Carole Lombard’s Stinging Satire: ‘Nothing Sacred’ 1937

 

As "doomed" media sensation Hazel Flagg in 1937's screwball comedy classic,
 "Nothing Sacred,"Carole Lombard isn't playing a death scene, just a passed out one!

Nothing Sacred is not only a nifty snapshot of the '30s era through the screwball comedy lens, but a smart look at human foibles that’s timeless as ever. 

This rocket speed romp is just 77 minutes, as muckraker reporter Wally Cook meets a young woman, Hazel Flagg, who's been mistakenly diagnosed with a fatal ailment, and aims to launch her as a media star.

Carole Lombard & Frederic March are in top form as the "dying" woman
& muckraking reporter in 1937's "Nothing Sacred."

The take on tale this is modern, where everyone is very likeable even though their behavior is deplorable. Nothing Sacred is much like comedies of the current era. Like Seinfeld, it works because while the characters are very human since their actions are recognizably our own at our worst impulses.

The opening scene of "Nothing Sacred"...

...sets the tone...

In our modern tabloid era, what’s now the Internet and social media used to be yellow journalism and daily rags. At one point, “heroine” Hazel Flagg’s front page story is later shown used for wrapping fish. The tabloid reporter and his paper turn the "doomed" girl into a nationally famous celebrity. Instead of "Free Britney," it's "Brave Hazel Flagg!"

Frederic March reacts hilariously as the wily reporter in 1937's "Nothing Sacred."

Frederic March is very funny as sardonic Wally, the reporter who is already the butt of one media scandal that gets him demoted to the obituaries, which is hilariously depicted. He then comes upon a newspaper blurb about Hazel (Carole Lombard), a small town Vermont woman who's diagnosed with radium poisoning from the local factory. 

Wally’s exasperated boss reluctantly lets him go to the small burg to seek out Hazel. What is typical of the irreverent tone of this movie is how even the small townspeople are depicted—they are outright nasty to the snooping outsider. A small child even comes out of nowhere to bite March's reporter on the leg!

Love the physical comedy in the scene where Frederic March's reporter gets demoted
 to Obituaries. March is a great straight man in 1937's "Nothing Sacred."

Frederic March plays against his aristocratic bearing quite amusingly as the shameless, self-aggrandizing reporter. But underneath his smarmy attitude, Wally does indeed fall for Hazel. March, like Lombard, is great from his big scenes right down to the smallest. I love when his Wally describes his editor boss to Hazel, grimacing in mock pain. Also noteworthy is that March gave this terrific comedic performance the same year he starred with Janet Gaynor in A Star is Born. Having watched Frederic March mostly in latter day movies, I forgot what a charming, good looking guy Freddie was!

Frederic March is funny, handsome, and holds his own against comedic dynamo
Carole Lombard in 1937's "Nothing Sacred."

Carole Lombard has one of her best roles as Hazel Flagg. Lombard is natural, warm, empathetic, and funny. The queen of screwball comedy was totally at ease with verbal and especially physical comedy. There are scenes of Carole getting drunk, dunked in water, tossed on a bed, knocked out, and throwing a punch or two. Lombard’s Hazel is not dying, but just wants to have fun, and get the hell out of that small Vermont town. I love how in the middle of a hissy fit with March, Lombard sticks out her tongue, like a little girl.

As Hazel Flagg, Carole Lombard gives as good as she gets in 1937's "Nothing Sacred."

Carole Lombard was gorgeous and this beautifully shot Technicolor film makes her look like a dream. For her big night in the city, Carole wears a simple but sparkling periwinkle blue gown by Travis Banton that any star today would kill to wear. What I love about Lombard is that she was such a natural in looks and style. Early in her leading lady career, Carole was slathered in an exotic look, to resemble an American Dietrich, her fellow Paramount star. This was not uncommon. Myrna Loy of Montana was often made to look like an Asian vamp early in her career. Alice Faye was first tarted up to look like Fox's version of Jean Harlow. Even Bette Davis was given the ultra-glam treatment early on at WB, with bleached hair and tons of makeup. But when Carole Lombard could take hold of her image, Carole’s hair and makeup is so simple compared to the stars of the day that she looks quite modern.

