Ella Raines with the Four Freedoms

Ella Raines with a list of the Four Freedoms.The flag she's holding is the "Four Freedoms flag", with four stripes representing the Four Freedoms.

The Four Freedoms were goals articulated by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt on January 6, 1941. In an address known as the Four Freedoms speech(technically the 1941 State of the Union address), he proposed four fundamental freedoms that people "everywhere in the world" ought to enjoy:

1. Freedom of speech
2. Freedom of worship
3. Freedom from want
4. Freedom from fear

Roosevelt delivered his speech 11 months before Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, bringing the United States into the second World War. Concerns about the war were responsible for the inclusion of the last two items, which went beyond the traditional Constitutional values protected by the U.S. Bill of Rights. 

We are still supposed to have the same Four Freedoms today, but the government doesn't talk about them any more.


THE FOUR FREEDOMS:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Freedoms

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Carole Landis And Marlene Dietrich Photo

Here is a photo of Marlene Dietrich and Carole Landis together.

In the second World War, Marlene Dietrich devoted the most time to entertaining the troops of any actress. Carole Landis may have been in second place; she also used to work for Roach before the war.





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Paulette Goddard Photos

More Paulette Goddard photos.

Original caption..." DEBUTANTE TURNS ACTRESS " PAULETTE GODDARD IS THE LATEST GIRL TO JOIN THE FORCES AT HAL ROACH'S STUDIO. MISS GODDARD A PASADENA SOCIETY DEBUTANTE WHO GAVE UP THE SOCIAL LIFE IN FAVOR OF THE FILMS, WILL SHOW HER PLATINUM, BLONDE BEAUTY IN HAL ROACH'S COMEDIES FOR METRO - GOLDWYN - MAYER. DATED MAY 23, 1933

Seen here as a blonde, in real life Paulette Goddard was a redhead, something that fans didn't know from seeing her in black and white films.



Paulette Goddard and Charles Chaplin filming Modern Times - 1935.

Paulette Goddard fantasy.

Doing her part in entertaining the troops during the second World War.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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THREE STOOGES FAQ By David J. Hogan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although the films of the Three Stooges are treated as kiddie fare on television, this author has sprinkled references to sex perversion through the book that are not kiddie fare and have nothing to do with the Three Stooges. The author evidently doesn't want to believe that anyone could still complain about "dirty humor" and says something that implies as much while discussing the Stooges' RHYTHM AND WEEP. But we are still free to complain about these things today, and I am complaining about what he has done.

While implying we are unable to complain of some things, the author tells us to complain about what he wants to complain about. And does so in a totalitarian tone.

While discussing THE YOKE'S ON ME, the author takes the opportunity to complain about Japanese having been put in internment camps during the second World War, but somehow fails to express any kind of concern about the Indians having been put on reservations at an earlier date.

He goes on to say that in THE YOKE'S ON ME the Japanese are "killed", but that in NO DOUGH, BOYS ( the very next film ) the Germans are "subdued". Both films end the same way, with the bad guys unconscious. Many of the Stooges' films end that way and sometimes the Stooges themselves are unconscious at the end.*

 In addition to demonstrating a lack of concern about Indians being put on reservations, the author actually attempts to make "jokes" about white women being raped by Indians and thereby demonstrates insensitivity to mistreatment of women. Although the movie industry was notorious for mistreating women, little or nothing is said about that in this "Faq".

 The author does not seem to know that Adrian Booth was the same girl as Lorna Gray under a different name, information that can be found in any number of other books.

The author puts some emphasis on scenes supposedly being timed wrong, saying that they tried to milk the laughs from gags for too long a period of time. The author evidently did not know that two-reel comedies were timed for a theater audience, not a lone individual who periodically hits the pause button to write notes.

This author does not always communicate things in a way that is easy to understand, and there are passages in this book whose meaning is not clear to me, such as where he says that by the time you reach the conclusion of the Stooges' LOOSE LOOT you will have a "stomach ache". Then there are peculiar words I do not understand, some of which may not be standardized, some of which are in a foreign language ( Yiddish ). And then there are things that he doesn't know about at all, possibly because they are inconvenient, such as World War II era Japanese medical experiments.





*I'm aware that the story that the Japanese were killed at the end of this film was in a previous book, THE COMPLETE THREE STOOGES by Jon Soloman. I've written about that before.

Hollywood and the Axis Powers:
http://benny-drinnon.blogspot.com/2013/07/hollywood-and-axis-powers.html


Japanese Medical Experiments:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_731


Kill Chaplin:
http://benny-drinnon.blogspot.com/2012/12/kill-chaplin.html


Pearl Harbor:
http://benny-drinnon.blogspot.com/2012/12/pearl-harbor.html






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"The Case Against Chaplin" PHOTOPLAY, September 1943

A period account complains about Charley Chaplin's failure to contribute to the war effort, among other things.










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Carole Landis Vs. Carole Lombard

Once upon a time, there were two little girls who both grew up to be bathing beauties.


                                                       One worked for Mack Sennett.

