Jane Alice Peters, known to history as Carole Lombard, began her career at age twelve after director Allan Dwan spotted her playing baseball in Los Angeles. Over the next two decades, she evolved from a bit-part player in Westerns to a definitive performer in the screwball comedy genre, securing a lasting position within American cinematic history.
Early Development and Initial Roles
Born in Fort Wayne in 1908, the future actress moved to Los Angeles with her mother in 1914. She attended Virgil Junior High, Fairfax High School, and Hollywood High School. Her professional debut occurred in the 1921 film A Perfect Crime. By 1924, she signed a contract with the Fox Film Corporation at age sixteen. Early work primarily consisted of minor appearances in adventure films and low-budget Westerns. Despite the constraints of these early assignments, she remained active in the studio environment.
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A severe car accident on September 9, 1927, resulted in facial injuries that threatened her career. While recovering from reconstructive surgery, she pursued legal action against Harry Cooper, settling for $3,000. She navigated these physical challenges to maintain her acting trajectory, later appearing in fifteen short comedies for Mack Sennett between 1927 and 1929. Her subsequent feature film work included roles in High Voltage and The Racketeer.
Transition to Screwball Comedy
Paramount Pictures signed her to a contract following her performance in The Arizona Kid. Her career reached a new stage with the 1934 film Twentieth Century, directed by Howard Hawks. This role established her niche in screwball comedy. Notable subsequent projects included Hands Across the Table with Fred MacMurray and My Man Godfrey, for which she earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. She married William Powell in 1931, followed later by a high-profile marriage to Clark Gable.
Final Years and Legacy
Seeking roles with more gravity, she moved toward dramatic work before returning to comedy for Alfred Hitchcock's Mr. & Mrs. Smith and her final project, To Be or Not to Be. In 1942, while returning from a tour supporting the war effort, she died in the crash of TWA Flight 3 on Mount Potosi, Nevada. She was posthumously honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
Fast facts
- Born: 1908, Fort Wayne
- Died: 1942, Nevada
- Citizenship: United States
- Education: Hollywood High School, Fairfax High School
- Religion: Baháʼí Faith
- Film Debut: A Perfect Crime, 1921
- Final Film: To Be or Not to Be, 1942
- Burial Site: Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Questions readers ask
What was the cause of Carole Lombard's death?
She died at age 33 in the crash of TWA Flight 3 on Mount Potosi, Nevada, while returning from a war bond tour.
Which major genre is she best known for?
She is recognized as one of the definitive actresses of the screwball comedy genre.
Achievements
- Educated at Fairfax High School and Hollywood High School
- Worked as film actor
