It testified to Carole Lombard’s remarkable talents that her star shone brightest during some of the darkest days in U.S. history. Throughout the 1930s, while millions of Americans struggled to survive under the crushing weight of the Great Depression, Lombard reigned as one of Hollywood’s premiere comedic actresses. Elegant but accessible; beautiful but unpretentious, Lombard was a study in contrasts who nevertheless fostered a strong sense of identification with her audience. Her fans recognized in her a small-town girl who had made good, despite the odds, and their embrace of her bordered
Moved to Los Angeles with mother and brothers when parents separated
1921
Spotted playing baseball in the street by director Allan Dwan who signed her to play a tomboy in her film debut, at age 12 in "A Perfect Crime"
Danced professionally at the Coconut Grove nightclub at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles
Joined an amateur theater group, The Potboilers, while a teen
1925
Signed by Fox Film Corporation executive whom she met at a dinner and made first film under Fox contract, "Hearts and Spurs" (as Carol Lombard; surname was borrowed from her mother's friend Harry Lombard)