Carole Lombard does everything with comedic aplomb in 1937's "Nothing Sacred,"
 even wearing a fireman's hat!

At the time, Nothing Sacred did well enough but wasn't a smash, probably because the satire was too stinging... and all-encompassing. The media gets a kick in the pants, but so do the so-called media stars, and the public who eats up sob stories or scandals du jour of disposable media stars. I immediately thought of Britney Spears, the endless Kardashian scandals, or folks famous as Internet "influencers." The more things change...

1937's "Nothing Sacred" shows that some things never change when it comes to the media giving the public what they want.

This vehicle is perfect for director "Wild Bill" William Wellman, and his breakneck, no BS style. I can only imagine how Carole Lombard, famed for her practical jokes, salty style, and irreverence meshed with Bill’s like-minded attitude. There is a number of striking aerial shots in the movie, no surprise since Wellman was a pilot!

One of the friendly small-town faces that Frederic March's reporter finds in
1937's comedy classic, "Nothing Sacred."

Nothing Sacred has a number of familiar faces, some for just single scenes. Hattie McDaniel, whose mama with gaggle of kids busts March’s reporter and his story at a public banquet. Later, when Wally goes to the Vermont burg, the brusquest local he meets is Margaret Hamilton. Both are inimitable, even for a moment. Maxie Rosenbloom is a sly hoot as yes, Max, brought in as muscle to restrain Wally. Ironically, when Wally and Hazel run off at the finale, who should spot them aboard a ship but future gossip columnist/then actress, Hedda Hopper! 

Hollywood's other wicked witch, Hedda Hopper, when she was still an actress,
in the final scene of 1937's "Nothing Sacred."

Walter Connolly is a comedic bulldog as Wally’s perpetually irritated editor, named… Oliver Stone! Charles Winninger is a scene-stealer as Hazel’s drunken doctor, Enoch Downer.

There are is a non-stop flurry of satiric jabs in Nothing Sacred, plus the movie has a great visual style. A number of satirists from the era contributed to this film, but the main credit goes to Ben Hecht. Oscar Levant created the rather Gershwin-esque score. This film was produced by David O. Selznick, a raucous departure from his usual literary epics. Nothing Sacred is everything you could want in a screwball comedy.

One odd note, those caricature statues of the stars in the opening credits look like creepy yard gnomes. Especially that of Frederic March, which makes him look like Raymond Massey!

Opening title for Lombard in "Nothing Sacred."

March's caricature looks like Raymond Massey!

Check out Carole Lombard’s naturalistic dramatic turn with Jimmy Stewart, as newlyweds, in the sweet Made For Each Other:

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2020/01/lombard-stewart-are-made-for-each-other.html

There's non-stop verbal and sight gags throughout 1937's "Nothing Sacred."

Lombard's Last: ‘To Be or Not to Be’ 1942

 

Carole Lombard was just 33 when she appeared  in her last film, "To Be or Not to Be."

Carole Lombard’s last film, To Be or Not to Be, also turned out to be one of her best. The ’42 film is an incredibly nimble high wire act of smart satire, broad comedy, and heartfelt drama. At 33, Lombard was at the top of her acting game in both comedy and drama, and Carole gives a terrific final performance.

To Be or Not to Be has that same layer of urgency that Casablanca possessed. Both films had war-time era plots that were informed by real-life events. Casablanca was premiered at the end of ‘42, to capitalize on when the city had just been captured by Allies. To Be or Not to Be premiered on Feb. 19, 1942, just over a month after Lombard was killed in a plane crash, when she was returning home to Hollywood, from selling war bonds. The timing was tricky for this political satire, what with the U.S. now in WWII and the star’s sudden death. Yet, To Be or Not to Be had its champions from the beginning, and only increased over the decades.

Carole Lombard & Jack Benny are Maria & Josef Tura, an acting couple in
"To Be or Not to Be." O/T: Lombard had the most beautifully curved forehead ever!

Carole Lombard and Jack Benny, with young Robert Stack and a fine cast of character actors, are guided by the great Ernst Lubitsch. The director, producer, and screenwriter brought his famed “Lubitsch touch” to what was his favorite film. Melchior Lengyel, Edwin Justus Mayer, and uncredited Lubitsch wrote the multi-faceted script. To Be or Not to Be unreels a convoluted but brilliantly told tale that all comes together perfectly by the finale. Hitler’s hostile takeover of Europe hardly seems like hilarious comedy material. But this was a subject near and dear to director Lubitsch, who was a German Jew. I won’t give away the series of unending spoilers, but they serve as satiric tweaks throughout.

