Carole Lombard came into this world on October 6, 1908 as Jane Alice Peters. Her birth took place in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Soon after, her mother and father got a divorce, she moved to Los Angeles, California. Carole was first discovered by a film director who had noticed her when she was playing baseball in the LA streets. She was signed for one picture at the age of 12.
Lombard’s first role was in “A Perfect Crime” in 1921. After this movie she was not heard of for four years. During those years she played in some small roles and did stage shows. She reappeared again in 1925 when she signed a contract with twentieth century Fox. This is when her name was changed to Carole Lombard.
The actress made her first appearance with Fox in a movie called, “Hearts and Spurs” . She was given the leading role in this film. Right after this role, she was casted in a western titled “Durand of the Badlands (1925)” . The star finished the year 1925 with the film “Marriage in Transit” . During the 1925 era, Carole also acted in some short movies. In 1926, she was injured in a car accident that scarred her face on the left side. Fox dropped Carole’s contract after the incident.
Once Lombard recovered from the accident, she went back to Fox. The movies were changing then from silent films to what the movie industry called ‘talkies.’ Carole’s first “talkie” role was in “High Voltage (1929)” . She experienced a smooth transition from the silent movies to the talkies.
In 1930, Carole and William Powell were cast in the movie “Man of the World” . She married Powell and later divorced him in 1933. The actress also worked with Clark Gable in “No man of her own”. This was her first and the last role with Clark Gable. She eventually married him in 1939.
In 1934, Carole was signed with Twentieth Century. Her love of comedy began to show after signing with them. Her roles from this time on revealed what a good comedic actress she was. She received so much recognition that she was even nominated for an Oscar award for “Best Actress” for “Myman Godfrey” . Her comic roles set her apart from other actresses at that time.
Carole continued to act in films until her untimely death. She picked roles that she thought best suited her. Carole’s last movie was “To Be or Not to Be” . She did not live to see the movie release. She died in a plane crash on January 16, 1942. In the movie, which was a political satire about the war, Carole played Maria Tura. The film movie was not completely appreciated at that time because America was still involved in Second World War.
Carole Lombard will always be remembered for her comic roles. Her talent for making people laugh and acting was apparent in all her work. She was a very good actress and her films will always be remembered.
Franck Benedittini
Related Content on FMO
FMO's on
