How a Hollywood Star Got an FBI File
Carole Lombard attracted government attention after dying in a mysterious airplane accident.
By JACK EL-HAI
For years I’ve written about the FBI files of notable people. These are my notes on the agency’s file on Hollywood star Carole Lombard, who — owing to a mysterious airplane accident — attracted much government attention after her death.
Carole Lombard
Name at birth: Jane Alice Peters
Born: October 6, 1908, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Occupation: Actress
Accomplishments: Acclaimed performances in Twentieth Century (1934), My Man Godfrey (1936), Nothing Sacred (1937), To Be or Not to Be (1942), with appearances in 45 other films
Died: January 16, 1942
FBI file thickness: one-half inch
Some Background
At the time of America’s entry into World War II, Carole Lombard was one of the country’s best-known and most popular movie stars. Married to actor Clark Gable, she represented romance, sass, and brains.
All those qualities made Lombard a natural promoter of United States Defense Bonds (later called U.S. War Bonds) when the war effort was…
