LOMBARD, CAROLE

born Oct. 6, 1908, Fort Wayne, Ind., U.S. died Jan. 16, 1942, in flight near Las Vegas, Nev. original name Jane Alice Peters American actress and comedienne who starred in some of the most successful comedies of the 1930s. Her first screen role was as a 13-year-old tomboy in A Perfect Crime (1921), and after graduating from junior high school she became a professional actress in Hollywood, appearing in small parts and in comedy shorts from 1925 on. She appeared in her first sound picture in 1930, and she developed her comic talents until her performance opposite John Barrymore in Twentieth Century (1934) established her as a star. She later appeared in some of the best 1930s screwball comedies (comedies with slangy, fast-paced dialogue, irreverent humour, and zany characters). Her major film appearances were in My Man Godfrey (1936), Nothing Sacred (1937), They Knew What They Wanted (1940), Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941), and To Be or Not To Be (1942). She was married to the actors William Powell (1931; divorced 1933) and Clark Gable (from 1939). She died at age 34 in a plane crash while on tour to sell war bonds.