The 6 Roles That Defined Carole Lombard's Career


Carole Lombard will forever be remembered for her iconic role as Irene in “My Man Godfrey” in which she was nominated for an Oscar in 1937. And while this spin as a screwball heroine defined her career, Lombard also took turns at dramatic roles and played alongside many of the eras most fetching leading men, including her husband, Clark Gable.

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Here are six roles that defined Carole Lombard’s career:

1. Irene, “My Man Godfrey” (1936)

This role cemented Lombard’s legacy as a comedic gem, but perhaps most surprisingly about the renown this role earned her is that she played opposite her ex-husband, William Powell.

2. Lily, “Twentieth Century” (1934)

This movie paired Lombard with John Barrymore, who she credited as teaching her to let go. Critic William Fleming said, “Lombard is like no other Lombard you’ve ever seen. When you see her, you’ll forget the rather stilted Lombard of old. You’ll see a star blaze out of this scene, high spots Carole never dreamed of hitting.”

3. Mae, “Virtue” (1932)

This melodramatic movie gave Lombard a chance to show her range, and as Terrence Rafferty of The New York Times wrote, “Her face is touchingly open when she’s with the man she loves, hard and opaque when she’s with anybody else, and her voice changes timbre too, from delicate to tough and back again.”

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4. Connie, “No Man of Her Own” (1932)

This role was important because it was the first time she was cast with her future husband, Clark Gable.

5. Hazel, “Nothing Sacred” (1937)

This film showcased how Lombard was trusted to carry a new venture – Technicolor. “The Travis Banton-designed beaded dress with fox-fur Lombard’s Hazel wears ... it is perhaps strange to think of a screwball comedy as a vehicle for technical innovation in the cinema, but “Nothing Sacred” was also the first feature in colour to use rear-projection,” according to Scenes of Cinema’s Melinda Harvey.

6. Jane, “A Perfect Crime” (1921)

Lombard's career started at the tender age of 12 when she was found on the street playing by director Allan Dwan. This got her interested in acting and set the stage for the next 20-plus years.

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