Carole Lombard – A New Yorker State of Mind

Can-Can in Cleveland

Above: Postcard image of the "Avenue of Presidents" at the 1936 Great Lakes Exposition in Cleveland, Ohio. (youtube.com)

Before the days of mass communications, millions would flock to various world’s fairs and expositions to see the latest inventions, experience the boosterism of the host city, and seek out the thrills of a carnival ride or peep show.

September 26, 1936 cover by Constantin Alajalov.

Along with the major world’s fairs such as Chicago’s 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, smaller cities also hosted expositions to “boom” their standing in the world—Omaha’s 1898 Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition attracted 2.6 million people, including President William McKinley, and three years later Buffalo’s 1901 Pan-American Exposition would draw eight million—McKinley was there, too, but his visit (and life) would be cut short by an assassin’s bullet.

In many cases these expositions commemorated anniversaries that marked the progress of a particular city or geographic area. Such was the case of Cleveland’s Great Lakes Exposition, which was created to commemorate the centennial of Cleveland’s incorporation as a city while giving a boost to a region hit hard by the Depression. The exposition was visited by The New Yorker’s Eugene Kinkead, who was an editor and writer of the magazine’s “The Talk of the Town” section for many years. Here are brief excerpts from his visit:

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE…Clockwise from top left: Poster for the Great Lakes Exposition; the most popular attraction was Billy Rose’s Aquacade, a 5,000-seat theater-restaurant that featured diving and synchronized swimming (the Aquacade was also a hit at the 1939 New York Wold’s Fair); star attractions at the Aquacade were Olympic champion swimmers **Eleanor Holm** and Johnny Weissmuller, pictured here with **Billy Rose**; the “Streets of the World” showcased the cultures of more than forty different countries—it also featured the “French Casino,” a restaurant/nightclub that drew massive crowds to its “Girl Revues”—naturally, the scantily clad performances and nude can-can dancers created a major stir among more modest expo attendees. *(chicagovintageposters.com/clevelandmemory.org)*

OTHER DIVERSIONS…Above: the can-can dancers who caused quite a stir at the French Casino, located in the “Streets of the World” section. Below: One of the blimps the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company featured at the exposition rises in the background of “Streets of the World.” Visitors could purchase tickets for three dollars (roughly $65 today) to take a scenic flight over downtown Cleveland, the exposition, and Lake Erie. *(clevelandmemory.org)*

EXPO BY NIGHT…Clockwise, from top left: Postcard view of the main entrance to the Great Lakes Exposition, backlit by the “Aurora Borealis”—a spectacular light display created by powerful searchlights and colored beams; a tower sponsored by Cleveland’s famed Higbee’s Department Store; photograph of the main entrance at night. *(clevelandmemory.org/clevelandhistorical.org)*

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Relax, Joan

New Yorker regular Frank Sullivan found inspiration in a newspaper article featuring actress Joan Blondell lamenting the “surprised look” she thought was permanently fixed on her face. Sullivan suggested that Blondell “must live a pretty secluded life” not to notice a world “full of startled faces.” Alluding to the coming war in Europe, he suggested that in a year or two “everyone will probably look like ZaSu Pitts.”

PUT ON YOUR WAR FACE…**Frank Sullivan** reassured **Joan Blondell** (center) that soon everyone would wear the expression of actress **ZaSu Pitts** (left). *(imdb.com/sspl.org)*

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At the Movies

As previously noted, costume dramas were big in 1936, and critic John Mosher was less than enthusiastic about many of them, but he found Nine Days a Queen (Tudor Rose in the British release) a sensible affair, noting that “English studios manage to dress up their historical pageants with a care and a suggestion of authority…”

