Saluting the Screwball

Her humor, her style, her luminous beauty — film buffs idolize Carole Lombard and her screwball comedies from Tinseltown’s heyday. They also remember Lombard’s storybook marriage to Clark Gable, and lament her premature demise in a tragic plane crash during a war-bond campaign in 1942. On Saturday, the University of Miami’s Bill Cosford Cinema will spool three of the silver-screen siren’s movies, celebrating her remarkable talent as part of its Carole Lombard 100th Birthday Bash.

The series will screen the beloved classic My Man Godfrey, in which Lombard costars opposite former husband William Powell. Also playing are the lesser-known Paramount pics Hands Across the Table and True Confession. These films pair Lombard with frequent celluloid foil Fred MacMurray, first as a New York City manicurist looking for love and then as a pathological liar who finds honest love only once she "truly confesses" her heart's desires. The early screen gems were created when Lombard was rising to stardom. They offer a rare glimpse into the early work of this enduring Hollywood icon. Tickets cost eight dollars. For screening times, call 305-284-4861 or visit www.miami.edu/cosford.
Sat., Oct. 4, 2008