Cold
as ice, Vampish Natalie Moorhead ended the Roaring 20's with pure
sophistication and skyrocketed Maybelline advertisements to a new
artistic level. Statuesque,
platinum-blond American actress Natalie Moorhead entered films in 1929;
by the end of the next year, she had nearly a dozen movies to her
credit. Moorhead was most effectively cast in vampish roles, notably her
turn as one of the suspects in The Thin Man (1934).
Tom
Lyle must have seen Natalie Moorhead's potential to target a more
mature, sophisticated woman, who by 1935, had been wearing Maybelline
for nearly 20 years. His brilliance as the King of Advertising was to
cover the market with every single type of persona developing in the
movies, especially after sound was born by the end of the
1920's. Moorhead, in her films, represented a beautiful, ultra sexy
mature woman who knew what she wanted and she wanted Maybelline. http://www.allstarpics.net/pic-gallery/natalie-moorhead-pics.htm
Click here to see Natalie Moorhead's photo's and you will see what Tom Lyle saw in this seductive, calculating actress! Read more about Tom Lyle Williams and The Maybelline Company in The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It.
Myrna Loy became "The Perfect Wife." In 1934 when Myrna Loy was cast opposite William Powell in The Thin Man, based on Dashiell Hammett's novel - (Click where highlighted.) They became the quintessential 1930's couple.
Myrna Loy, known as the Queen of Hollywood, the perfect wife, a living doll and the Queen of the movies was one of Hollywood's busiest and highest paid actresses, and in 1937 and 1938 she was listed in the annual "Quigley Poll of the Top Ten Money Making Stars", which was compiled from the votes of movie exhibitors throughout the U.S. for the stars that had generated the most revenue in their theaters over the previous year. What more could Tom Lyle ask for to draw another target market The Wife, into the dime stores across the country to buy Maybelline.
Tom Lyle's genius with Maybelline was his ability to appeal to every type of woman and of course "The Wife" with her wholesome all American good looks was the perfect target market. Myrna Loy illustrated here in black and white in 1934 looking rather modest yet made up like a movie star sold more Maybelline that year than ever before. Her image ran throughout the 1930's until the Pinup Girls during the War years became Maybelline's image around the world.
Maybe that's why when Tom Lyle, Emery, TJ and Billy went to the 1934 Chicago Worlds Fair that year Tom Lyle had to have the Dietrich custom bodied Packard. As you can see in the picture below Tom Lyle had superb taste in cars as his car is only one of five ever built in 1934.
Thanks in part to Myrna Loy's influence that year Tom Lyle had the confidence and flair as well as the money to flaunt Maybelline's success during the depths of the Depression. Tom Lyle was in good company however, since Al Jolson and Gene Sarazen, the famous golfer, also owned rare Vee Windshield Dietrich Packards.
Click here to see video of Myrna Loy and William Powell in The Thin Man and see why they became the power couple of the Depression. When you think of the great automobiles from the 1930’s, very few can rival the class and elegance of the 1934 Packard Dietrich. More than any other car from this time, the Dietrich brings back memories of movie stars and financial money barons who traveled in affluent style and class. Many Packard experts consider the 1934 Packard 12 to be the best overall year of Packard production. It has been said up until that time that Queen quality ruled over King price. I wonder if that's where Emery got the idea for his famous Maybelline slogan, Quality yet Sensibly Priced. Read more about Tom Lyle and his partner Emery Shaver and why they decided to leave Chicago in 1935 and live in Hollywood at the Villa Valentino. Could it be the flash, the qlitz and glamour didn't fit in the gangster run city any longer?
