Spotlight on: Suzanne Dadolle
French model Suzanne Dadolle doesn’t rank among Carole Lombard, Joan Crawford or Grace Kelly as one of Clark Gable’s great love affairs. But she was on Clark’s arm for over a year while he was overseas in the early 1950’s. That is, until she loused it up….
There isn’t much information about Suzanne out there. Google her and all you get are pictures of her with Clark, mentions of her in articles about Clark, and one lone uncredited movie role from 1963 on IMDB. I don’t even know if she is still alive. But she lived what was a lot of women’s fantasy for a while: Clark Gable’s constant companion for a whirlwind trip around Europe.
In May 1952, Clark, fresh off his divorce from Sylvia Ashley, boarded a ship to Europe to begin an 18 month tax exile in which he would make three films: Betrayed in Holland, Never Let Me Go in England, and Mogambo in Africa and England. He had a month before he was to start filming on Never Let Me Go and needed something–or someone–to occupy the time. 27-year-old model Suzanne fit the bill.
In her book Long Live the King, Lyn Tornabene described Suzanne as a “sculptured blonde who looked more like Lombard than any of the other women in his collection.” I honestly do not see that at all. In pictures, Suzanne looks much older than 27 to me and has a long face that looks nothing like Lombard. She was Turkish born, blonde and willowy, with a thick French accent and a flair for clothes and jewelry.
After attracting Clark’s attention, she reportedly gave up her modeling position with Elsa Schiaparelli to be at his beck and call. They cruised around Paris, dined alfresco at cafes, drank wine, walked arm in arm down the street like tourists. It all seemed romantic and idyllic.
Clark was notoriously tightlipped about the relationship, referring to her as a “friend” when the press inquired. When he traveled to London to begin Never Let Me Go, Suzanne stayed behind in Paris. His co-star Gene Tierney said that when they would dine together he would often speak of Carole Lombard. Despite set visits from former flames Betty Chisolm and Joan Harrison, he would usually back to Paris on weekends to be with Suzanne.
When filming wrapped, Clark and Suzanne zoomed across France, Switzerland and Italy in his new custom Jaguar, finally setting up camp at the luxurious Villa d’Este in Lake Como. There, Clark golfed, Suzanne sunbathed and every night they retired to their adjoining suites.
In November, Clark left for Africa to begin Mogambo and quickly began an affair with his young co-star, Grace Kelly. So whatever relationship him and Suzanne had, he wasn’t exactly pining for her while he was in the wilds of Africa!
When shooting on Mogambo wrapped, so did his fling with Grace. He hooked up with his great friends, Mr. and Mrs. Al Menasco, picked up Suzanne, and the four of them traveled through Paris and Rome. After the Menascos flew home, Clark and Suzanne set up camp at the swanky Hotel Raphael for the summer and the marriage rumors started swirling.
In October 1953, Suzanne singlehandly ended their relationship when she gave an exclusive interview to a French newspaper, saying that she had accepted Clark’s marriage proposal. She told of their great love for each other and showed off a large topaz ring on her left ring finger. She said Clark wanted them to be lifelong companions and travel the world together.
The next day the newspaper headline read “Gable Says He Is NOT Engaged.”
The October 11, 1953 the Sydney Sun Herald reported:
Gable’s remarks, when he saw the alleged engagement announced in London papers, were unprintable.I spoke to MGM’s London publicity manager, Mr. Paul Mills, by telephone last night.He was with gable at the Hotel Amstel in Amsterdam, their base while filming “The True and The Brave” in Holland with Lana Turner.Speaking for Gable, Mills said: “Talk of Clark’s engagement is absolute nonsense. Neither Gable nor I knew anything about it until we saw papers carrying Miss Dadolle’s story.”Mills admitted that Gable possibly gave Miss Dadolle the ring she was wearing.“Gable is a sophisticated man of the world,” he said. “He sometimes gives ladies presents, we all do.”According to Mills, Gable met Miss Dadolle last year.“It is true they travelled in France and Italy together,” he said. “But he will not be seeing her in London after our Dutch location work. I doubt if he will ever see her again.”In an exclusive interview with the “Sun-Herald” in Paris Miss Dadolle described her meeting with Gable two years ago.“It was at a cocktail party given by mutual friends,” she said. “Clark fell in love with me at first sight and told me so almost immediately.“He asked me to dine with him the next night. I did not take him seriously and refused. He insisted, and we had dinner together two or three times, then every night. Now I am terribly in love with him, and said ‘yes’ when he asked me to marry him.Miss Dadolle, whose real name is d’Adole, claimed that Gable telephoned her in Paris every night. She is wearing a large topaz ring on her engagement finger.Gable, 52, has been married four times.
