A Forgotten Star Who Grew Up Close By

NC Boy Robert Williams Makes Good in Platinum Blonde (1931)

Went to college with the nephew of Robert Williams, who was male lead in Platinum Blonde, had a bright future in films, but died at 37 of a burst appendix. Williams was born in Morganton, NC (not "Morgantown," as indicated at imdb), close to where his relation and I were in school. "Hank" was a spitting image of Robert Williams. He knew the long-gone uncle was in some movies, but had seen none of them. Neither had I at the time. How could anyone in 1973 get ready access to Platinum Blonde, Williams' final role and by far best known? It certainly didn't play television within tenna-roter distance of me. There was finally a 16mm print at a Charlotte cowboy meet in the early-80's, for which the seller asked little, and it a brand-new original ("original" what we called distributor-generated copies). Platinum Blonde turns up now at TCM, streams in HD at I-Tunes, and is a show most will gravitate to because Jean Harlow co-stars and Frank Capra directed, but repeat joy may come of this one being shorter and with less determined populism than Capras after he hit big.

Far Less Exposure of Harlow in Platinum Blonde Than What We See Here. Are Circulating Prints Code-Cut?

Revisionist opinion says Robert Williams is a best thing about Platinum Blonde. In fact, he's a revelation to many who should know (actor Christopher Plummer gave praise in an interview, putting Williams above Cary Grant as farceur). I watch Williams, who had a stellar career on Broadway before movies, and think, this is a long way from Morganton. He underplayed and was funny about it, being not like other actors who tried harder. Williams would certainly have had a long career in films. I enjoy him and have watched Platinum Blonde more than most Capras not only for the local connection, but also for this being last of old-style Capra before fame and name above the title made all his must-see events. Newspaper setting and knock-the-rich presumably reflect background of the several scribes involved. What percentage of early talkie writing began in urban dailies? I'll bet most, though I wish someone would research that for the yea or nay. Is there any precode that doesn't eventually have a newshound horning in?

Cincinnati Throws a "Blonde Contest" For Prizes

I think there are code-cuts in Platinum Blonde, some dialogue and very likely a rubdown segment with Jean Harlow, of which publicity stills reveal much more than the film now does. Platinum Blonde had a 1950 reissue. I doubt it got away without trims, what survives being fruit of PCA labor. There still is Harlow, a society siren and miscast as that according to some. Mark Vieira, in his fine Harlow In Hollywood book, says that initially titled Gallagher (after Loretta Young's character) was switched to Platinum Blonde as nod to Harlow's burgeoned popularity, her hair style by release date a national craze. To how times and circumstance change, Young was dominant in billing and poster art for 1931 (or at least supposed to be --- note Harlow as big ad noise at left). For 1950 revival and after, it was Harlow who'd be object of curiosity and whatever interest Platinum Blonde generated. Latter-day sense of discovery derives largely from Robert Williams, however, that forgotten face and voice who, like Harlow, wouldn't finish, or in his case even begin, stardom's course.