TEMPORARY CROWN…*Nine Days a Queen* (aka *Tudor Rose*) tells the story of **Lady Jane Grey’s** brief reign as the queen of England before she loses her head. Left: **John Mills** as Lord Guilford Dudley and **Nova Pilbeam** as Lady Jane Grey. At right, executioners seek forgiveness from Lady Jane ahead of their grisly task. Critic John Mosher liked the film, but Graham Greene (critic for *The Spectator),* wrote that he had “seldom listened to more inchoate rubbish…” *(oldhollywooddiary via instagram.com)*

Mosher found the musical comedy Sing, Baby, Sing a minor entertainment, and dismissed the screwball comedy My Man Godfrey as “nonsense.” Mosher was in the minority on that latter opinion: Godfrey was one of the most acclaimed comedies of 1936, nominated for six Oscars. In 1999 the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

PAIRING OFF…**Alice Faye** and Adolphe Menjou in *Sing, Baby, Sing.* **Carole Lombard** and **William Powell** in *My Man Godfrey.* Lombard and Powell were briefly married from 1931 to 1933, but remained close friends after their divorce. (eBay.com/pbs.org)

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From Our Advertisers

The inside front cover greeted readers with this romantic image from Richard Hudnut cosmetics…

…the makers of Lucky Strikes used a bit of romance themselves to inspire more women smokers…

…the folks at Birds Eye took out this advertisement to extol the virtues of frozen fish…

…an odd ad from Green Giant, using the image of an annoying little man to sell peas…one imagines the woman calling “Pa, git yer shotgun”…

…the Parc Vendome advertised its apartments as a great place to keep fit, everything from calisthenics to sun-lamp treatments…

…a couple of one-column ads from the back of the book…at left: founded in 1935, Cadaco was known for transforming real-world sports into table-top versions…on the right: John-Frederics was a partnership between hat designer “Mr John” Harberger and Frederic Hirst…John-Frederics hats were famous in Hollywood, including the green velvet bonnet worn by Vivien Leigh in 1939’s Gone with the Wind…

This 1938 edition of Cadaco’s Bas-Ket featured spring-loaded levers that propelled a ping-pong-like ball toward a basket. (etsy.com)

…Scribner’s magazine, a product of publisher Charles Scribner’s Sons, tried to head off declining circulation by hiring a new editor-in-chief, Harlan D. Logan, who sought to modernize the format to compete with contemporary lifestyle magazines…the publisher took out this cheeky full-page ad to draw attention to the “new” Scribner’s…

…founded in January 1887, the magazine saw its strongest sales when Teddy Roosevelt was a contributor from the 1890s to about 1910…despite Logan’s efforts, the magazine folded in May 1939…

The October 1936 issue of *Scribner’s* marked a change in editorship and design of the magazine. This cover was by American graphic designer **Thomas Cleland.** *(vintage.es)*

…archetypes like the pompous British Colonel and the haughty Duchess seemed to be everywhere in the 1930s, whether they were foils in screwball comedies or wealthy aristocrats laughably out-of-touch and obsessed with past glories (Peter Arno knew that trick well)…if you’ve followed these posts for awhile you know they are often seen in New Yorker advertising as well…

…which makes a nice segue to our cartoons, starting with Arno…

…the calendar section featured this illustration by William Auerbach-Levy for the mini bio of popular bandlander and pianist Eddy Duchin…

…Victor de Pauw opened up the magazine with this painterly illustration…

…some spot art from fashion illustrator Alice Chamalian…

…and Richard Taylor…

…caption-less entries from Alain…

…and Robert Day…

…Leonard Dove supplied a clarification for this sugar daddy…

…William Steig gave us various types of “woe”…

…George Price delivered a surprise at the Automat…

…Otto Soglow pondered the meaning of dreams…

…and we close with some scandalous fashion gossip, courtesy Helen Hokinson…

Next Time: Mirror, Mirror…

Modernism Lite

Above: “The Fountain of Youth” mural by Ezra Winter in the Main Foyer of Radio City Music Hall. (Architectural Digest)

The opening of two new theaters at Rockefeller Center no doubt brightened a few souls at the start of 1933, but art and architecture critic Lewis Mumford wasn’t particularly dazzled by the “watered-down” modernism of the buildings’ much-ballyhooed decor.

