Articles
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Clark Gable in Tampa Part 1: Virility and Charm–And His Voice is Husky Yet Soft
Since it’s Clark Gable’s birthday month, we will be featuring a series of small articles that were printed in the Tampa Tribune in February 1958. It was around his birthday that Clark Gable and wife Kay Spreckels arrived at the Tampa International Airport, en route to a cruise to the West Indies. Is any of this earth shattering information? No. But if you wanted to know what Clark thought of chemise dresses, if he ever unclogged sinks at home, if he thinks women should know how to cook, if he thinks Rhett ever came back to Scarlett, what his favorite cake is and if he likes to die in movies,…
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{New Article} 1949: The Story Behind The Gable Legend
Here’s a new article from 1949. Most of the fan magazine articles about Clark in this post-WWII, late 1940’s period are all about who he’s dating and who will be the next Mrs. Gable. This one has actually has some nice quotes about Clark. It’s kind of funny that in 1949 there is an article trying to explain why Clark Gable has been popular for almost 20 years. Here we are, 90 years after his film debut, still talking about him! He’s launched a double-dozen young actresses to fame through being his leading lady. He’s been a man’s hero, too. No clotheshorse ever, when he wore turtlenecked sweaters, everybody started…
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{New Article} 1954: Please Don’t Talk About Me
Here’s another one of these early 1950’s articles debating whom Clark will or will not marry. The subject of this one is the elusive model Suzanne Dadolle. I discussed Suzanne a few years ago in this post. Suzanne, like many before her, made the fatal mistake of talking to the press about her relationship with Clark. And with that, Suzanne was swiftly cut off, and rather stunned at the abruptness of it all. In Paris, on October 12, Suzanne, after returning to work at Schiaparelli’s, announced that she and Gable had been engaged, “but informally,” for several months, the implication being that never in a million years would she have…
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{New Article} 1954: Gable and His Girls
This 1954 article was written by everybody in Hollywood’s favorite “frenemy,” the infamous Louella Parsons. Most of the articles of this period, between Clark’s ill-fated marriage to Sylvia Ashley and his subsequent union with Kay Williams, focus on all of Clark’s girlfriends and who will be the next Mrs. Gable. The King laughed when I persisted in asking about beautiful blonde Grace Kelly (the new Hollywood sensation) with whom Clark was supposed to have been very much in love with they were making ‘Mogambo,’ and of Suzanne Dadolle, the French charmer of the odd name, with whom his name was later linked all over Europe. Grace is supposed to have…
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{New Article} 1956: The Great Gable
This 1956 article, written by Joe Hyams, was serialized over several weeks in newspapers around the country. It rehashes a lot of the same stuff any Gable fan has heard over and over, but there are some good nuggets, as it seems Joe did actually interview Clark, so it isn’t just a puff piece. During the years he was at MGM Gable was considered inaccessible. The studio built a wall around him. Would-be interviewers were told, “He’s impossible” or “Even if he does talk to you it will be about hunting and fishing and you can’t print that.” For this series Gable agreed to open up. He said, “It’s time…
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{New Article} 1942: Heart of a He-Man
This article, from October 1942, deals with the recently widowed Clark Gable returning to the set of Somewhere I’ll Find You. The film halted production for several weeks after the untimely death of Clark’s wife, Carole Lombard. The picture began again after weeks of many misgivings and many hopes, and the director called the crew together. “Boys, Gable will be back this afternoon—he’s coming in to get the feel again—just sit around—and let’s not say anything—I mean—oh, hell—you know what I mean!” His eyes were misty as he talked quietly and stumbled around for more words, because he didn’t want the boys to misunderstand. Neither did he want Mr. Gable…
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{New Article} 1946: Are You The Girl For Clark Gable?
This article is run-of-the-mill for the period. After Carole Lombard died and Clark was home from the war, every article was about who would be the next Mrs. Gable and what kind of women he likes. Hey but this one included a quiz! (and yes, it’s quite sexist) Take this test to see if you’re the girl for Gable. Are you mature in your manner? Do you have a quick mind? Do you possess a quality or knowledge which would make you interesting to Clark? Are you honest, frank, direct? Do you have a sense of humor? Are you good at gay small talk? Can you intelligently discuss engines, hunting,…
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{New Article} 1931: Tongue in His Cheek
So. The world shut down for months and of course, I, like everyone else, thought of all the time I would finally have to do things. I will finally type the stack of twenty-five articles on my desk! They will finally be done! Well, here we are three months later and they have not been touched. BUT I painted the hall closet and organized the pantry. More important than typing articles? Probably not but now the Honey Nut Cheerios have their own airtight container. Honey Nut Cheerios aside, here is a 1931 Clark Gable article that is run-of-the-mill for that period, but hey, I typed it! Ramon Navarro says: “I…
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Happy Birthday, Clark Gable
William Clark Gable was born 119 years ago today, February 1, 1901. He was born at 5:30am to Adeline “Addie” Hershelman Gable and William Gable in their second floor apartment in Cadiz, Ohio. To celebrate this year, I’m doing fan requests on our Instagram and Facebook pages, followed by a complete bio on Clark that will come out in increments over several days. Here on the website, there are four new articles: First off, we have a bit of a dud from Clark’s early career, What the Future Holds for Clark Gable, written in 1932 by Modern Screen magazine’s in-house astrologer. This article is completely showing its age. Can you…
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{New Article} 1952: The Inside Story Behind Clark Gable’s Feuds
This article, published while Clark Gable was in the midst of divorcing his fourth wife, Sylvia Ashley, promises some kind of inside information about juicy feuds involving the King of Hollywood. Not really though. These “feuds” are just between him and his soon-to-be-ex-wife, no big surprise there, and MGM, his home studio of 30+ years. Oh and he also doesn’t like Greer Garson. Not really juicy. The amount of the financial settlement Sylvia Gable is to receive, however, was not decided upon. Certainly, it will be much less than $500,000. The chances are she will settle for $50,000 and legal expenses amounting perhaps to $25,000 more. When Clark was asked…