This famed writer/director was a legend even while he was alive. Sadly, he suffered
a heart condition, and died in 1947, just five years after Carole Lombard.

To Be or Not to Be begins in the summer of ’39 in Warsaw, Poland, with Hitler about to attack. Jack Benny and Carole Lombard make a fine team as a husband and wife acting duo, Josef and Maria Tura. They are performing Hamlet while also rehearsing an upcoming satire on Hitler. Though Hitler and war loom ever closer to Poland, Josef is more preoccupied with his wife Maria's fidelity. With good reason, as Maria tells a handsome young flier, Robert Stack, to meet her during Josef's "To Be or Not to Be" soliloquy. When Stack’s swain is off to fight the Nazis, he notices that Professor Siletsky (Stanley Ridges) seems shady as he takes soldiers’ messages for family members. He reports his suspicions and soon the Turas and their acting troupe are enlisted to head the professor off at the pass.

Jack Benny assumes several poses in "To Be or Not to Be," but the most hilarious
may be his take on "Hamlet."

Jack Benny has his best film role as Josef Tura. As the “ham actor” playing Hamlet, his scenes are a hoot. In Benny’s various disguises to fool the Nazis, his master thespian has a field day, but often overplays his hand. One scene I love is when he tries to stretch small talk with villain Professor Siletsky, trying to buy time. Jack gives hilarious variety to the line: “So they call me ‘Concentration Camp Ehrhardt’…” I never thought Jack Benny was funny as a comedian in terms of his stand-up material. It was Benny’s droll delivery, side-long glances, and body language that made him so memorable.

Carole Lombard's Maria considers a new backstage romance in "To Be or Not to Be."

In theory, Lombard is playing the straight man to Benny’s showboat actor. Yet, as Maria, she gets to be seductive and airily vain, but also smart and with a good heart. Lombard delivers her comic lines with ease, whether Maria’s dinging her jealous husband or flirting with the flier. The star expertly navigates from sly comedy to the dramatic scenes, where she is effortlessly believable. Also, I’m always struck at what a versatile, lovely speaking voice Carole possessed. This was Lombard’s last film before her sudden demise, and she was at the height of her powers as a consummate comic, natural dramatic actress, and high-class beauty.

Robert Stack, a young flier who waits for his cue to romance in "To Be or Not to Be."

Robert Stack is incredibly young as the infatuated pilot, his good looks are actually soft here, rather than from the stone-faced looker he was later. One of his first films, he’s the male ingénue, but he does quite well. And off-camera, Bob admired Benny and adored Carole, who he knew personally.

Benny was 47 when To Be or Not to Be was filmed in late ‘41, Lombard was 33, and Robert Stack was 21. Stack turned 22 on Jan. 13, just before Carole’s Jan. 16^th plane crash. Stack joined the Navy in ‘42, as a gunnery instructor.

Carole Lombard as an actress about to bid her men adieu in "To Be or Not to Be."

The supporting cast is hilarious: Tom Dugan as Bronski, whose “Hitler” impersonation is a hilarious; Felix Bressart as Greenberg, who longs to play Shylock;  and Sig Ruman as Ehrhardt, whose blame game battle cry is “Schultz!” As Professor Siletsky, Stanley Ridges is the most fascinating villain since Claude Rains, intimidating, yet charming.

The wonderful supporting cast of "To Be or Not to Be."

No wonder Billy Wilder considered Lubitsch an inspiration. He mentored with him writing screenplays for Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife and Ninotchka. The mix of satire with empathetic drama was a model for Wilder’s movies as director. Also, the plot of a troupe of theatrical actors taking on the Nazis sounds like a Mel Brooks movie, so no surprise that Mel remade the film in 1983.

Stanley Ridges memorable as Professor Siletsky.

