2014's First Must-Read

Fireball Tells a Harrowing Carole Lombard Story

The best film histories capture drama of subjects they address, most notably where raw material lays waiting for a right author to make most of it. For Robert Matzen, it was remains of Carole Lombard's crashed plane still scattered over a Nevada mountainside that lured him toward inquiry of this most tragic and mysterious of celebrity deaths. The wreckage has sat seventy years for someone to climb up and finally reveal its secrets. What boots-to-ground Matzen achieves with Fireball: Carole Lombard and the Mystery Of Flight 3 is froze earth explore of an air disaster not properly explained at the time of its happening or up to now. Facets he found will stun those who figured to know what took place that disastrous night of 1/16/42. There were paragraphs I read twice to grasp one-after-other revelations that spiral Fireball toward rendezvous a beloved actress had with a dark peak she seemed destined to fatally encounter.

I was fortunate enough to be with author Matzen when the concept was sprung. He'd not only tell Lombard's life story, having dealt with the subject in a bio-bibliography of the actress, but would incorporate and explain complex companions, both famed and plain-folks, that made up Lombard's inner circle. There is Clark Gable, William Powell, Russ Colombo, these and others dealt with sympathetically and with great insight. The aftermath impact of Lombard's death on Gable is a heart-rending read. In fact, get emotions ready for a wringer once you start Fireball, and know too that putting it down is something you'll not do short of the house catching fire or being bit by a snake (which Matzen nearly was during scale of inhospitable Table Rock Mountain).

The author's own climb clinches Fireball ring of truth. There are still unanswered questions, many, for Matzen refuses to speculate without hard fact to back him up. This is the best kind of investigative dig, one where no relevant document or living interview subject goes unaccounted. Carole Lombard was Hollywood's first casualty of World War Two. From so many decades distant, we can't fully know the impact her passing had, but Matzen gets closer than anyone to outpour of shock resulting from the crash. He also gathered stills that have never been published of Lombard's war bond tour that vividly show esteem mobs felt during this last of her public appearances. You will not believe the pile-up of ironies and grim chance that inexorably led this woman to her fate. Matzen tells how it all finally came down to flip of a coin. Be warm when you read this part, because it gives off distinct chill, as does the whole of this real-life riveter to make movies Lombard or anyone did pale by comparison.

Fireball is available at Amazon, and HERE is a fascinating video with footage of Robert Matzen exploring the Nevada crash site.