Gossip
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Gossip Friday: En Route to Pheasants
From October 1941: Clark Gable, the movie star, and his equally famous wife, Carole Lombard, paused briefly at the Omaha airport Tuesday night enroute to Watertown, North Dakota, where Gable plans to go pheasant hunting.
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Gossip Friday: Still Kicking
From March 1941: Clark Gable’s still kicking That regularly recurring report of Clark Gable’s death was going the rounds again this week; the rumor originated in Georgia this time and had the star smashed to smithereens in an automobile accident. As usual, a studio executive had to go through the red-tape ceremony of going over to Gable’s set and asking him whether he was dead or alive.
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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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Gossip Friday: Informality Rules
From April 1941: If Carole Lombard calls you on the phone and tells you that she and Clark Gable would like to have you come up to their San Fernando ranch for dinner, by all means don’t get yourself all gussied up. When the Gables are at home, informality is the law. Clark likes to loaf around in gray slacks without any semblance of a press. Carole, while always smartly dressed, still gets a big kick out of being garbed like a rancher’s wife. Don’t tell Clark he is a great actor. He’ll think you’re kidding him. Do suggest seeing his newest car. He’s like a little boy about automobiles and…
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Gossip Friday: Too Old
From October 1939: Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy and Robert Taylor were discussing the war the other day in the studio cafe. Tracy said: “Well, Taylor, I suppose you’ll be the first to go if if the United States gets into this thing. Too bad. Gable and I are lucky. We’re too old.” “Yeah, we’re too old,” echoed Gable. “Yeah,” replied Taylor, ducking, “it took the war to bring that out.” ___ Gable was NOT too old, as it turned out a few years later…
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Gossip Friday: Acrobat Over Queen
From February 1939: Norma Shearer has found an acrobat is more popular than a queen, taking the grosses of “Marie Antoinette” and “Idiot’s Delight” into consideration. Of course, in the latter, the ladies in the audience do nip-ups, too, because Clark Gable is in the cast. ___ I am not sure what “nip-up” is supposed to mean…
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Gossip Friday: First Shot in the Can
From January 1935: Twentieth Century’s “Call of the Wild” went into production at the United Artists studios yesterday with Director William Wellman making something of a record by putting away his first shot at 9:45am. More than 300 but and extra players shared the scene with Clark Gable, Loretta Young, Jack Oakie and Katharine de Mille. The call was 9:00am on the set. After two more days in the set, which reproduces Tex Rickard’s Skagway saloon during the Alaskan gold rush, the unit goes north January 3 in a Southern Pacific special of eleven cars, producer Darryl F. Zanuck stated. Ed Ebele, production manager, has has a staff of fifty…
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Gossip Friday: Hitting the Road
From January 1935: Oddly enough, Hollywood, the film capital which is not a city, cannot be reached via railroad–except by freight train! Clark Gable and Jim Tully–one a screen idol, the other a noted scenarist and author–selected this unusual path to fame several years ago when they “hit the road” to study geography first hand. The paths of these two men crossed one day, and they “threw in” with each other, traveling together across the western states, taking odd jobs and gaining an understanding of human nature that was to stand them both in good stead. Tully has give the world many delightful and colorful stories based on his own…
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Gossip Friday: Dad Gable
From 1948: Very little has been written about Clark Gable’s devotion to his father. Seldom, if ever, did they pose for pictures together. And all for good reason. Clark’s dad was proud of his son, but wanted no part of the spotlight. He lived close to the Gable ranch with Clark’s adored stepmother. She died recently and while Clark was in Europe, his father followed her. Clark hurried home for the funeral. There were no crowds, no clicking cameras. That was the way Dad Gable would have wanted it. During all his years in Hollywood, unless he was out of town, Clark never missed Sunday night dinner with his family.…
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Gossip Friday: No Room for Takeoff
From April 1935: Clark Gable had his troubles when he boarded a plane at Dallas, Texas, en route for Hollywood, for a mob of his admirers, mostly women, burst through the police lines and surrounded the machine. Finally the pilot was able to get sufficient space to take off. The women certainly were frantic to see Gable.