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Goodbye, Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard died 76 years ago today, at the age of 33. Her brief time on earth ending after crashing into a snowy mountaintop near Las Vegas, she left behind a world of grieving fans and one distraught husband. Celebrate, rather than mourn, Carole today. She would not be one to wallow, after all! Some great Carole content around here: Last year I chronicled the newspaper headlines around the time of her death, starting with January 16, through January 23: 75th Anniversary of Carole Lombard’s Death Here’s a piece regarding Carole and those persisting baby rumors: Carole Lombard, Clark Gable and The Baby That Never Was Some rare Carole photos…
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Happy Anniversary, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard
Clark Gable and Carole Lombard finally tied the knot 77 (can you believe it) years ago today! Associated Press, March 30, 1939: Happy Ending Written to Courtship of Hollywood Stars Fun-loving Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, who wrote the long anticipated happy ending to the story of their courtship in a little Arizona town late yesterday, returned early today to the bride’s Bel-Air home. Exhausted by their 750-mile trip, they retired, to wait until later to move into the home on his One-Mule San Fernando Valley ranch which Gable redecorated in preparation for the wedding. Friends were not surprised when news of the ceremony reached here last night, although their…
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Everything That is Wrong with Gable and Lombard (1976) Part Two
Part Two of me watching Gable and Lombard (1976) again and reporting back on how terrible it is. Here’s Part One. (I am quoting a movie that is Rated R so please pardon the language) Having decided to make a go of their relationship and to keep it under wraps, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard are now disguising themselves as Western Union delivery boys and cab drivers to sneak off together. Aren’t those Clark’s pre-denture teeth? He calls her “Ma” here for the first time, but she still shrieks “Gable” all the time. In reality Clark and Carole were seen everywhere–premieres, auto races, horse races, restaurants, parties–everywhere. They received lots…
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Everything That is Wrong with Gable and Lombard (1976) Part One
Oh, the things I do in the name of this site. I receive a lot of random emails (by the way if I don’t answer your email right away, forgive me as my emails server tends to send them in packs of 50 about three days after they were originally sent–don’t get me started). I do love to receive emails from new Clark Gable fans asking questions or just declaring their new love for Clark. I especially love to point Gone with the Wind fans in the direction of Clark’s other works, as there was so much more to the man than Rhett Butler. Over the years, I have received…
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{In the News} The Final Years of Kay Williams 1965-1983
Here is our final installment of the Kay Williams news clippings series. The other installments: Clark Gable Marries Kay Spreckels 1955-1960 Kay Williams Divorces Adolph Spreckels, Dates Clark Gable Again 1951-1954 Kay Williams Marries Adolph Spreckels 1945-1951 Kay Williams Dates Clark Gable (For The First Time) 1944-1945 Kay Williams 1937-1943 We pick up in 1965. April 19, 1965: Los Angeles–On the flickering screen was the happiest marriage of casting and character, plot and player, in the long history of motion pictures. The handsome, muscular man who played the renegade Confederate blockage runner seemed less an actor than the real article. In short, it was hard to tell where Clark Gable…
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{In The News} Newly Widowed Kay Williams 1961-1963
We last left Clark Gable and Kay Williams Gable in late 1960. Clark died on November 16, 1960, and I am skipping over all the coverage of his illness and death as I have covered that before and it would get redundant–the subject at hand is Kay. You can read about Clark’s death and funeral here. So let’s pick up in January 1961, when Kay is newly widowed and an expectant mother. January 15, 1961: Gable’s Widow Gets Allowance Los Angeles–Clark Gable’s widow has a $5,000 monthly allowance from the actor’s estate to meet family expenses. The petition of former actress Kay Williams for this sum was approved in Superior…
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Spotlight on: Norma Shearer
It is quite common to read that Clark Gable slept with every one of his leading ladies. And while that statement has been buzzing around for so long that many people take it as fact, it’s not true at all. In fact, I think the number of leading ladies he starred opposite that he wasn’t romantically involved with far outnumbers the opposite. Perhaps that is why Norma Shearer doesn’t get much attention as one of his onscreen lovelies–in fact she is one of the few that I can think of that I haven’t even heard a rumor he had slept with her! Nonetheless, Ms. Shearer is an interesting footnote in…
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In a Nutshell: The Misfits (1961)
In a Nutshell: The Misfits (1961) Directed by: John Huston Co-stars: Marilyn Monroe, Eli Wallach, Montgomery Clift, Thelma Ritter Synopsis: The last film of two icons of the screen, The Misfits is a poetic end to the careers of both Gable and Monroe. Gable is Gay Langland, an aging cowboy in Reno who avoids responsibility and anything tying him down. He and his buddy Guido (Wallach) run into Roslyn (Monroe), a depressed ex-dancer who is in Reno getting a divorce. She’s been staying with Isabelle (Ritter) to establish her residency requirement for the divorce. They all have nowhere to be and no one to answer to, so they decide to head…
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Nutshell Reviews: Run Silent, Run Deep (1958) and Teacher’s Pet (1958)
In a Nutshell: Run Silent, Run Deep (1958) Directed by: Robert Wise Co-stars: Burt Lancaster, Don Rickles, Jack Warden Synopsis: Gable is Commander Richardson, a steel-willed Navy captain whose submarine is sunk by the Japanese early in World War II. After a year strapped behind a desk, he jumps at the opportunity to command another submarine–much to the chagrin of Lieutenant Bledsoe (Lancaster), who was set to take over the sub. The crew all sides with Bledsoe and resists Richardson’s authority. There is much uproar when the crew of the sub discovers that Richardson has gone off of their planned path to seek revenge on the Japanese sub that blew…
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Nutshell Reviews: Across the Wide Missouri (1951) and Lone Star (1952)
In a Nutshell: Across the Wide Missouri (1951) Directed by: William Wellman Co-stars: Ricardo Montalban, Adolphe Menjou Synopsis: Gable is Flint Mitchell, a fur trapper from Kentucky leading a group of French and Scottish trappers through the rugged West in the 1820′s. Battling Blackfoot Indians all the way, especially their chief Ironshirt (Montalban), he finds love with an Indian chief’s granddaughter (portrayed by Mexican actress Maria Elena Marques). Best Gable Quote: “You’re full of magic…the one woman in the world for me and I love you, pigeon. Maybe I didn’t know it when I found you but I know it now. You can’t understand what I’m trying to tell you…