Though she was a rambunctious and friendly person, Lombard rarely showed this side of her personality in her early roles. After appearing in numerous silent movies, including a few Mack Sennett silent shorts (which undoubtedly helped to develop her comedy timing), she easily made the transition to sound. Though the public wasn't on fire for her, she was fairly assured of a decent career in melodramas and polite comedies.
In 1934, the course of Lombard's career changed forever. Guided by costar John Barrymore and director Howard Hawks, she changed her performance style dramatically in Twentieth Century. She loosened up and finally brought her own madcap personality to the screen. With this performance, Lombard crowned herself the queen of the screwball dames.
Lombard's line delivery went from reserved to breathless. In her best movies thereafter, she started off slow and gained momentum, building the absurdity of her situation like a stone rolling down a hill. Her funniest characters were often spoiled and temperamental, but she managed to be loveable, because she always found wisdom and kindness in the women she played.
Here are two movies that Lombard made at the height of her fame, when she was in top form.
My Man Godfrey (1936)
Also starring: William Powell, Alice Brady, Gail Patrick, Mischa Auer, Eugene Pallette
Godfrey (Powell) lives in the dump, where the garbage threatens to cover him and the other "Forgotten Men" who live there. He is ready to give up on life when spoiled heiress Irene Bullock (Lombard) stumbles into his shantytown. She is looking for a "Forgotten Man", the prized acquisition in a society scavenger hunt. By the end of the night, Irene hires Godfrey to be the family butler.
The family that Godfrey finds himself working for is crazy even for the wild world of screwball comedies. With the possible exception of her hallucinating mother, Irene is the nuttiest of them all. Godfrey becomes frightened when Irene's dizzy logic starts to make sense to him and he realizes he is falling in love. He also has a secret, which he can't keep for long.
Playing opposite her real life ex-husband, Lombard achieved the perfect balance of insanity and warmth in the ultimate screwball part, that of the heiress. She plays a Park Avenue brat, but the delirious pace of her speech and her touchingly stubborn delusion that she is a true philanthropist make her winning in the end.
Go To Page: 1 2
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to K Cruver's Classic Actresses topic, please visit the Discussions page.