 

Carole Lombard as she looked when she worked for Sennett.

 

And one worked for Hal Roach

 

 

Carole Landis around the time she started working for Hal Roach.

 

 

 

 In each case, they made considerable progress in their careers, and each made an effort to contribute to the war effort during the second World War. But both would continue to be associated with comedies in the eyes of the public.

                        This magazine article makes a comparison.  From SCREEN GUIDE, April 1941

 

There were some similarities between Carole Landis and Carole Lombard. But was there some sort of rivalry between the two, as some stories would have it? Did they ever even meet?

 

 

Answer From Carole Landis' Niece*, Reblogged from http://carolelombard.org/landis-versus-lombard :

 

No, they never met. Carole Landis was a huge Lombard fan and had her picture plastered all over her bedroom wall when she was a child. That’s why she chose the stage name Carole. Some sources say she actually chose Carol out of a phone book and then added the “e” to be like Lombard. There is a quote Carole gave when a reporter told her they looked alike – “If I look like Miss Lombard – and I don’t – please spare her the humiliation.”

 

 

 

 

CAROLE LOMBARD GALLERY

 

 

 

RUN, GIRL, RUN

 

 

 

Carole Lombard with Dapne Pollard, center, in THE CAMPUS VAMP. Madalynne Fields is at left, and Sally Eilers is at right.

 

 

Carole sporting the Pathe Rooster, which was the symbol of Mack Sennett's distributor, Pathe.

Poster showing Mack Sennett's stars. Several of them went to Roach, including Harry Langdon and Ben Turpin. Mary Ann Jackson was in Our Gang comedies.

 

 

 

 The coming of sound brought an influx of many stage people into Hollywood to work in the talkies. Here we see Carole Lombard with Marx Brothers Groucho and Harpo, with Jackie Cooper in between. It was in this period that the Marx Brothers worked with Thelma Todd. Jackie Cooper appeared in "Our Gang" comedies for Roach before he went to Paramount.

 

SINNERS IN THE SUN, 1932. Looks like Carole Lombard's still a bathing beauty in this one, even without Mack Sennett's involvement. Chester Morris, right, had made CORSAIR with Thelma Todd the year before.

 

 

 

BOLERO, 1934. George Raft had ties with the New York underworld, but he became famous as a dancer, even if he didn't usually dance in the movies. In this one he danced with Carole Lombard.

 

 

 

THE GAY BLADE, 1934. This was the year after the Zasu Pitts and Thelma Todd series ended. Zasu Pitts was much in demand at other studios at the time.

 

 

 

 

Carole Lombard used to be one of the negligee girls, but later publicity slapped the new label of two-fisted he-man girl on her. It wasn't really all that unique ( all the girls in comedies were alleged to be kind of rough ), but you were supposed to think it was. She wound up married to Clark Gable in any case. 

 

 

 

Carole Lombard raises the flag at bond rally in Indianapolis as the Governor adresses the crowd.

 

 

 

Carole Lombard selling war bonds. This would be her last public appearence before she was killed in a plane crash.

 

 

 

CAROLE LANDIS GALLERY

 

 ONE MILLION B.C.

 

 

 

 

 

Carole Landis was a "negligee girl" too.

 

 

 

TOPPER RETURNS - Carole Landis at right center, Joan Blonell left, Roland Young, center, Billie Burke at right.

 

 

 

MOON OVER MIAMI teamed Carole Landis with Betty Grable and Charlotte Greenwood in a film that foreshadowed HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE with Betty Grable, Marilyn Monroe, and Lauren Bacall. Studio bosses considered the blondes to all be interchangeable.

 

 

 

 

Carole Landis sighs for the troops on the radio show COMMAND PERFORMANCE. They also filmed the event for posterity.

 

 

 

FOUR JILLS IN A JEEP was based on the real-life WWII trour of Carole Landis, Mitzi Mayfair, Kay Francis, and Martha Raye to entertain the troops.

 

 

 

The Four Jills In Their Jeep

 

 

 

 

The Four Jills entertaining the troops overseas.

 

 

 

 

Chow time for Carole Landis and Mitzi Mayfair.

 

 

 

 

On a later tour, Carole Landis signs autographs in the Pacific.

 

 

 

 

 

CAROLE LANDIS LIBRARY

 

 

 

FOUR JILLS IN A JEEP is Carole Landis' story of her famous WWII tour.

 

 

 

 

CAROLE LANDIS: A MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL was written by Eric Gans, who belongs to my yahoo group "The Carolers".

 

 

I have not read any books about Carole Lombard and so cannot reccomend any of them. She came from the state of Indiana, which is where I live, too, but I don't have any kind of association with her family.  

 

 

 

 

*This niece is presumably Tammy, who I remember from the official site as well as the yahoo club I started for Carole Landis myself, called "The Carolers" after the original fan club for Carole Landis. 

