Rick’s Actual/Reel Life: Carole Lombard’s Stinging Satire: ‘Nothing Sacred’ 1937

As “doomed” media sensation Hazel Flagg in 1937’s screwball comedy traditional,
“Nothing Sacred,”Carole Lombard is not enjoying a loss of life scene, only a handed out one!

Nothing
Sacred just isn’t solely a nifty snapshot of the ’30s period by the screwball
comedy lens, however a wise take a look at human foibles that’s timeless as ever.

This rocket pace romp
is simply 77 minutes, as muckraker reporter Wally Cook dinner meets a younger lady, Hazel
Flagg, who’s been mistakenly identified with a deadly ailment, and goals to launch
her as a media star.

Carole Lombard & Frederic March are in prime kind because the “dying” lady
& muckraking reporter in 1937’s “Nothing Sacred.”

The tackle story this
is trendy, the place everybody may be very likeable though their habits is deplorable.
Nothing Sacred is very similar to comedies
of the present period. Like Seinfeld, it
works as a result of whereas the characters are very human since their actions are
recognizably our personal at our worst impulses.

The opening scene of “Nothing Sacred”…

…units the tone…

In our trendy tabloid
period, what’s now the Web and social media was yellow journalism and
each day rags. At one level, “heroine” Hazel Flagg’s entrance web page story is later
proven used for wrapping fish. The tabloid reporter and his paper flip the
“doomed” lady right into a nationally well-known celeb. As a substitute of
“Free Britney,” it is “Courageous Hazel Flagg!”

Frederic March reacts hilariously because the wily reporter in 1937’s “Nothing Sacred.”

Frederic March may be very
humorous as sardonic Wally, the reporter who’s already the butt of 1 media
scandal that will get him demoted to the obituaries, which is hilariously depicted.
He then comes upon a newspaper blurb about Hazel (Carole Lombard), a small city
Vermont lady who’s identified with radium poisoning from the native
manufacturing unit.

Wally’s exasperated
boss reluctantly lets him go to the small burg to hunt out Hazel. What’s
typical of the irreverent tone of this film is how even the small townspeople
are depicted—they’re outright nasty to the snooping outsider. A small youngster
even comes out of nowhere to chunk March’s reporter on the leg!

Love the bodily comedy within the scene the place Frederic March’s reporter will get demoted
to Obituaries. March is a superb straight man in 1937’s “Nothing Sacred.”

Frederic March performs
in opposition to his aristocratic bearing fairly amusingly because the shameless,
self-aggrandizing reporter. However beneath his smarmy angle, Wally does certainly
fall for Hazel. March, like Lombard, is nice from his massive scenes proper all the way down to
the smallest. I like when his Wally describes his editor boss to Hazel,
grimacing in mock ache. Additionally noteworthy is that March gave this terrific
comedic efficiency the identical 12 months he starred with Janet Gaynor in A Star is Born. Having watched Frederic March
largely in latter day films, I forgot what an enthralling, good trying man Freddie
was!

Frederic March is humorous, good-looking, and holds his personal in opposition to comedic dynamo
Carole Lombard in 1937’s “Nothing Sacred.”

Carole Lombard has one
of her greatest roles as Hazel Flagg. Lombard is pure, heat, empathetic, and
humorous. The queen of screwball comedy was completely relaxed with verbal and
particularly bodily comedy. There are scenes of Carole getting drunk, dunked in
water, tossed on a mattress, knocked out, and throwing a punch or two. Lombard’s
Hazel just isn’t dying, however simply desires to have enjoyable, and get the hell out of that
small Vermont city. I like how in the midst of a hissy match with March, Lombard
stands out her tongue, like a bit lady.

As Hazel Flagg, Carole Lombard provides pretty much as good as she will get in 1937’s “Nothing Sacred.”

Carole Lombard was attractive
and this superbly shot Technicolor movie makes her seem like a dream. For her
massive evening within the metropolis, Carole wears a easy however glowing periwinkle blue robe
by Travis Banton that any star right now would kill to put on. What I like about
Lombard is that she was such a pure in seems to be and magnificence. Early in her main
girl profession, Carole was slathered in an unique look, to resemble an American
Dietrich, her fellow Paramount star. This was not unusual. Myrna Loy of
Montana was usually made to seem like an Asian vamp early in her profession. Alice
Faye was first tarted as much as seem like Fox’s model of Jean Harlow.
Even Bette Davis was given the ultra-glam remedy early on at WB, with bleached
hair and tons of make-up. However when Carole Lombard might grasp her picture,
Carole’s hair and make-up is so easy in comparison with the celebrities of the day that she
seems to be fairly trendy.

Carole Lombard does all the things with comedic aplomb in 1937’s “Nothing Sacred,”
even sporting a fireman’s hat!

On the time, Nothing Sacred did effectively sufficient however
wasn’t a smash, in all probability as a result of the satire was too stinging… and
all-encompassing. The media will get a kick within the pants, however so do the so-called
media stars, and the general public who eats up sob tales or scandals du jour of
disposable media stars. I instantly considered Britney Spears, the infinite
Kardashian scandals, or of us well-known as Web “influencers.” The
extra issues change…

1937’s “Nothing Sacred” exhibits that some issues by no means change in terms of the media giving the general public what they need.

This automobile is
good for director “Wild Invoice” William Wellman, and his breakneck,
no BS type. I can solely think about how Carole Lombard, famed for her sensible
jokes, salty type, and irreverence meshed with Invoice’s like-minded angle.
There may be numerous hanging aerial photographs within the film, no shock since
Wellman was a pilot!

One of many pleasant small-town faces that Frederic March’s reporter finds in
1937’s comedy traditional, “Nothing Sacred.”

Nothing Sacred has numerous acquainted faces, some for simply
single scenes. Hattie McDaniel, whose mama with gaggle of children busts March’s
reporter and his story at a public banquet. Later, when Wally goes to the
Vermont burg, the brusquest native he meets is Margaret Hamilton. Each are inimitable,
even for a second. Maxie Rosenbloom is a sly hoot as sure, Max, introduced in as
muscle to restrain Wally. Satirically, when Wally and Hazel run off on the
finale, who ought to spot them aboard a ship however future gossip columnist/then
actress, Hedda Hopper!

Hollywood’s different depraved witch, Hedda Hopper, when she was nonetheless an actress,
within the closing scene of 1937’s “Nothing Sacred.”

Walter Connolly is a
comedic bulldog as Wally’s perpetually irritated editor, named… Oliver Stone!
Charles Winninger is a scene-stealer as Hazel’s drunken physician, Enoch Downer.

There are is a
continuous flurry of satiric jabs in Nothing
Sacred, plus the film has an ideal visible type. Quite a few satirists from
the period contributed to this movie, however the principle credit score goes to Ben Hecht. Oscar
Levant created the fairly Gershwin-esque rating. This movie was produced by David
O. Selznick, a raucous departure from his common literary epics. Nothing Sacred is all the things you could possibly
need in a screwball comedy.

One odd word, these
caricature statues of the celebrities within the opening credit seem like creepy yard
gnomes. Particularly that of Frederic March, which makes him seem like Raymond
Massey!