Paramount Set Stills: Now and Forever, Pt. 1

Paramount’s 1934 production, “Now and Forever” (originally titled “Honor Bright” and then “You Belong to Me”) starred Carole Lombard, Shirley Temple, and Gary Cooper. Lombard and Cooper were already big stars; Temple had just exploded onto the scene with her captivating performance in “Little Miss Marker,” also a Paramount production. I am always amazed at the care and detail that went into creating the sets for these films from the golden age of Hollywood. The first production still shows the Sino Manor Hotel lobby located in Shanghai:



As you can see by the board, the film was still being referred to as “You Belong to Me”:



This screenshot reveals that the black area was used for a rear projection effect, thus eliminating having to build the rest of the set. Smart!



Another view of the lobby desk:



Look at all the branded materials on the desk, created just for this brief scene:



The hallway of the hotel, which does not appear in the final film:




This detailed exterior shows the shop where Cooper prints some bogus business cards:



This publicity still shows way more of the set than we see in the final film:



In this office, Cooper sets up shop to milk hotel customers for their outstanding hotel bills so that he can use the money to fund his extravagant trips with Lombard.



How it looked in the film:





The Stateroom occupied by Cooper and Lombard:



This area is barely seen in the final film:



…and yet someone had to go to the trouble of putting together Lombard’s luggage. Note her hat on the couch:



In a 1930s movie to get by with the recently created production code, separate beds were a necessity!



This is all we get to see of the room where “the magic” happens! The status of the relationship between Lombard and Cooper had to be solidified as a marriage, rather than just lovers, in order to appease the censors.



In France, Lombard returns to her hotel and receives a wire from Cooper: 



The corresponding production still:



A detail of the signs on the wall, that probably not a single movie-goer would notice back in 1934:



This little cafe is not in the final film:



It was used for an ultimately deleted scene between Jameson Thomas and Carole Lombard, who were in a relationship before she met Cooper.



More set stills from “Now and Forever” to come!

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