I could pepper this piece with witty lines and scenes from To Be or Not to Be, but this was my first viewing and I was delightfully surprised, so I won’t spoil the fun. One scene though, between the Nazi professor and Lombard’s actress, demonstrates Lubitsch’s expertise in mixing comedic wit with dramatic weight. And this scene shows how timely To Be or Not to Be still is today:

Professor Alexander Siletsky: Mrs. Tura, you're an actress aren't you?

Maria Tura: Yes.

Siletsky: Naturally in the theater it's important that you chose the right part.

Maria: Very.

Siletsky: In real life, it's even more important that you chose the right side.

Maria: The right side? Well, what is the right side?

Siletsky: The winning side.

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Robert Stack & Carole Lombard between publicity shots for "To Be or Not to Be."
Carole was renowned as great fun to work with and young Stack adored her.

Lombard & Stewart are ‘Made for Each Other’ 1939

Carole & Jimmy are looking for a Happy New Year in 'Made for Each Other.'

The rap on 1939’s Made for Each Other reminds me of the ‘glass is half empty/half full’ mindset. Many movie viewers and writers consider the film an unworthy, dated soap opera. Others love the movie for its iconic stars, Carole Lombard and Jimmy Stewart, adoring its old-fashioned entertainment value. I fall somewhere in the middle with Made for Each Other: I’m aware that certain aspects are dated, but can suspend my disbelief for what’s pleasurable about this film.

Young couple John and Jane Mason, with their baby boy...who was played by a girl!

The charismatic stars, strong supporting cast, and skilled production values, all make Made for Each Other a worthwhile watch. Yes, it’s old-fashioned (over 80 years old!) and unabashedly soapy (just like certain mainstream movies today!), but that’s part of its charm. I find the conventions that no longer exist fascinating. It’s like looking at an old photo album. Yet, despite the old-style suds, the core story is still universal. Made for Each Other could easily be updated. The story of newlyweds struggling over marriage, money, career, bosses and bossy in-laws, would still pack them in theaters if two young rom-com stars were attached.

Carole & Jimmy on the set. Both were 30 at the time. Life would drastically
change for them in a few short years.

There’s a melancholy tinge to 1939’s Made for Each Other, aside from its bittersweet story, which is heightened by hindsight. Two years later, Jimmy Stewart joined the Army, was off-screen for five years, and returned a changed man, for It’s a Wonderful Life. Carole Lombard died in a plane crash three years later, Jan. 16, 1942, returning from a war bonds rally. Ironically, the cliffhanger of Made for Each Other involves a plane crash, caused by dire winter weather.

Stewart & Lombard play newlyweds
who must cope after their whirlwind romance.

Though Stewart and Lombard were born the same year, Carole had been in the movies since the silent days, and she seems more sophisticated. Her wit and energy are a great contrast to Jimmy’s folksy, boyish demeanor, and it’s appealing.

Carole's Jane is not happy that her honeymoon is put on hold for a court case.

As a newly independent star, Carole Lombard was opting away from comedy for serious roles. She appeared in two films in ’39, both soaps: Made for Each Other and In Name Only. Carole is rightly regarded as a classic comic actor, but I think she was just as effective as a dramatic actress. Back when actresses postured and whose faces were plastered with glamour masks, no matter what the role, Lombard’s acting and visual style looks distinctly modern. While the era’s insistence on glamour made its way in this film, it’s comparatively toned down. Carole’s hair, makeup, and clothes are simple for the movie era, and when the film shows her keeping vigil for her deathly ill child, she’s dressed in black, with little makeup, and hair combed back. Most importantly, Lombard’s acting is realistic. When the young couple faces a marital and later, a medical emergency, Lombard’s usual high spirits are almost unnervingly hysterical. Side note: Has anyone ever noticed that Carole Lombard’s speaking voice sounds a great deal like Joanne Woodward’s?

This film was Carole's desire to do more dramatic roles, & one of 5 films Jimmy made in 1939.

James Stewart made five films in 1939. Typical of the era, Jimmy did better on loan out, including two pictures that put him on the map, Destry Rides Again and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Made for Each Other was considered ‘disappointing.’ But the last two were duds, It’s a Wonderful World, a comedy with Claudette Colbert, and Ice Follies of 1939 with Joan Crawford, at home studio MGM. Jimmy and Joan on ice!

An emergency with the their baby brings the couple closer.

