RICK’S REAL/REEL LIFE: Carole Lombard’s Stinging Satire: ‘Nothing Sacred’ 1937

December 21, 2023

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As “doomed” media sensation Hazel Flagg in 1937’s screwball comedy basic,
“Nothing Sacred,”Carole Lombard is not taking part in a demise scene, only a handed out one!

Nothing
Sacred will not be solely a nifty snapshot of the ’30s period by the screwball
comedy lens, however a wise have a look at human foibles that’s timeless as ever.

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

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

The tackle story this
is trendy, the place everybody could be very likeable regardless that their conduct 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 once yellow journalism and
day by 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” woman right into a nationally well-known celeb. As an alternative of
“Free Britney,” it is “Courageous Hazel Flagg!”

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

Frederic March could 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 girl who’s recognized with radium poisoning from the native
manufacturing facility.

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 chew 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 good straight man in 1937’s “Nothing Sacred.”

Frederic March performs
towards 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 large scenes proper right 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 yr he starred with Janet Gaynor in A Star is Born. Having watched Frederic March
principally in latter day films, I forgot what an enthralling, good trying man Freddie
was!

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

Carole Lombard has one
of her finest 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 will not be dying, however simply needs to have enjoyable, and get the hell out of that
small Vermont city. I like how in the course of a hissy match with March, Lombard
stands out her tongue, like slightly woman.

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

Carole Lombard was beautiful
and this fantastically shot Technicolor movie makes her appear to be a dream. For her
large evening within the metropolis, Carole wears a easy however glowing periwinkle blue robe
by Travis Banton that any star at this time would kill to put on. What I like about
Lombard is that she was such a pure in seems to be and elegance. 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 typically made to appear to be an Asian vamp early in her profession. Alice
Faye was first tarted as much as appear to be Fox’s model of Jean Harlow.
Even Bette Davis was given the ultra-glam therapy early on at WB, with bleached
hair and tons of make-up. However when Carole Lombard may snatch 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 nicely 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 countless
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 relating to the media giving the general public what they need.

This car is
excellent for director “Wild Invoice” William Wellman, and his breakneck,
no BS model. I can solely think about how Carole Lombard, famed for her sensible
jokes, salty model, and irreverence meshed with Invoice’s like-minded angle.
There may be numerous putting 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 basic, “Nothing Sacred.”

Nothing Sacred has numerous acquainted faces, some for simply
single scenes. Hattie McDaniel, whose mama with gaggle of youngsters 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 remaining 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 incredible visible model. Quite a lot of satirists from
the period contributed to this movie, however the primary credit score goes to Ben Hecht. Oscar
Levant created the moderately Gershwin-esque rating. This movie was produced by David
O. Selznick, a raucous departure from his ordinary literary epics. Nothing Sacred is all the things you may
need in a screwball comedy.

One odd notice, these
caricature statues of the celebrities within the opening credit appear to be creepy yard
gnomes. Particularly that of Frederic March, which makes him appear to be Raymond
Massey!