 

 

 

 

 

Carole Landis And Carole Lombard At Carole Lombard Site:

http://carolelombard.org/landis-versus-lombard

 

 

Carole Landis Official Site:

http://carolelandisofficial.blogspot.com/

 

 

Carole Landis Project ( Eric Gans Site ):

http://www.anthropoetics.ucla.edu/cl/

 

 

The Carolers ( My Club On Yahoo ):

http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Carolers/

 

 

Last Photos Taken Of Carole Lombard ( Bond Rally In Indianapolis ):

http://photographyinterviews.blogspot.com/2010/08/myron-h.html

Pearl Harbor

December 7th is a day that will live in infamy. And one of the Japanese spies who helped plan the attack had connections to some of the people in old comedy fims.

 

 

On December 7th, 1941, Japanese carrier planes bombed Pearl Harbor.

 

 

 

 Aerial view of the attack.

 

 

 

 

 

The Destroyer USS Shaw explodes.

 

 

 

Death of the battleship Arizona.

 

 

The Japanese attack sank eight battleships, three cruisers, three destroyers, and a couple of other ships, and destroyed something like two hundred aircraft ( mainly on the ground before they could take off. ) Over two thousand men were killed. News accounts of the day said that more people had been killed than in many of the big air raids in Europe. It was a disaster. The US navy had largely been destroyed and could do little to stem the tide of Japanese invasion at the outset of the Pacific war.

 

The US became involved in the war in Europe as well as Japan's Axis partners declared war on the United States, and it would take several years to defeat them all. A revived US navy would play an important part in the war.

 

 

Remember this man? It is Charlie Chaplin. And the other man with him is a guy named Toriachi Kono. He was Chaplin's servant and those who were around Chaplin all knew him.

 

 

 

Kono ( second man from left ) with Laurel and Hardy.

 

 

 

 

In 1934, Paulette Goddard prevailed upon Charlie Chaplin to discharge Kono.

 

 

 

Paulette Goddard ( the blonde on the right ) had worked with Zasu Pitts and Thelma Todd in SHOW BUSINESS.

 

 

Charlie Chaplin and Thelma Todd.

 

Thelma Todd didn't work with Chaplin, but she knew him, and his secretary Catherine Hunter was one of her best friends.

 

 

 

Another actor who is involved in this story is Al Blake, sometimes called "The king of the robots" because his muscular control enabled him to stand motionless for long periods of time. Al Blake had appeared in the movie SHOULDER ARMS with Charlie Chaplin in 1917.

 

 

In 1940, Al Blake happened to run into Kono, who recognized him from the old days. Kono had gone into another line of work after leaving Chaplin's employ. Kono expressed interest in another of Blake's employers, the US navy. Al Blake suspected something, but said nothing.

 

In 1941, "The king of the robots" happened to run into Kono again. This time he told him that he was thinking of going into the navy again. He pretended to go along with Kono's snooping, then went to Naval Intelligence. For some time Al Blake fed the Japanese false information, until the day came that the authorities decided to arrest Kono for espionage. Some of it at Pearl Harbor.

 

Nothing was ever done about it. The matter was simply dropped, hushed up like a great many other incidents over the years. Apparently the authorities were afraid the incident would provoke Japan. Not long afterwords, Pearl Harbor was bombed, and Kono would once again be taken into custody. But not for anything he'd done. The government simply decided to take him in along with many other Japanese people for the duration of the war in case they should decide to in some way to contribute to the hostilities.

 

And after the war, they were let go.

 

 

 

 I spoke to some veterans of the Pearl Harbor attack years ago. They told me a little about what had happened. One of the things that I remember was that they said that the old biplane aircraft had only recently been replaced by more modern types and that many of them were still there at the time. You see some of them in pictures taken after the attack.

 

Of course, there were some other guys that were there that didn't live to tell about it.

 

 

 

                                                                       
Aboard The Battleship Arizona:
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/pearl.htm

Al Blake At Naval History Of Australia History Of Japanese Intelligence:
http://www.navyhistory.org.au/a-century-of-japanese-intelligence-part-iv/

Al Blake menion in THE ENEMY WITHIN by Terry Crowdy:
http://books.google.com/books?id=jSC7GccDRtsC&pg=PA270&lpg=PA270&dq=Al+Blake+shoulder+arms&source=bl&ots=lOhBiblIsd&sig=g6i5EZ0zRjhrLItDrq0UFfGqBPU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=h0zCUKPIAYmByAH3soHoAw&sqi=2&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Al%20Blake%20shoulder%20arms&f=false

Al Blake At The IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0086461/



Japan History - Rise of the nationalists:
http://countrystudies.us/japan/32.htm



Japan Scraps Naval Treaty To Expand Navy:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?31537-On-This-Day-In-History..../page16


Joyita - Roland West's Yacht Served As A Patrol Boat At Pearl Harbor In WWII:
http://benny-drinnon.blogspot.com/2012/04/joyita.html


Pearl Harbor:
http://www.pearlharbor.org/



Sinking Of The USS Panay:
http://www.usspanay.org/


Toriachi Kono:
http://www.konofilm.com/essay.html