Movie of the Month: Never Let Me Go

This month, we’re skipping ahead to 1953… 

  Never Let Me Go  pairs aging Gable with one of the top stars of the late 1940’s/early 1950’s, Gene Tierney. A simple, rather old-hat storyline: Gable is an American newsman stationed in Russia. He pursues and falls in love with Marya (Tierney), a Russian ballerina. American/Russian relations being what they were in those days, their marriage is frowned upon. Even more frowned upon? Gable’s idea of taking Marya home to the U.S. Efforts to get her passport are stalled and then altogether stopped. Gable is tricked into getting on a plane without her and is refused admission back into Russia. Back in the States, he spends every waking hour plotting to smuggle her out.

Gable was quite satisfied with the director, Delmer Dawes, who he had known for twenty years. Also the producer was Clarence Brown, who had often directed Gable in the ’30’s and was now semi-retired and working only as a producer.

I wouldn’t rank the film as one of Gable’s best, but I like that, even though he was in his 50’s, he could hold him own as a romantic idol. The screenplay could have used some jazzing up, but all in all it’s not awful. Tierney has never looked more lovely. I only wish it had been shot in color so we could have seen those bright green eyes! 

Gable was quite distracted on set.  He had begun an affair with beautiful French model Suzanne Dadolle and spent his  weekends off traveling back to Paris to be with her. He had also just purchased a custom-made Jaguar and him and Suzanne could be spotted zipping around the French countryside on weekends.

Also, Gable was set to jump right into Mogambo after Never Let Me Go was completed, so he was doing wardrobe fittings and reading the script for Mogambo in his free time.Tierney recalled Gable fondly in her autobiography: “I had no romantic interest in Gable. I considered him an older man I saw him as sweet and gentle, a hard crust with a soft core. I thought that quality was what came across onscreen and made him adored by so many. He and I laughed about our beginnings in Hollywood. We both had physical drawbacks that might have kept us off the screen–my teeth and his ears. He was an thoughtful man. My feet were blistered from extensive ballet lessons [for the film] and he remembered to bring me back some salve from Paris that helped a lot.”

This film was made during a long period that Gable spent overseas. Advised that he would save a great deal of money in taxes if he worked out of the country for over 18 months, Gable took off for Europe and Africa, making Betrayed, Never Let Me Go and Mogambo in succession. Mogambo was the only success out of the three. Never Let Me Go flopped horribly, critics blaming the lack of chemistry (and large age gap) between Gable and Tierney.

Never Let Me Go is being shown this month on TCM, as part of Gene Tierney day during Summer Under the Stars. This is the first time in many years that they have shown it. What, no Clark Gable day during Summer Under the Stars this year? Nope. But us Clark fans can’t complain, as he was featured last year and he does pop up as a costar during several days this month. See the schedule here.

So, turn on TCM August 14 at 9:30am and catch Never Let Me Go.
For more, check out the film page and pictures of the film in the gallery.