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Happy Birthday, Mr. Gable
Clark Gable was born 121 years ago today, on February 1, 1901, in Cadiz, Ohio. The only child of William and Adeline Gable, Clark or “Billy” as he was called growing up, would one day be one of the biggest movie stars in the world. And 121 years later, we still remember him. Director Mervyn LeRoy once said, “The tough thing about describing Clark Gable is that there’s nothing bad to say.” There was a general consensus around Hollywood that Clark was a stand-up guy–remarkably unpretentious and without an ounce of self-importance. A rare type of man whom men wanted to be friends with and women were automatically smitten with. A…
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Gossip Friday: On the Up and Up
From July 1931– (Clark is pictured as one of “Four Newcomers Who are On the Up and Up.” The other four are Wynne Gibson, Joel McCrea and Mae Clarke): “Your ears stick out–“ “Your hair isn’t curly–“ “You aren’t good looking–“ This is the song producers sang to Clark Gable six years ago when he tried crashing the movies. Today, they are singing a different tune–to the sum of $750 weekly and a five-year contract with Metro. The styles in movie heroes change. Then, the sheik reigned, Valentino. Now, it’s the big he-man with the rough and tumble personality, Clark Gable. They wouldn’t give him a chance then. Now, he’s…
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Gossip Friday: Setting Sail
From October 1936: Clark Gable is in the market for a yacht, with a globe-circling cruise in mind. Hollywood rumor has it that he will purchase John Barrymore’s “Infanta”, said to be up for sale. From a reliable source, I hear that Gable’s proposed trip will be for business, as well as pleasure, and that he will be accompanied by W.S. Van Dyke, adventuring director who filed “Trader Horn” and other notable films.
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Gossip Friday: Happy New Year in Hawaii
From June 1950: December 31, 1949 was our last vacation day in Hawaii, and some friends and I decided to make it one we’d never forget. At 1:00am, after seeing the New Year in, we took one last spin along Waikiki Beach, hoping to meet some celebrities we could talk about back home. Suddenly a sparkling 1950 car drive up alongside ours, and a handsome person stretched out his head and yelled, “Happy New Year!” Surprised as we were, we quickly answered, “Happy New Year Clark Gable…Happy New Year, Mrs. Gable!” Winifred Chinem Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Gossip Friday: And The Next Mrs. Gable Is….
From January 1950, Hedda Hopper: A legal barrier is Clark Gable’s greatest protection against a married man’s date. Paulette Goddard is still married to Burgess Meredith–otherwise, I think that clever gal would have been the King’s queen by now. I never sell Paulette short in getting whatever she wants, and it certainly looks as if she wants Clarkie. I’m keeping my fingers crossed there for a long time to come, because I think Clark secretly longs to be wed again and he’s going to fall pretty hard when he does at last. _____ Funny that by the time this issue hit newsstands Clark WAS married….to Sylvia Ashley! Sorry Hedda…
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It’s Carole Lombard Month!
It’s that time of year again! For the sixth year running, October is Carole Lombard month on DearMrGable.com! That means Carole Lombard articles, Gossip Fridays, photos and more, so stay tuned!
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Gossip Friday: Quiet Ann
From December 1949: I remember a party when Loretta Young was at the same dinner table with Ann [Sheridan] and Clark Gable. Loretta talked brilliantly. Ann made no attempt to take the spotlight. In fact, she didn’t speak more than half a dozen words. She offered nothing–just laughed loudly when Loretta or someone said something amusing. ____ Kind of an awkward dinner table…
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Gossip Friday: Fashionably Interested
From April 1950: The invitations to Adrian’s spring fashion show read, “So many men have asked me, ‘Why can’t we come to your fashion show and see what our wives are buying?’–that he invited the gents. Even so, seeing Clark Gable sitting beside his bride, Sylvia, who carefully marked all of Adrian’s best numbers down, was something I thought I’d never live to witness! Yes, there was king Gable, looking as interested as all get-out–and seeing him was worth paying admission for. At first I thought Clark was blushing, but it was only a deep sunburn!
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Gone with the Wednesday: Photoplay Magazine Makes Their Choice For Rhett
In 1937, when the casting of Gone with the Wind was the #1 topic of debate, Photoplay magazine declared their choice for Rhett Butler loud and clear. Photoplay Throws Its Hat in the Ring Herewith we enter the Great Casting Battle of “Gone with the Wind,” because to our mind there is but one Rhett–Clark Gable. So sure we were of our choice that we had Vincentini paint this portrait of Clark as we see him in the role: cool, impertient, utterly charming. We like all the other handsome actors mentioned as Rhett–only we don’t want them as Rhett. We want Gable and we’re going to stick to that…
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Listen up! More New Audio
I’m very excited to be adding quite a few new radio shows over the next few weeks. New today are: Clips from “The Chase and Sanborn Hour”: Listen to Clark and Edgar Bergen with dummy Charlie McCarthy compare hunting stories and compete for a date with Dorothy Lamour. A short clip from December 10, 1939 in which Clark discusses attending the Gone with the Wind premiere at the end of the week in Atlanta. Happy listening!