Jan. 7, 1933 cover by Rea Irvin, in a nod to the annual automobile show in New York City.

Oddly, it was a philosophy professor from the University of Nebraska, Hartley Burr Alexander, who was tasked with creating an artistic vision for Rockefeller Center, developed along the theme of “Frontiers of Time.” According to Mumford, Alexander’s “classic-banal” vision, executed under the “virtuous glare” of theatrical impresario Samuel L. “Roxy” Rothafel, resulted in the first “large-scale vulgar tryout of modern art.” Excerpts from Mumford’s column:

Several aluminum sculptures in Radio City Music Hall no doubt pleased Mumford—Gwen Lux’s Eve sculpture, William Zorach’s Spirit of the Dance, and Robert Laurent’s Goose Girl. However, thanks to Roxy Rothafel’s “virtuous glare” and worries that the nudes might hurt ticket sales, all three sculptures were temporarily banned from RCMH.

NAKED AND AFRAID…A flare-up of puritanism led to the temporary removal of aluminum sculptures at Radio City Music Hall. At left, *Eve* by **Gwen Lux**; **Robert Laurent** (right) working on *Goose Girl* in his studio. Below, **William Zorach’s** *Spirit of the Dance.* (Smithsonian/viewingnyc.com)

Radio City Music Hall also featured an array of murals that should have brought some delight to Mumford…

SHOW BEFORE THE SHOW…Radio City Music Hall featured a number of murals including, clockwise from top left, a detail of **Donald Deskey’s** *The History of Nicotine* (The Life of Saint Nicotine) in a second floor men’s lounge; a textile piece titled The History of Theatre by **Ruth Reeves**, which covers the back wall of Radio City Music Hall; **Stuart Davis’s** mural Men without Women in the men’s lounge; **Yasuo Kuniyoshi’s** mural in the women’s powder room. (melwithpals.medium.com/viewingnyc.com/evergreen.com)

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Mea Cuppa

“The Talk of the Town” shared this account of fifteen Harvard freshman who dared to pay a call on the home of visiting poet T.S. Eliot…

TEA-DIUM…Fifteen nervous Harvard freshman confronted this visage until one of them finally broke the ice. Photo above taken during one of **T.S. Eliot’s** visits to Monk’s House, the 16th century cottage of **Virginia Woolf**. (blogs.harvard.edu)

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Country Cousins

During his 1932 presidential campaign Franklin D. Roosevelt paid a Sept. 29 visit to the Waterloo, Nebraska farm of Gustav “Gus” and Mary (Kenneway) Sumnick. Mary served FDR a chicken dinner and pie before he addressed a crowd of 8,000 at a rally on the Sumnick farm. Gustav, a German immigrant, and Mary, a daughter of Irish immigrants, were successful farmers even during those tough years. The visit would turn the Sumnicks into national celebrities, and in later years FDR would return to visit the family and would also stay in touch by telephone. Howard Brubaker, in “Of All Things,” made this observation about the celebrated farm family:

TIME FOR SOME VIDDLES!…**Mary Sumnick** chats with presidential candidate Franklin D. Roosevelt during his Sept. 29, 1932 visit to the Sumnick farm. (douglascohistory.org)

ENOUGH FOR A FOOTBALL TEAM…A lengthy article in the Dec. 4, 1932 *New York Times* described life on the Sumnick farm and their upcoming visit with President Roosevelt in the spring. Gus and Mary and their 11 children all planned to make the trip. (NYT)

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The Gang’s All Here

Siblings Ethel, John and Lionel Barrymore of the famed Barrymore theatrical family appeared together in just one film—Rasputin and the Empress—and you would think that would have been enough to guarantee multiple awards along with box office gold. However, the film actually lost money, and on top of that attracted a lawsuit that further dipped into the pockets of MGM producer Irving Thalberg. Critic John Mosher was wowed by Ethel’s performance, but wasn’t exactly charmed by the overall production:

