In 1955 he was approached by producers who were planning a film
on the life of legendary crooner
Russ Columbo, who was a major romantic
idol in the early 1930s. Columbo was in the midst of a well publicized
romance with
Carole Lombard (which her studio was said to be strongly
against) when he was killed in a bizarre shooting "accident" at the age
of 26. Dale's voice had a quality reminiscent of the ill-fated
singer's, and in view of the dramatic facts of Columbo's life, a
picture about him seemed a good bet. For some unknown reason the
project never materialized.
