born october january american film actress particularly noted energetic beat roles comedies 1930s highest paid star hollywood late 1930s born wealthy family indiana raised los_angeles single mother recruited film director screen debut perfect crime eager actress signed contract age mainly played bit parts dropped fox car accident left face appeared short comedies began appearing feature films high voltage successful appearance arizona kid signed contract paramount_pictures paramount quickly began casting leading lady primarily drama films fame increased married pair divorced years later turning point career came starred pioneering comedy actress found niche genre continued appear films forming popular partnership oscar nominated sacred period married king hollywood pair treated media celebrity keen win oscar end decade began roles unsuccessful aim returned comedy smith final film role career cut short died age aircraft crash nevada returning war bond tour today remembered definitive actresses comedy genre american comedy ranks american_film_institute greatest female stars classic hollywood cinema early years childhood born indiana october christened child daughter older brothers close growing adulthood parents descended wealthy families early years lived comfort biographer calling silver period marriage parents strained october mother took children moved los_angeles couple divorce separation permanent father continued financial support allowed family live worry enjoyed indiana settled apartment near venice boulevard los_angeles described biographer free spirited young involved sports enjoyed watching movies participated tennis swimming won trophies achievements athletics age hobby unexpectedly landed screen role playing baseball friends caught attention film director later recalled seeing cute looking little knocking hell kids playing better baseball needed type picture encouragement mother happily took small role melodrama perfect crime set days playing sister later commented ate aspiring actress fox perfect crime widely distributed brief experience spurred mother look film work teenager attended auditions successful appearing queen day carnival age scouted employee offered screen test appear film gold rush given role raised hollywood awareness aspiring actress test seen expressed interest signing contract condition adopt new jane considered dull lasted career selected carol girl played tennis middle school october shortly year old signed contract came uncertain lifetime reported director studio scouted dinner party recent evidence suggests mother contacted gossip columnist got screen test according biographer beauty convinced head studio sign week contract teenager abandoned schooling embark new career fox happy use carol unlike disliked surname point carol new taken family friend majority appearances fox bit parts low budget adventure films later commented dissatisfaction roles hero scream terror battled villain fully enjoyed aspects film work photo shoots costume fittings actors studio set embraced lifestyle regular nightclub won charleston dance competitions march fox gave leading role drama marriage transit opposite performance received reviewer writing displayed good considerable charm despite studio heads leading lady material year contract renewed suggested facial obtained automobile accident factor decision fearing ran cheek ruin career year old early plastic surgery procedure visible remainder career learned hide mark careful lighting breakthrough year work obtained screen test king comedy offered contract initially reservations performing comedies actress joined company bathing appeared short films september march greatly enjoyed time studio gave experiences comedy provided valuable training future work genre called years turning point acting career productions distributed company began casting feature films prominent roles folks daughter reviewers noted good impression worth watching following year elevated supporting player leading lady success picture gangster opposite film debut finally eased pressure family putting succeed high voltage talking picture played sheriff daughter stranded group snow storm film comedy big news cast opposite critical commercial success reunited armstrong crime drama released late review wrote proves real surprise best work date fact opportunity prove stuff paramount marriage returned fox role western arizona kid big release studio starring popular actor received billing following success film paramount_pictures recruited signed week contract gradually increasing week cast buddy rogers comedy safety numbers critic observed work proves ace second assignment paramount mistakenly credited actress decided liked spelling permanent screen appeared films beginning frank comedy pays advertise films man world featured paramount male star fan actor met attracted good looks screen persona soon relationship differences pair noted biographers famously foul intellectual sophisticated despite disparate personalities married june beverly_hills home talking media argued benefits love people different claiming relationship allowed perfect saw love marriage increased fame continued critics work reviews film starred critics predicted set major star went appear films man sun successful romantic picture virtue received featuring drama cast wife con artist man star picture rapidly hollywood celebrities film critical commercial success writes arguably finest film appearance point picture future husband wife romantic interest time recounted kinds hot love scenes got kind august divorced months marriage remained good friends death time blamed careers interview admitted little divorce completely incompatible people appeared films year beginning drama hell heaven continuing supernatural horror vehicle small role eagle hawk war film starring march grant starred brief moment critics enjoyed paired hollywood star beginnings year marked high point career began musical drama showcased dancing skills staged performance filming began offered lead female role happened night turned scheduling conflicts production favorably received film musical comedy dressing box office hit recruited director second cousin star comedy film proved watershed career major star hawks seen actress party found hilarious needed cast opposite played actress pursued mentor flamboyant broadway hawks unimpressed work rehearsals finding acting hard giving stiff performance director encouraged relax act instincts responded reviews film commented unexpectedly fiery talent like seen critic felt entirely different cool calculated persona adding life passion abandon films appeared forever featuring new child star lady choice critical commercial success placed opposite gangster comedy outing panned critics reuniting dance picture given opportunity repeat success hands table portrayed