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Bombshell (1933 Film)
''Bombshell'' is a 1933 American pre-Code romantic screwball comedy film directed by Victor Fleming and starring Jean Harlow, Lee Tracy, Frank Morgan, C. Aubrey Smith, Mary Forbes and Franchot Tone. It is based on the unproduced play of the same name by Caroline Francke and Mack Crane, and was adapted for the screen by John Lee Mahin and Jules Furthman. The story satirizes the stardom years of Clara Bow, the big screen's original " It girl." Its character Lola Burns mirrors Bow, as Pops Burns does Robert Bow (her father), Mac does Daisy DeVoe (her secretary), Gifford Middleton does Rex Bell (her husband), and E. J. Hanlon does B. P. Schulberg (a producer at Paramount). Fleming, the director, was Bow's fiancée in 1926.''Bombshell: the Life and Death of Jean Harlow'' by David Stenn, page 150-152 Plot Movie star Lola Burns is angry with her studio publicist E. J. "Space" Hanlon, who feeds the press with endless provocative stories about her. Burns's family and staff are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Norman Krasna
Norman Krasna (November 7, 1909 – November 1, 1984) was an American screenwriter, playwright, producer, and film director who penned Screwball comedy film, screwball comedies centered on a case of mistaken identity. Krasna directed three films during a forty-year career in Hollywood, California, Hollywood. He garnered four Academy Awards, Academy Award screenwriting nominations, winning once for 1943's ''Princess O'Rourke'', which he also directed. Krasna wrote a number of successful Broadway plays, including ''Dear Ruth'' and ''John Loves Mary''. Early life and career Krasna was born in Queens, New York City. He attended Columbia University and St. John's University (New York City), St. John's University School of Law, working at Macy's Department Store during the day. Krasna wanted to get into journalism and talked his way into a job as a copy boy for the Sunday feature department of the ''New York World'' in 1928. While at that newspaper, he worked with Lewis Weitzenkorn who ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was founded on April 17, 1924, and has been owned by the Amazon MGM Studios subsidiary of Amazon (company), Amazon since 2022. MGM was formed by Marcus Loew by combining Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures and Louis B. Mayer Pictures into one company. It hired a number of well-known actors as contract players—its slogan was "more stars than there are in heaven"—and soon became Hollywood's most prestigious filmmaking company, producing popular musical films and winning many Academy Awards. MGM also owned film studios, movie lots, movie theaters and technical production facilities. Its most prosperous era, from 1926 to 1959, was bracketed by two productions of ''Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Louise Beavers
Louise Beavers (March 8, 1900 – October 26, 1962) was an American film and television actress who appeared in dozens of films and two hit television shows from the 1920s to 1960. She played a prominent role in advancing the lives of black Americans through her work and collaborated with fellow advocates to improve the social standing and media image of the black community. Early life Beavers was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to school teacher Ernestine (Monroe) Beavers and William M. Beavers, who was originally from Georgia. Her mother's illness caused the family to move to Pasadena, California. In Pasadena, she attended school and engaged in several after-school activities, such as basketball and church choir. Her mother also worked as a voice teacher and taught her how to sing. In 1920, Beavers graduated from Pasadena High School (Pasadena, California), Pasadena High School. She then worked as a dressing-room attendant for a photographer and served as a personal maid to film st ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Isabel Jewell
Isabel Jewell (July 19, 1907 – April 5, 1972) was an American actress, who rose to prominence in the 1930s and early 1940s. Some of her more famous films were '' Ceiling Zero'', ''Marked Woman'', ''A Tale of Two Cities'', and ''Gone with the Wind''. Early life Born in Shoshoni, Wyoming on July 19, 1907, Jewell was the daughter of Emory Lee Jewell and Livia A. Willoughby Jewell. Her father was "a prominent...doctor and medical researcher." She was educated at St. Mary's Academy in Minnesota and at Hamilton College in Kentucky. Career After years in theatre stock companies, including an 87-week stint in Lincoln, Nebraska, she got a part on Broadway in ''Up Pops the Devil'' (1930). She received glowing critical reviews for ''Blessed Event'' (1932) as well. Jewell's film debut came in '' Blessed Event'' (1932). She had been brought to Hollywood by Warner Brothers for the film version of '' Up Pops the Devil''. Jewell gained other supporting roles, appearing in a variety of fi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ivan Lebedeff
Ivan Lebedeff (born Ivan Vasilyevich Lebedev (), 18 June 1894 – 31 March 1953) was a Russian film actor, lecturer and writer. He appeared in 66 films between 1926 and 1953. In 1940, his novel, ''Legion of Dishonor'', was published. Biography Lebedeff was born in Ushpol, now Užpaliai, then part of the Russian Empire, now Lithuania, on 18 June 1894. He migrated to the United States in 1925 and in 1930 was recorded at Los Angeles as an actor. On 15 August 1937, he was recorded as re-entering the United States from Mexico, when it was noted that he had resided in the U. S. between 2 October 1925 and 14 October 1930, and again between 20 April 1932, and 13 August 1937. His closest relation was given as his sister Nathalie Lebedeff, of Nice, in the south of France. On 12 November 1937, he was naturalized in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. In 1944, he campaigned on behalf of Governor Thomas Dewey, Republican presidential candidate. He died on 3 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miki Morita
