Random JC... because, why not...?

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Photographs by Hurrell, Eugene Robert Richee, Ruth Harriet Louise, Dan Ryan, and others.

Clark Gable and Joan Crawford, publicity for "Love on the Run", 1936

Two of MGM's brightest stars of the Thirties, Gable and Crawford made eight films together; "Love on the Run", their seventh, probably wasn't one of the better ones. Between - and sometimes during - their respective marriages, the two carried on a passionate on-again, off-again romance, an affair that sometimes garnered more publicity than they - or the studio - would have wished for. It began with their first pairing in 1931 and would frequently be rekindled until a few years after WWII. Crawford later stated that Gable was the great love of her life: "Clark Gable was the only man I ever loved.".

Shearer and Crawford... later

Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford, with producer Jerry Wald, at a party in Hollywood, 1959.  Photograph by Eve Arnold.

One imagines that the warmth of their embrace wasn't entirely sincere.

Crawford and her Dachshunds

Arriving in New York with Stinky and Puppchen, 2 January 1940.

An early breakfast before going to the studio.

At home in Brentwood.

Having tea at the Sherry Netherland Hotel with Puppchen.

On the set of "The Shining Hour".  (Director Frank Borzage and co-star Robert Young are in the background.)

At home, watched over by a particularly heinous portrait.

Arriving in New York with Puppchen.

With Stinky on the set of "The Women".

With, I believe, Puppchen.

Before Christina, Christopher, and the twins, there were Dachshunds.  As I understand it, Puppchen was her first.  I'm not really certain of the spelling of either of the dogs' names; Puppchen or Poopshin, Stinky or Stinkie.  The former of each seemed the most likely to me. 

Miss Crawford later transitioned to poodles.

Joan Crawford, portraits for Sadie McKee, 1934 - and sequins

Joan Crawford, portraits for "Letty Lynton", by Hurrell, 1932

Letty Lynton is one of classic Hollywood's most famously unseen major films; it's been locked away since 1936, when MGM lost a plagiarism case to playwrights who claimed the screenplay followed their playscript much too closely.  Even after years of legal wrangling, other than the rare bootleg copy, the film remains unavailable.

Interesting, too, considering the total disappearance of the film, that Crawford's Hurrell portraits and her costumes by Adrian are among the most famous of her entire career.  The white cotton ruffled organdy "Letty Lynton" dress, alone, started a major fashion trend at the film's debut; Macy's made an inexpensive replica of the dress and claimed to have sold more than half a million copies nation wide.

Most of Hurrell's portraits for Letty Lynton were done on the set of Grand Hotel, a film Crawford had just completed.

The original "Letty Lynton" dress.

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George Hurrell (1 June 1904, Covington, Kentucky – 17 May 1992, Los Angeles), one of the most important of the classic Hollywood portrait photographers.  His images of now legendary film stars, especially those taken during the Thirties, are iconic.