Idiot's Delight
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Gossip Friday: Big Foot
From January 1939: Clark Gable was afflicted today with an ailment that brought no romantically sympathetic telegrams from his feminine fans. His 11-C size feet have swollen half a size, after six weeks of hoofing in patent leathers as a song and dance man for “Idiot’s Delight,” his latest motion picture. All his shoes tweak. Dr. H.A. Jones, a chiropodist, who was called in to see if something could be done to shrink the star’s growing feet, suggested Gable soak them in salt water twice a day.
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Gossip Friday: Setting a Record
From November 1938: Clark Gable says he has set a record for osculation in the movies. He had to kiss four nurses in one sitting in “Idiot’s Delight.” But something went wrong with each take (I think I know why), and Clark had to do each scene with each girl ten times. “I’m not sure I liked it,” said Mr. Gable. I bet Miss Lombard doesn’t like it, either.
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Gossip Friday: Know It Backwards
From November 1938: As a very special favor, I was permitted on the “Idiot’s Delight” set–and understood the guarded doors when I found them filming the tap-dancing sequences Clark Gable hates so much. Director Clarence Brown asked Clark if he wanted a rehearsal before they started shooting, but Clark brushed him aside. “Naw,” he growled, “I know the thing backwards.” One take half-completed and Brown shouted “Cut!” Walking over to Gable, he added, a grim note to his voice: “Clark, I think you’re right. You know it backwards–but that isn’t the way we want it done!”
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Movie of the Week: Idiot’s Delight (1939)
You get to watch Clark Gable dance the very best he can and Norma Shearer do her very best Greta Garbo impression in this week’s film, Idiot’s Delight (1939). Gable is Harry Van, a World War I vet and struggling vaudeville performer when he meets Irene (Norma Shearer), while performing in a traveling show in Omaha, Nebraska. He is the assistant to the hilariously inept Madame Zulieka (Laura Hope Crews), she an acrobat. They have a brief romance before going their separate ways. Many years pass as Harry tries different acts and odd jobs in between. Fast forward to 1939 and Harry is on a train in Europe with his current act, Les…
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Gossip Friday: Not a Natural Hoofer
From January 1939: Clark Gable’s feet have been problem children ever since he can remember. “The jams they have gotten me into would fill a book,” he said. But from now on, Gable’s 11-C’s have his blessings. He admits being gratefully surprised that they piloted him safely through his song-and-dance act for “Idiot’s Delight,” now showing at the Liberty Theater. “Frankly,” Gable remarked, “that dance business had me worried for two years. I was sold on playing the part of Hoofer Harry Van from the night I saw Alfred Lunt’s performance on the stage in New York. It was a great role, and one that I felt suited me, except…
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{Photos} Idiot’s Delight (1939)
Let’s take a look at some of the photos from 1939’s Idiot’s Delight, infamously known as Clark’s singing and dancing picture. On the Set: Lots of divine publicity shots with Norma Shearer: And of course there were many publicity shots taken of Clark with those pretty blondes: And how about some Clark close-up screenshots?
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Nutshell Reviews: Saratoga (1937), Test Pilot (1938), Too Hot to Handle (1938) and Idiot’s Delight (1939)
In a Nutshell: Saratoga (1937) Directed by: Jack Conway Co-stars: Jean Harlow, Lionel Barrymore, Frank Morgan, Walter Pidgeon, Una Merkel Synopsis: Gable is Duke Bradley, a bookie who acquires the deed to the Brookdale horse ranch because the owner, Mr. Clayton (Jonathan Hale) owes him a lot of money. When Clayton dies, his daughter Carol (Harlow), who dislikes Bradley, is determined to get the horse ranch back in the family by winning horse races to pay Bradley back. Meanwhile, Bradley tries to bait Carol’s rich fiancée (Pidgeon) to place bets with him. Best Gable Quote: “This is more work than I’ve done for a woman since my mother.” Not-So-Fun Fact:…
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CMBA Movies of 1939 Blogathon: Idiot’s Delight
Idiot’s Delight, one of those classic films where one might say, “What kind of a title is that?”, was based on a hit Broadway play starring Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt. It won the Pulitzer Prize and was revered for its strong anti-Nazi themes. When MGM bought the film rights, all anti-Nazi references were removed, leaving just the structure of the story. Pre-World War II America wouldn’t want to see such negativity, after all, and who wants to ruin the foreign receipts by risking it being banned in Europe? Gable is Harry Van, a World War I vet and struggling vaudeville performer when he meets Irene (Norma Shearer), while…
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Gossip Friday: Two Left Feet
From January 1939: Clark Gable, attempting to master the art of tap dancing for his role in “Idiot’s Delight”, doesn’t know an electrician hid on a high rafter of the sound stage to watch Clark, who permitted no watchers. And the electrician became so convulsed at Clark’s awkwardness he nearly fell headlong at the actor’s feet! __________ Hey now, Clark didn’t do so bad! Stay tuned– I’ll be reviewing Idiot’s Delight for the CMBA Films of 1939 Blogathon on Tuesday. New this week: I have added two new categories to the gallery– “In His Footsteps,” which has pictures of places Clark has wandered. Right now I have uploaded pictures of the…
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Gossip Friday: Snooping in the Dressing Room
From Febraury 1939: It occured to us while we patiently waited in Clark Gable’s portable dressing room for Clark to finish a scene with Norma Shearer for “Idiot’s Delight”, that maybe you, too, would like to know something about that famous Gable dressing room which is wheeled from set to set. The walls, to begin with, are knotty pine. The dressing table, also knotty pine, is bare and simple , with a single mirror and two lights. There is no make-up kit anywhere in sight. Two ample-sized brass ashtrays are gastened to the walls–one by the red leather divan and one by the red leather easy chair, the only…