search rich husband played critics praised film reviewer stated reaffirmed talent genre remembered best films pairing proved successful pictures continued success film love breakfast described style princess comes second comedy played actress wins film contract swedish princess performance considered satire widely praised critics success continued recruited universal_studios star comedy man playing titular insisted cast female lead despite divorce pair remained friendly felt perfect role employs forgotten man family butler film directed knew personally advised draw eccentric nature role worked hard performance particularly finding appropriate facial expressions released great acclaim box office hit received nominations including best actress biographers cite finest performance says clearly established rank hollywood popular actresses highest paid star hollywood following deal negotiated paramount brought times salary president salary widely reported press stated earnings went taxes happy help improve country comments earned positive publicity president sent personal letter thanks release year swing high swing low pairing film focused romance performers critical commercial success primarily drama occasional moments comedy project returned genre producer eager comedy actress impressed work hired write original screenplay sacred directed starring march journalism industry urban masses playing small town girl pretends dying finds story exploited new_york reporter marking appearance film highly praised personal favorites continued comedies starring calls films true confession played confesses murder loved script excited project reunited final appearance prediction success proved accurate critics responded positively popular box office marriage dramatic efforts true confession film paramount contract remained independent performer rest career film played famous actress scandal comedy met scathing reviews commercial failure calling scandal film time devoted relationship years teaming man pair reunited hollywood party began romance early media took great interest partnership frequently questioned separated wife want grant divorce relationship eventually agreed settlement worth half million dollars divorce finalized march arizona march nearby mining town couple lovers outdoors bought acre ranch california kept animals enjoyed hunting trips immediately wanted start family attempts failed numerous trips fertility specialists unable children early joined officially faith mother member continuing slower work rate decided away comedies return dramatic roles appeared second production paired play couple facing domestic difficulties reviews film highly positive praised dramatic effort financially disappointment appearance came opposite grant john romance credit personally negotiated hearing script grant involvement role mirrored recent experiences played woman love married man wife refuses divorce paid film continuing status hollywood highest paid actresses moderate success eager win academy award selected project possible scripts expectation bring trophy night directed featured nurse faces series personal difficulties performance praised nomination mood picture turned audiences away box office returns poor despite realization best suited comedies completed drama knew wanted starring mildly successful final roles accepting doesn sell tickets pictures returned comedy time years film smith couple learns marriage invalid influential bringing knew direct films commercial success audiences happy calls happy news nearly year committed film focused instead home marriage determined film smash hit careful selecting new project agent heard upcoming film dark comedy nazi takeover poland actress long wanted work favorite comedy director felt material controversial worthy subject accepted role actress despite smaller given billing film lead filming took place fall reportedly experiences career death entered world war end traveled home state indiana war bond rally mother press agent able raise million defense bonds single evening party initially scheduled return los_angeles train anxious reach home quickly wanted fly scheduled airline mother afraid flying insisted follow original travel plans suggested flip coin agreed won toss early morning hours january mother boarded western air douglas aircraft return california las_vegas flight took minutes later crashed double peak near foot level statute miles southwest las_vegas aboard mother included plus army servicemen killed instantly aftermath flown las_vegas learning tragedy claim bodies wife mother law aside press agent close friend funeral held january forest lawn memorial park cemetery california interred mother despite twice following death chose interred died final film directed starring satire world war post production time death film producers decided cut film character asks happen plane respect circumstances surrounding death film released received mixed reviews particularly controversial content performance hailed perfect send 1930s hollywood important stars time death scheduled star film kissed bride production started replaced donated salary film red_cross helped extensively recovery bodies air crash shortly death devastated loss joined asked numerous times united_states entered world war officer training headed man motion picture unit attached bomb group england film aerial gunners combat flying missions december announced liberty ship named launched attended launch january year anniversary record breaking war bond drive ship involved rescuing hundreds survivors sunken ships pacific returning safety widow publicist filed unsuccessful lawsuit estate connection death plane crash suit dismissed action claimed promised provide financial aid bring suit airline involved stated later learned settled claim airline want repeat grief court subsequently provided financial aid assessment legacy author cited commercially successful admired film personalities hollywood 1930s feminist writer believes demonstrated great knowledge mechanics film making star extremely fond actress remarking truly loved greatest girl lived best completely honest outspoken liked particularly noted performances described natural straight shooter feminist precursor stars beloved technicians studio worked life magazine noted film personality real life conversation brilliant punctuated laughs sailor praised heartbreaking nostalgic melodies faster thought delivery platinum blonde heart shaped face delicate features figure silver classics american_film_institute ranked 23rd list greatest american female screen legends classic hollywood cinema star hollywood received academy_award best actress nomination actresses portrayed films include war wonderland childhood home designated historic landmark city named nearby bridge river memorial bridge filmography
Carole Lombard