ACTING ROYALTY ACTING ROYAL…**Lionel Barrymore, Ethel Barrymore,** and John Barrymore in *Rasputin and the Empress*. It is only film in which all three siblings appeared together. (parkcircus.com)

About that lawsuit: The film used the real-life Princess Irina Yusupov as a model for Princess Natasha, portrayed by English actress Diana Wynyard. The film implied that Rasputin raped Princess Natasha (that is, Irina), which wasn’t true, so she sued MGM and won $127,373 from an English court; MGM reportedly settled out of court in New York for the sum of $250,000 (roughly equivalent to nearly $5 million today). The ubiquitous “all persons fictitious” disclaimer that appears in TV and film credits is the result of that lawsuit.

NO HARD FEELINGS?…English actress **Diana Wynyard** (left) portrayed Princess Natasha in the Barrymore family vehicle *Rasputin and the Empress.* Her portrayal, however, drew the ire of a real Russian royal, **Princess Irina Yusupov,** who successfully sued MGM in 1933 for invasion of privacy and libel. (Wikipedia)

A much-less controversial film was the “glib” No Man of Her Own, a pre-Code romantic comedy-drama starring Clark Gable and Carole Lombard in their only film together:

LET’S PLAY HOUSE…**Clark Gable** romances **Carole Lombard** in the pre-Code romantic comedy-drama *No Man of Her Own*. It was their only film together, and several years before they became a married couple in real life. (ha.com)

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Vroom-Vroom

The annual National Automobile Show opened at the Grand Central Palace and other locations in Midtown, promising an array of affordable models:

DECISIONS, DECISIONS… The 1933 National Automobile Show offered a number of affordable options to car buyers including these shiny new Pontiacs on display at the Grand Central Palace. (libwww.freelibrary.org)

BUT LOOK OVER HERE…General Motors also displayed its models at the first “Motorama” held in the Waldorf-Astoria’s Grand Ballroom in 1933. (waldorfnewyorkcity.com)

Auto Show visitors also got a glimpse of their streamlined future in the form of a 1933 Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow…

FAST & FURIOUS…Powered by a V12 engine, the aerodynamic 1933 Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow could exceed 100 miles per hour. Unveiled at the 1933 National Automobile Show, the car grabbed the spotlight with its futuristic, streamlined design. Just five of these were built, and only three are known to exist today. The Silver Arrow was one of Pierce-Arrow’s final attempts to appeal to its wealthy clientele, but even they were feeling Depression’s pinch. The company folded in 1938. (Sotheby’s)

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From Our Advertisers

The New Yorker had unusually thin issues over the holidays, so the magazine’s bean-counters must have been thrilled by the dozens of ads that poured in ahead of the National Automobile Show. As usual Walter Chrysler took out several two-page ads to promote his Chryslers, Plymouths, Dodges and DeSotos…

…while GM one-upped Walter with its own series of two-page ads—in color—sprinkled throughout the magazine…everything from the affordable Oldsmobile…

…to the high-end Cadillac…

…General Motors also featured this Peter Arno-themed ad (Arno-inspired wood carvings featuring the sugar-daddy walrus) to promote its posh new venue at the Waldorf-Astoria…

…the folks at struggling Hupmobile tried to wow not with shiny cars but rather with the announcement of their…drum roll, please…annual report…

…companies that supported the auto industry also got in on the act, including the makers of leaded fuel…this image says a lot about the lack of safety concerns in the 1930s…

…John Hanrahan, who early on served as The New Yorker’s policy council and guided it through its lean first years, became the publisher of Stage magazine (formerly The Theatre Guild Magazine) in 1932. In 1933 Stage became part of the Ultra-Class Magazine Group’s line-up that included Arts & Decoration and The Sportsman. Stage published its last issue in 1939, and I don’t believe the other two survived the 1930s either…