Any woman dating Clark quickly learned to not speak to the press; he did not want his romantic laundry blowing in the breeze. Suzanne learned that too late and was apparently flabbergasted at his abrupt depatrure. With the three women he married while he was a star—Carole, Sylvia and Kay–there were no formal engagements announcements; all of them were sudden elopements. Clark was not a man who liked to publicize his every move to the eager press. I’ve always wondered if maybe Suzanne was telling the truth, maybe he did propose, but she ticked him off by announcing it to the press. But it’s not very likely, as he was pretty bitter on marriage after the failure of his union with Sylvia, and the ink was barely dry on that divorce decree. It also seems unlikely that the topaz ring Clark gave Suzanne was an engagement ring; Clark did not give out engagement rings to any of his wives, curiously.
In December 1953, Clark boarded a ship to return home. After arriving back in the states, Clark was asked if the rumors were true that Suzanne would soon be the fifth Mrs. Gable. As usual, his answer was curt. “No, we never discussed marriage. She just taught me to speak French.”
Soon, he was seen around town with a former flame, Kay Williams.
In 1955, Suzanne arrived in Hollywood to try her hand at acting and, according to the media, to try to woo Clark back.
From this 1955 article:
To date, The King and Suzanne have encountered each other only twice. Once on the set at 20th Century Fox where Gable was doing a luncheon scene in a Hong King restaurant with Susan Hayward (late that day he drove Hayward home) and once in La Rue’s restaurant. Gable was dining there with Kay Spreckels when Suzanne came in with contractor Hal Hayes.
Since Hayes used to date Kay, and Gable used to date Dadolle, there might have been some embarrassment. But Kay handled the situation tactfully. She walked over to Hayes’ table and was introduced to Suzanne. Gable nodded pleasantly, and the encounter came off without incident.
And we all know who became the fifth Mrs. Gable–Kay. But what we don’t know is what became of Clark’s European fling, Mademoiselle Suzanne Dadolle.
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12 Comments
Julia
If she’s 27, I’m 31.
Coco B
When I first found this site I read every article on it. But after a while they all began to sound alike. But I came to enjoy the insights from our Administrator. So this was an absolute delight.
I love Gable but I don’t have any fantasies about being his girlfriend or wife. A friend yes, but not more. And I would particularly hate to be his girlfriend.
I understand and admire his desire for privacy and his hatred of talking about his “women” and from all I have read he was for the most part always a gentleman. But I would hate to have to always walk on eggshells not being able to express your feelings for that person for fear of being turned away or even publicly embarrassed. However the lovely Suzanne never struck me as a lady who could in any way make Gable think of marriage. I saw a picture or video clip of him buying that ring and he looked tortured.
When I compare the two women Clark stayed married to in addition to physical appearance the two have many, many, other things in common. Neither one needed Clark Gable for anything. Both were independently wealthy on their own. Both had a purpose in life and neither would have been devastated if they did not marry Clark. Both women were generous and patient with him and genuinely wanted him to be happy and took the right steps to make him happy. And while it seemed that Carole and Kay changed everything about themselves for Clark doing only what he wanted I highly doubt that. Suzanne, Sylvia, Josephine and Rhea missed the mark completely.