Movie fans have noticed the similarity in Stewart’s character in Made for Each Other with his signature role as George Bailey in ‘46’s It’s a Wonderful Life. There are indeed likenesses, such as Johnny’s self-doubt over marital, career and money woes. Stewart is honing his folksy persona here and he is most ingratiating. At key moments, Jimmy as Johnny rises above the image and is refreshingly natural as he lets his guard down and expresses his fears to loving wife Jane. Stewart held his own with Lombard, as well as Jean Arthur, Marlene Dietrich, Claudette Colbert, and Joan Crawford—all in the same year. I hope he got a vacation in 1940!

Lucile Watson is a scenestealer as the overbearing mother-in-law.

Lucile Watson made a career of playing imperious old women, sympathetic or otherwise. The same year, she was Norma Shearer’s no-nonsense mother in The Women. Here she plays Carole’s royal pain of a mother-in-law. Watson is quite the comedic scene stealer without becoming a caricature. Near the finale, there’s a lovely scene when Jane and Mrs. Mason comfort each other during the one of the film’s bleakest moments.

Charles Coburn is the other scenestealer, as Jimmy's irascible boss.

Watching Charles Coburn, as Jimmy’s irascible boss, Mr. Doolittle, I wondered if he was EVER young in movies. Nope! He was 61 when Made for Each Other was filmed and absolutely ancient by the time Marilyn Monroe’s Loralei got her gloves on him, as Binky, in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

Eddie Quillan is the cocky but brave pilot. A veteran
character actor, Eddie should have had bigger roles.

I recognized only the name Eddie Quillan, but probably saw the prolific character actor on TV when he was older. Here, as the brash pilot who delivers the baby’s pneumonia serum, Eddie is a charmer. I love wisecracking guys from classic movies, and Quillan does it so well. Brought up in vaudeville, Eddie later appeared in classics like Mutiny on the Bounty and The Grapes of Wrath to “B” movies and serials, to later TV shows like Rifleman and Little House on the Prairie. At 5’6” and 140 lbs., he was not leading man material, but with his twinkling dark eyes and smile, Eddie was absolutely adorable in his youth.

Louise Beavers and Carole Lombard have a heart to heart.

Louise Beavers has a small role, which she lights up the screen with warmth and wisdom. Yes, there’s a wince-worthy scene where she compares spitting out the bad in life like watermelon seeds, but I’ve seen far worse in better movies. Esther Dale is a hoot as Annie, the first maid who quits before the important dinner party is over. “I’m a human being!” is her hilarious refrain. Other familiar faces in Made for Each Other include Ward Bond as the older pilot who won’t fly during the storm, and Harry Davenport as the baby’s doctor.

Off-camera, Carole Lombard's dream
was to have a baby by hubby Clark Gable.

Made for Each Other moves along at brisk clip for its 90 minute running time. The film’s look is imaginative, from the fun opening credits, to the great camera work of Leon Shamroy. His camera captures the cramped but cozy apartment, the baby’s arrival, the characters’ physical interaction, and especially, the still-realistic plane delivery. Production design was by the great William Cameron Menzies, who always worked close with the director and camera man. John Cromwell seems like a good director of actors judging from his output (such as Of Human Bondage, Caged, and The Goddess.) The entire cast is strong, even those performing stereotypical roles; they are acted with empathy and humanity.

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There are some clever lines by screenwriter Jo Swerling and the humor that arises from universal situations is still funny. The last 15 minutes of the movie deals with their baby’s health crisis and feels tacked on, though staged and performed strongly. This may have been producer and professional meddler David O. Selznick’s doing, as he did this with many of his post-MGM films, where he had free rein to run rampant.

Jimmy & Carole's characters get dressed to impress, for a dinner with his boss.

There are some great little moments in this movie: the couple’s chaotic dinner party that ends with the boss giving the promotion to the office suck-up still stings. Or when Johnny comes home late from a class reunion and Jane awakens, with the fleeting change of expressions as she puts on her game face for Jimmy’s disappointed hubby, is marvelous acting moment by Lombard.

And baby makes three, and a happy ending for 'Made for Each Other.'

Is Made for Each Other a classic? No. Yet, Made has its merits—two great stars, a stellar supporting cast, and its look at a past era—and is worth a watch.