Gossip
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Gossip Friday: You Need a Sense of Humor
From July 1941: Clark Gable and Bing Crosby pass out identical advice. If you want to be popular, successful and happy, say they, develop a sense of humor. “Because a sense of humor will let a girl be natural,” specifies Clark Gable. “It will act as a shock-absorber for the rough spots a girl’s going to find wherever she goes. And because it’s a pleasure to work with jolly people, she will find herself in demand everywhere.” “A sense of humor makes affectation impossible,” explains Bing. “A sense of humor and a sincerity set off a girl’s wholesomeness. That’s the best bit of happiness and success insurance any girl can…
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Gossip Friday: Quite a Party
From April 1957: The party of the month: Whether it cost $125,000 as loudly calculated, or just one third of that amount, there’s no argument that the lavish party hosted by oil millionaire Tex Feldman and his wife was one of the most elaborate ever held in any town–any time. The private room at Romanoff’s was completely redecorated into a replica of New York’s famed Delmonico Restaurant at the turn of the century. The guests were invited to dress in the theme of “My Fair Lady.” … Clark Gable and his Kay asked if they could bring two out-of-town guests, and had to be told they couldn’t! Because of the…
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Gossip Friday: How “Apeeling”
From May 1951: Clark Gable forgetting his cares (which mostly concern the poor pictures they’ve been giving him) by taking his bride to Ciro’s to look at the lady with a “peel,” Lili St. Cyr. ___ Lili, for those who don’t know, was a famous striptease artist. Yowza.
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Gossip Friday: Crooner’s Union
From June 1945: Clark Gable and Cary Grant have been served notice to join the “Crooner’s Union” or suffer the consequences. The threat comes red hot from Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Andy Russell. Cary is going to warble several Cole Porter numbers in “Night and Day.” Clarkie-boy whips off a few bars of “The Trolley Song” in “This Strange Adventure.” If they can possibly arrange it, the day these numbers are recorded, Bing, Frank and Andy are going to sneak on the set and give out with a few Bronx cheers.
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Gossip Friday: Not a New Big Romance
From February 1954: The most absurd publicity stunt of the month: the wire service which released a photograph of Marilyn Monroe dancing with Clark Gable and captioned it: THE NEW, BIG ROMANCE OF HOLLYWOOD. Clark was seated at her table at a party and invited Marilyn to twirl around the floor with him, the one and only meeting they ever had.
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Gossip Friday: Hello? You There?
From 1944: Until recently, the romance between Captain Clark Gable and lovely Kay Williams has progressed only through the good offices of one of Kay’s neighbors. She has been unable to secure a telephone, so Clark–in calling her–had to dial the number of an MGM employee, who would then have Clark hold the wire while the neighbor or his wife rushed around the corner to fetch Kay to answer.
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Gossip Friday: No Strange Cats on Strange Cargo
From March 1940: Disappointment smacked down all the let’s-be-there-when-it-happens gang, who under one pretext or another managed to clutter up the sound stage on the first day of shooting for MGM’s Strange Cargo. That’s the picture in which, you know, Joan Crawford and Clark Gable share top billing. And for weeks, the rumor has hottened Hollywood, that Joan and Clark were about as friendly as a couple of strange cats, and that when they got together, the temperamental fur would fly all over the set. So what happened? So Joan smiled at Clark, and Clark smiled at Joan, and it remained for Joan’s famous dachshund “Puppchen” to provide the only…
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Gossip Friday: New Collector
From August 1938: Gable item for the month: Clark’s taken up stamp collecting! One of the prop boys explained the fun you get out of saving stamps of all nations and Gable promptly ordered his secretary to carefully put aside all the stamps that arrive on fan mail. Can you imagine Carole Lombard sitting on her parlor floor, calm as a cucumber, pondering the newest issue from Paraguay?
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Gossip Friday: Roland vs. Gable
From August 1934: A fist fight almost marred Samuel Goldwyn’s bridge party when Gilbert Roland misunderstood a remark made to his escort, charming Constance Bennett, by Clark Gable. Connie and Clark were playing at the same table when the latter uttered the words that so aroused Gilbert, seated nearby, and caused him to leap from his chair, remove his coat, and shout at Gable, “You quit picking on her and pick on me!” But all’s well that ends well!
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Gossip Friday: Things That May Never Happen?
From October 1932: Things that may never happen: That threatened Constance Bennett retirement. That Clark Gable divorce. A movie comeback for Alice White. A wolf at Charlie Chaplin’s door. ___ Well. Constance Bennett didn’t retire from the screen until 1966. Clark and second wife Ria divorced in 1939. Alice White worked pretty steadily through the 1930’s, puttered out in the 40’s. And I don’t know what they mean by the Charlie Chaplin comment. Might be about the fact he was reluctant to do talkies….which we all know he eventually did.
