Robert Darcy (Porter Hall), a small time con man who is looking for a payoff by exposing the dirty secrets of Mantel and Olga. The charming manners of Mantel and the beauty of Olga obviously attract each other, and circumstances join them to protect each other's interest. It soon gets creepy as Darcy's dead body is found at Olga's bedroom, and the detectives on the ship get involved to solve the murder, and that leads to a second homicide. Meanwhile, under a cloud of suspicion, things doesn't get any better for Olga; her dirty little secret that she is not really a Princess will soon be known to everyone on the ship, and her plan to reach Hollywood becomes more uncertain than ever. Mantel hatches a clever plan to catch the killer and soon all ends well and no one would know that Olga is not a Princess. Carole Lombard has performed well in this Greta Garbo spoof, but Fred McMurray outshines all as a cocky musician stealing all the attention for himself.
True Confession They find me not guilty: Helen Bartlett (Carole Lombard) and Ken Bartlett (Fred McMurray) are happily married couple trying to make ends meet. In addition to the usual financial problems facing young couple, Helen is a compulsive liar who doesn't mind to tell a lie to protect the interests of the family, but her husband Ken is brutally honest. He makes his living as an attorney who would represent only honest clients. This obviously leads to problems in their lives.
When Helen secretly applies for a secretarial job, and gets accepted, she realizes that she got more than she bargained for. When she finds that her boss is looking for a mistress than a real secretary, she punches him in the stomach and leaves his office quickly. Later when she goes back to retrieve her hat and coat with her friend Daisy McClure (Una Merkel), she discovers that the man she punched is shot dead, and the police take her as a murder suspect. When she can't figure out how to defend herself, she concocts a scheme to say that she killed him to defend her honor. Ken defends her successfully, and the jury finds her not guilty. Soon they become famous, and all their financial problems are over and they live in the lap of luxury. Then appears a self styled criminologist and prankster Charles Jasper (John Barrymore) who tries to scare the Bartlett's that he will reveal to the police that he is the real murderer, and Bartlett's misrepresented themselves in the court to become famous, but his scheme fails. Carole Lombard is adorable as always, but I found that she moves her tongue over teeth several times for apparently no reason which feels odd at times, Fred McMurray offers a good performance as an honest attorney and John Barrymore does his best as a drunken criminologist and a con man. Una Merkel is enchanting and Porter Hall and Hattie McDaniel have limited roles.
This DVD set with six movies is a steal for what it is priced at. There is a tons of fun, and plenty of entertainment for the family; highly recommended to all fans of Carole Lombard.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
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