Carole Lombard: “Every Actor Should Take at Least One Week’s Whirl at Publicity”

One of Carole Lombard’s gifts was an instinct on how to effectively promote herself, as she proved in July 1938 when she spent a week handling publicity for Selznick International Studios in Culver City, California. Not only was it a good experience seeing “how the other half lives,” but handling publicity was, for her, good publicity – setting her apart from her Hollywood contemporaries.

“Stars sit in on story conferences, wardrobe conferences, directorial conferences and others, but never on publicity and exploitation, which are equally important,” said Lombard.

Here is Miss Lombard at her desk on her first day’s work. She was handling the advance material for her own picture, Made for Each Other, co-starring James Stewart, and also publicity on The Young in Heart, starring Janet Gaynor, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Paulette Goddard. So much interest was aroused by the fact that Miss Lombard is the first star in history to turn press agent, that she was busy all day being interviewed by reporters.

Since the cinematic star system (and Hollywood itself) began 110 years ago, actors have recognized what publicity can achieve. One of them was an actress who now may be as remembered for her self-promotional efforts, along with an awe-inspiring figure, as for her acting.