Movie Mystery Photo

Posted on October 23, 2009 by lmharnisch

Oct. 19, 2009, Mystery Photo
Los Angeles Times file photo
Update: Owen Crump and Isabel Jewell announce their engagement, July 6, 1936.

You’re probably asking: Which one is the mystery guest? I’ll take answers on either person, but I picked these photos because of the fellow. It’s mostly because of that mustache.

Just a reminder on how this works: I post the mystery photo on Monday and reveal the answer on Friday … or on Saturday if I have a hard time picking only five pictures; sometimes it's difficult to choose. To keep the mystery photo from getting lost in the other entries, I move it from Monday to Tuesday to Wednesday, etc., adding a photo every day.

I have to approve all comments, so if your guess is posted immediately, that means you're wrong. (And if a wrong guess has already been submitted by someone else, there's no point in submitting it again.)

If you're right, you will have to wait until Friday. There's no need to submit your guess five times. Once is enough. The only reward is bragging rights. 

The answer to last week's mystery star: Lina Romay!

Oct. 20, 2009, Mystery Photo Los Angeles Times file photo
Update: Jewell and Crump. July 1936.

Here’s another picture of our mystery fellow. Several folks have identified our mystery woman (Mary Mallory, Michael Ryerson, Carmen and Steven Bibb) but nobody has identified our mysterious man with the mustache. I was about to say “he owns only one suit,” but the photo appears to be from the same session as picture No. 1. Our mystery woman has just added a hat and jacket.  

2009_1021_mystery_photo Los Angeles Times file photo Update: Crump and Jewell “swaying to swing rhythm” at the Cocoanut Grove, Aug. 30, 1936.

Here’s another photo of our mystery fellow. Please congratulate Eve Golden and Mary Mallory for identifying him.  Dewey Webb and Megan Thom and Lee have identified our mystery woman.

2009_1022_mystery_photo

Los Angeles Times file photo

Update: Crump and Lucille Fairbanks, niece of Douglas Fairbanks, after their marriage in Santa Barbara, Oct. 12, 1940.

Uh-oh. Something seems to have happened to our mystery woman! This doesn't look good!

Oct. 23, 2009, Mystery Photo

Los Angeles Times file photo

Update: Crump and Fairbanks at the Beverly Hills Brown Derby, Feb. 2, 1941.

This is, as a few people guessed, Owen Crump. I'll be in court today so I won't be able to update this until tomorrow. More TK.

Unknown's avatar

About lmharnisch

I am retired from the Los Angeles Times
This entry was posted in Film, Hollywood, Mystery Photo. Bookmark the permalink.

43 Responses to Movie Mystery Photo

  1. Eve's avatar Eve says:
    October 19, 2009 at 9:25 am

    Darn. I can tell you it was taken c. 1935-38, but who they are is a mystery indeed.

    Like

  2. Steven Bibb's avatar Steven Bibb says:
    October 19, 2009 at 9:36 am

    The actress looks like it could be Isabel Jewell. The actor might be Bert Hicks, the actor father of Dolores Hart, the actress who left Hollywood to become a nun. I checked IMDB but the two of them don’t seem to have worked together, so perhaps this is from a stage play.

    Like

  3. Carmen's avatar Carmen says:
    October 19, 2009 at 9:57 am

    Terrific actress – Isabel Jewell

    Like

  4. Unknown's avatar zabadu says:
    October 19, 2009 at 10:06 am

    Mario “Cantinflas” Moreno?

    Like

  5. waldo lydecker's avatar waldo lydecker says:
    October 19, 2009 at 10:10 am

    The man with the deep voice, ‘Candy’ Candido. “I’m feeling mighty low.” Credits include radio, animation voice-overs and film, usually as a bass playing musician.

    Like

  6. MichaelRyerson's avatar MichaelRyerson says:
    October 19, 2009 at 10:39 am

    Isabel Jewel leaning on a hunky latin type with a Ceasar Romero moustache.

    Like

  7. Arye Michael Bender's avatar Arye Michael Bender says:
    October 19, 2009 at 1:22 pm

    Rudofo Hoyos?

    Like

  8. Flo Myers's avatar Flo Myers says:
    October 19, 2009 at 3:04 pm

    Laurence Olivier

    Like

  9. JM GREEN's avatar JM GREEN says:
    October 19, 2009 at 3:10 pm

    virginia bruce

    Like

  10. MichaelRyerson's avatar MichaelRyerson says:
    October 19, 2009 at 3:11 pm

    Isabel Jewel and her first husband Paul Marion sporting the Caesar Romero moustache

    Like

  11. Richard Heft's avatar Richard Heft says:
    October 19, 2009 at 3:12 pm

    This is a longshot, but he looks like Paul Ralli, who co-starred with marion Davies in SHOW PEOPLE.

    Like

  12. Eileen's avatar Eileen says:
    October 19, 2009 at 3:57 pm

    Omar Shariff?