Having said that we could say that either Gable is incredibly smart in choosing wives or incredibly selfish. I don’t think he is either smart or selfish he just is who he is. But it is a big price to pay to be able to sign your name Mrs. Clark Gable. Despite everything he was a “difficult” man.
I do feel for Suzanne because of all the ladies, Grace, included she seemed the most innocent.
Coco B
Me again, I was trying to find out about Suzanne. She seems to have dropped of the face of the earth after 1963. But she may not have been French. She could very well have been Turkish.
Gail
Once again, love these articles you keep coming up with. How good does Clark look in this photo, walking along the street. One very handsome man!!
Ginger
Coco B: You very eloquently summed up what I have thought about Mr. Gable. He was a complex person, and I think that he would have been difficult as a husband or as a companion. I am sympathetic to Suzanne Dadolle, because it seems that he used her for company during his stay in Europe and dropped her like a hot potato when it was time to go back to the States. The Suzanne situation reminds me of a quote from “The Talented Mr. Ripley,”: “It’s like the sun shines on you, and it’s glorious. And then he forgets you, and it’s very, very cold . . . When you have his attention, you feel like you’re the only person in the world.”
I think that Mr. Gable had a history of running hot and then cold on the women who shared his life: Franz Dorfler, Josephine Dillon, Ria, Sylvia, Virginia Grey, Suzanne Dadolle, and Grace Kelly all seemed to be puzzled by their sudden loss of his affection.
Chinoiserie
Perhaps Suzanne was lying her age, she seem so much older than 27 and its pretty common in the modeling world.
And I am big fan of Clark`s but things like hiding that you are dating someone for a year, leaving her and starting seeing someone else and then getting back together(probably without her knowing what happened) and so forth is rather off-putting. But these women for the most part most likely knew what they were getting into, and nobody is perfect. I just can,´t understand why somebody would put up with that.
But he obviously was crazy about Carole to talk about her after so much time. But is rather sad also that he could not move on even thug is pretty romantic as well.
And in a slightly unrelated note, I just watched Melanie remembers from youtube(again)were Olivia de Havilland talks about Gone With The Wind, and in part 5/5 at the Alanta premiere you can see couple of second of footage where you can see Clark standing and waiving while Carole is pulling is hand so he would sit down(and he does) I just thought it was cute and then came here for fun. It nice that you put so much effort to this site, I am really grateful.
rkiry
After Carole’s death, Gable’s relationships followed a pattern. He’d find a woman to occupy his time, court her, and drop her. All the while he’d pine for Carole. This behavior is consistent with a grief-stricken husband who can’t get over losing his beloved wife.
Even up to the time he was shooting the MISFITS, and Kay was pregnant with his child, he’d still speak of, or mention, Carole in his interviews.
admin
Isn’t it weird how there is no info about Suzanne anywhere? I really thought I could find at least when she died or something, but she virtually disappeared!
Clark was a very moody person and I believe very difficult to be in a romantic relationship with. He truly ran hot and cold and one day he could just decide he’s done with you and that’s that. Suzanne was indeed just company for while he was in Europe. I can’t imagine him bringing her back to the States with him. And there is no way she’s 27. She looks over 40 in the pictures!
Thank you everyone for your comments!
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Carol
After reading two biographies of Carole Lombard, I don’t think Clark realized how good he had it with Carole, until she died. He seemed to age overnight after he lost her.
I just started reading a book about Eddie Mannix & Howard Strickling, called The Fixers. It’s about how the MGM publicity department ran the lives of its stars. Forced marriages, abortions, etc.
I am not 100% sure of its accuracy but I think quite a bit is true.
I love this website. Thank you.
Jay
Watched an old episode of TO TELL THE TRUTH tonight, and one of the guests was Suzanne Dadolle! I had never heard of her, so I googled her and there she was, amazing. This was around the early 60s, and she was still very beautiful and very charming. Of course, they did not discuss her relationship with Gable…
admin
Really? Wow! I find it so strange that she seemed to have disappeared. I can’t even find out if she’s still alive!