Carole Lombard Trivia
She was called “The Queen of Screwball Comedy.”
She was of English and German heritage.
She had a small dachshund named Commissioner who would ignore Gable until her death, when he wouldn’t leave his side.
At the time of her death, Lombard was the highest paid female star. She was earning $500,000 a year.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared her the first women killed in the line of duty during the war and posthumously awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Following her death, a liberty ship was named after her during World War II.
Her face was cut badly from an auto accident in 1926. She underwent reconstructive surgery without the use of an anesthestic as it was widely believed during that time that anesthetics would worsen scarring.
Her first movie, A Perfect Crime, is the only film in which Carole is credited as “Jane Peters.”
In 1936 she legally changed her name to “Carole Lombard.”
She never liked to go to her dressing room while shooting a movie. Garson Kanin said she preferred to socialize with the cast and crew instead.
Carole’s shoe size was 4 1/2B.
Her measurements were: 34 1/2B-24 1/2-34.
She is the second cousin of director Howard Hawks.
Mary Astor is her cousin-in-law.
Lucille Ball said her decision to do “I Love Lucy” was made after Lombard, who had been a good friend to Lucille, came to her in a dream and advised her to take a chance and enter the unknown and at the time, risky world of television.
Carole was a second generation Bahai and was formally declared in 1938.
On two different occasions Carole turned down the opportunity to play a newspaper woman. Mr. Deeds Goes Downtown was the first, and His Girl Friday was the second.
Carole Lombard raised over $2 million in war-bonds in ONE day.
Her decision to take a the plane which eventually killed both herself and her mother was decided on a coin toss, with Carole winning the toss.
In 1999 the American Film Institute ranked Carole Lombard #23 on their list of 50 Greatest American Female Screen Legends.
She was recently featured in a GAP clothing campaign.
In 1938, Carole Lombard spent one day as Honorary Mayor of Culver City. Her first official duty was to declare the day a holiday, and tell all the studio employees they could go home! This didn’t go over too well with David Selznick — but it got great press.
She was called “The Profane Angel” because “she looked like an angel and swore like a sailor.” (Mitchell Leisen)
Carole Lombard’s first screen kiss was Buck Jones in Durand of the Badlands (1925).
She made a screentest for Charlie Chaplin’s Goldrush movie.
Her favorite color was white.
She hated the color pink.
Her legendary outbursts of profanity were actually fashioned after Mae Murray.
Carole Lombard’s favorite flower was the lily.
She was allergic to cotton.
Of all her films, Lombard considered “Nothing Sacred” to have been her personal favorite.
