Thursday 18 September 2008

Carole Lombard: Sexiest of Hollywood's Icons?



VP at Carole & Co has just shared this delicious photo of Carole Lombard, along with the comment: (and I hope you don't mind if I quote, VP) "This publicity still was deemed so steamy that the Hays office forbade its distribution -- and this came a few months before the Code was strictly enforced. To my mind, it's the sexiest still Lombard ever made."

VP has thrown down the gauntlet...

The Hays code left me convinced that no-one before my parents' generation enjoyed sex, so I love it when I come across photos of Hollywood stars that explode this myth.

Here are the best Lombard pics I could find. Do share if you have any better.













5 comments:

VP81955 said...

Thank you for the plug, first of all.

Is Carole Lombard the sexiest of Hollywood's icons? Obviously that's all subjective, and I'm certain fans of Harlow, Hayworth, Monroe and many others would put in a word for their favorites.

What I love about Lombard isn't just her sexuality and beauty, both of which are considerable, but her timelessness. There's a sensibility about her style and personality that transcends her era. (Moreover, there are many stories about her generosity and down-to-earth attitude that explain why she was so beloved in the film community.)

If we had a time machine, went back to 1936, gathered all of Hollywood's star actresses in a room, then transported them all forward to 2008, I sense Carole would be among those with the least difficulty adjusting.

Iconista said...

I have to agree utterly with your comment. Of course the greatest recommendation of both her character and her sensuality is the fact that she was the love of Clark Gable's life - surely, to be loved by a God, one must be a Goddess! :)
I really want to read more about Lombard - can you suggest a good book to start with?

VP81955 said...

The definitive Lombard bio has yet to be written. "Screwball" by Larry Swindell comes closest, but it's 33 years old. As stated elsewhere, Garson Kanin's "Hollywood" has some splendid Lombard anecdotes.

And if I may plug my own product, my blog "Carole & Co." has a lot of entries on her life and times:

http://community.livejournal.com/carole_and_co/

Unknown said...

In simplyclassics.net you can found a large collection of High-Res photos of her

I love her style and glamour and her sense of humor

Iconista said...

Thanks Orlando, you are, as ever, my Philip Marlowe!