Mitsugi "Miki" Morita (sometimes credited as Mike Morita) was a Japanese character actor who worked in Hollywood from the 1920s through around 1940. He had worked as a stage actor before beginning his career onscreen. Partial filmography *'' Souls for Sables'' (1925) *'' Broadway Lady'' (1925) *'' Telling the World'' (1928) *'' Shanghai Express'' (1932) *''War Correspondent'' (1932) *''They Call It Sin'' (1932) *'' Renegades of the West'' (1932) *'' Nagana'' (1933) *'' Girl Missing'' (1933) *''Christopher Strong'' (1933) *'' Midnight Mary'' (1933) *'' Bombshell'' (1933) *'' The Captain Hates the Sea'' (1934) *'' Behold My Wife!'' (1934) *'' Death Flies East'' (1935) *'' The Casino Murder Case'' (1935) *'' Oil for the Lamps of China'' (1935) *'' Grand Exit'' (1935) *'' Front Page Woman'' (1935) *'' The Dark Hour'' (1936) *'' The Walking Dead'' (1936) *''Spendthrift'' (1936) *'' It Couldn't Have Happened – But It Did'' (1936) *'' Isle of Fury'' (1936) *'' North of Nome'' (1936) *' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lionel Barrymore
Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blyth; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in '' A Free Soul'' (1931) and is known to modern audiences for the role of villainous Mr. Potter in Frank Capra's 1946 film '' It's a Wonderful Life''. He is also particularly remembered as Ebenezer Scrooge in annual broadcasts of ''A Christmas Carol'' during his last two decades. He is also known for playing Dr Leonard Gillespie in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's nine Dr Kildare films, a role he reprised in a further six films focusing solely on Gillespie and in a radio series titled ''The Story of Dr Kildare''. He was a member of the theatrical Barrymore family. Early life Lionel Barrymore was born Lionel Herbert Blyth in Philadelphia, the son of actors Georgiana Drew Barrymore and Maurice Barrymore (born Herbert Arthur Chamberlayne Blyth). He was the elder brother ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Stenn
David Stenn is an American television writer-producer, biographer, and film preservationist. His television credits range from ''Hill Street Blues'' to ''Boardwalk Empire''. He is known for his biographies of Hollywood stars Clara Bow and Jean Harlow. Early life and television career Stenn was born in Chicago, Illinois and graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of arts degree from Yale University. His television career began one year later, when he became the youngest writer of the NBC series ''Hill Street Blues''. He subsequently served as a writer and story editor for the anthology series ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' (1985–86). His teleplay for the made-for-TV movie '' She Was Marked for Murder'' (1988) earned him an Edgar Award nomination from the Mystery Writers of America. Stenn also wrote the Universal feature film ''Cool as Ice'' (1991). Subsequent television series credits include the Fox Network's ''21 Jump Street'' (writer-producer) and ''Beverly Hills 90210'' (wr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount Global. It is the sixth-oldest film studio in the world, the second-oldest film studio in the United States (behind Universal Pictures), and the sole member of the Major film studio, "Big Five" film studios located within the city limits of Los Angeles. In 1916, film producer Adolph Zukor put 24 actors and actresses under contract and honored each with a star on the logo. In 1967, the number of stars was reduced to 22 and their hidden meaning was dropped. In 2014, Paramount Pictures became the first major Hollywood studio to distribute all of its films in digital form only. The company's headquarters and studios are located at 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, California. The most commercially successful film franchises from Paramount Pictu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rex Bell
Rex Bell (born George Francis Beldam; October 16, 1903 – July 4, 1962) was an American actor and politician. Bell primarily appeared in Western Film, Western films during his career. He also appeared in the 1930 movie ''True to the Navy'', starring Clara Bow; Bell and Bow married the following year. Bell later became involved in politics with the Nevada Republican Party and was the 21st lieutenant governor of Nevada from 1955 until his death in 1962. He was the second Lieutenant Governor to die in office after Henry C. Davis (Nevada politician), Henry C. Davis and as of 2025, he is the most recent to have died in office. Early years Rex Bell was born George Francis Beldam in Chicago, Illinois on October 16, 1903. Film career Bell made his film debut in ''Wild West Romance'' in 1928, and went on to act in a number of films, mostly Western (genre), Westerns, in which he had the lead role. Fox Film executives were reported to be grooming Bell to be a successor to Tom Mix. He le ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
It Girl
An "it girl" is an attractive, well-known young woman who is perceived to have both sex appeal and a personality that is especially engaging. The expression ''it girl'' originated in British upper-class society around the turn of the 20th century. It gained further attention in 1927 with the popularity of the Paramount Studios film '' It'', starring Clara Bow. In the earlier usage, a woman was especially perceived as an "it girl" if she had achieved a high level of popularity without flaunting her sexuality. Today, the term is used more to apply simply to fame and beauty. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' distinguishes between the chiefly American usage of "a glamorous, vivacious, or sexually attractive actress, model, etc.", and the chiefly British usage of "a young, rich woman who has achieved celebrity because of her socialite lifestyle". The terms " it boy" or "it man" are sometimes used to describe a male exhibiting similar traits. History Early use An early liter ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clara Bow
Clara Gordon Bow (; July 29, 1905 – September 27, 1965) was an American actress who rose to stardom during the silent film era of the 1920s and successfully made the transition to "talkies" in 1929. Her appearance as a plucky shopgirl in the film ''It (1927 film), It'' brought her global fame and the nickname "It girl, The It Girl". Bow came to personify the Roaring Twenties and is described as its leading sex symbol. Bow appeared in 46 silent films and 11 talkies, including hits such as ''Mantrap (1926 film), Mantrap'' (1926), ''It'' (1927), and ''Wings (1927 film), Wings'' (1927). She was named first box-office draw in 1928 and 1929 and second box-office draw in 1927 and 1930. Her presence in a motion picture was said to have ensured investors, by odds of almost two-to-one, a "safe return". At the apex of her stardom, she received more than 45,000 fan mail, fan letters in a single month, in January 1929. Two years after marrying actor Rex Bell in 1931 and having two childr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
