Why Carole Lombard is my favorite actress

*Now that Carole's run in my Classic Movie Actress Tournament has come to an end, I can now post this piece I've written about her. I didn't want to show any signs of favoritism while she was competing, even though everyone knows she is my all time favorite actress.

Why Carole Lombard is my favorite actress – Last year I wrote a post entitled why Cary Grant is my favorite actor. Now it’s Carole Lombard’s turn. And what better time than right now as she is my classic movie goddess of the month and currently doing very well in my March Madness tournament. Without a doubt Carole is my favorite actress of all time. And she has been so as long as I can remember. I started watching older movies when I was about 12 years old and believe the first film of hers I saw was nothing Sacred. And I loved her immediately.

 I knew I would like several more actresses over time but for me Carole is the one. She has such a down home aura that meshed perfectly with the glamorous life of Hollywood. Not only was she stunningly beautiful but was also a great screwball comedienne. I loved the fact that she was not above taking a pratfall or engaging in some silly hi-jinks that would leave viewers very amused. And Carole could do other film genres besides comedy. Comedy just happened to be her greatest strength. If she is not the undisputed queen of screwball comedy, then she is definitely in the discussion. I know fans of Irene Dunne and Myrna Loy might argue that point but for me Carole is tops.

She was a talented actress with several classic films on her resume including Twentieth Century, My Man Godfrey, Nothing Sacred, Hands Across The Table, To Be Or Not To Be, Mr. and Mrs. Smith (my favorite film of hers) and In Name Only (which paired her with Cary Grant for the only time) in one of the supreme tear-jerkers of all time. It’s a shame Carole’s life was cut short by that tragic plane accident. It was a huge loss for such a wonderful and talented person. Her contribution to the screwball comedy genre cannot be praised enough. Her beauty, poise, humor and intelligence were traits that brought not only to films but in her life as well. I wished I could have met Carole just once. I know it would have been an amazing experience. So while this month is dedicated to her as my classic movie goddess, I will always be talking about and praising about Carole here on All Good Things as much as possible. In fact you could almost call my blog All Good Things Carole as much as I talk about her. I wear my love for this amazing woman openly for all to see. Carole, this is dedicated to you.