    Like

  13. Mary Mallory's avatar Mary Mallory says:
    October 19, 2009 at 4:09 pm

    Bradley Page and Isabel Jewell.

    Like

  14. Steven Moshlak's avatar Steven Moshlak says:
    October 20, 2009 at 9:00 am

    Ernie Kovacs?

    Like

  15. Eve's avatar Eve says:
    October 20, 2009 at 9:49 am

    Oh! She’s Isabel Jewell! Love her. Which must make the gentleman her husband Owen Crump.

    Like

  16. MichaelRyerson's avatar MichaelRyerson says:
    October 20, 2009 at 10:26 am

    You mean to tell me this isn’t Paul Marion, Isabel Jewel’s first husband? (as I said yesterday) boy, he’s a dead ringer.

    Like

  18. Sandy's avatar Sandy says:
    October 20, 2009 at 12:05 pm

    Xavier Cugat?

    Like

  19. michael rittel's avatar michael rittel says:
    October 20, 2009 at 1:03 pm

    boris karloff

    Like

  20. Sandra Monty's avatar Sandra Monty says:
    October 20, 2009 at 1:26 pm

    Virginia Bruce & John Gilbert

    Like

  21. R Greene's avatar R Greene says:
    October 20, 2009 at 1:54 pm

    Leonid Kinskey

    Like

  22. sandy's avatar sandy says:
    October 20, 2009 at 2:23 pm

    Vincent Price?

    Like

  23. Mary Mallory's avatar Mary Mallory says:
    October 20, 2009 at 3:49 pm

    Is this her husband Owen Crump?

    Like

  24. David McGrath's avatar David McGrath says:
    October 20, 2009 at 4:47 pm

    vincent price for the man, the smile is unmistakable.

    Like

  25. Megan, Thom and Lee's avatar Megan, Thom and Lee says:
    October 20, 2009 at 7:45 pm

    Well, it’s Isabel Jewell, but I can’t remember the guy’s name.

    Like

  26. Mark Tee's avatar Mark Tee says:
    October 20, 2009 at 7:50 pm

    Vincent Price?

    Like

  27. Anne Papineau's avatar Anne Papineau says:
    October 20, 2009 at 8:22 pm

    Akim Tamaroff.

    Like

  28. Alekszandr's avatar Alekszandr says:
    October 21, 2009 at 1:43 am

    Michael Whalen

    Like

  29. gerald mccann's avatar gerald mccann says:
    October 21, 2009 at 8:05 am

    Leo Carillo?

    Like

  30. Mary mallory's avatar Mary mallory says:
    October 21, 2009 at 9:22 am

    Today’s photo is from your archives. I went there late yesterday after I submitted my answer, just to make sure I was right.

    Like

  31. Christine Bamberger's avatar Christine Bamberger says:
    October 21, 2009 at 9:41 am

    Paul Marion and Isabel Jewell?

    Like

  32. Mike Hawks's avatar Mike Hawks says:
    October 21, 2009 at 10:20 am

    I sent my answer in on Monday and I guess it got lost in the vortex. The lady is Isabel Jewell and perhaps the man is Edward Raquello.

    Like

  33. Amanda McCloy's avatar Amanda McCloy says:
    October 21, 2009 at 11:00 am

    Clark Gable ??????

    Like

  34. rkrance's avatar rkrance says:
    October 21, 2009 at 1:37 pm

    The man in the photo is Vincent Price

    Like

  35. Thom B's avatar Thom B says:
    October 21, 2009 at 4:19 pm

    I think it might be Paul Marion

    Like

  36. Kylie's avatar Kylie says:
    October 21, 2009 at 5:20 pm

    Paul Marion

    Like

  37. Michael Christian's avatar Michael Christian says:
    October 22, 2009 at 7:55 am

    I believe the woman is Isabel Jewell

    Like

  38. Mary Mallory's avatar Mary Mallory says:
    October 22, 2009 at 9:24 am

    It’s his new wife Lucille Fairbanks, Douglas Fairbanks’ niece.

    Like

  39. Sonny King's avatar Sonny King says:
    October 22, 2009 at 9:35 am

    Richard Martin

    Like

  40. Lana's avatar Lana says:
    October 22, 2009 at 11:37 am

    Angel Peralta

    Like

  41. Randy Skretvedt's avatar Randy Skretvedt says:
    October 22, 2009 at 3:55 pm

    Our mystery man looks to me like Candy Candido, one-time bass player with “Candy and Coco,” Gene Austin and Ted Fio Rito’s orchestra, and later a voice actor on the Jimmy Durante radio show (“I’m feelin’ mighty low!”) and in Disney films.

    Like

  42. Megan's avatar Megan says:
    October 22, 2009 at 5:16 pm

    Owen Crump

    Like

  43. Joan Y. Compagno's avatar Joan Y. Compagno says:
    October 22, 2009 at 7:09 pm

    John Gilbert with daughter, Leatrice Joy Gilbert

    Like

Comments are closed.