From April 1937: The sudden rush on holiday toy shops was not due entirely to the holiday season. Clark Gable started it when he began buying dolls and sending them to people–Carole Lombard and Madeline Fields were the first recipients–with the announcement, “This is the way you looked when you were young!” The shops were practically sold out of funny-looking baby dolls in no time. But smart buyers are looking ahead. One of them told us, “We are ordering a stack of grotesque and astonishing old lady and old gentlemen dolls–caricature dolls–because actors are already trying to order insulting ones to send to other actors with the message, “This is…

From December 1933: Clark Gable laughed at this, so I suppose I am safe passing it along. I mean this paragraph from a letter from Jean Betty Huber, a Gable fan: “We took snapshots. One pose especially was good; I was garbed in slacks and had my arms around Clark Gable. Our ‘Clark” happens to be the cutest little brown calf with the world’s BIGGEST EARS!!! Oh, well, Clark laughed at it.

From May 1954: Clark Gable has given Flickerville something to talk about since his departure from the MGM lot. He’s reported as having snubbed old, old pals and a couple of West Coast scribes who really helped put him up there with The Big Ones. “The King” is very haughty these days and isn’t having any of the old rah, rah, rah comradeship huddles that used to be part of the Gable legend. Despite the boost in his career that “Mogambo” gave him, tailor-made vehicles for His Majesty aren’t in the offing…

From December 1953: On his last visit to [New York City], Clark Gable gave most of the major night clubs a big play, and he was spotted in as many as five and six different cafes nightly but never with a party of friends numbering less than eight. Toughest assignment to get, according to newsmen, was a daytime interview with the star—he was never available until after sundown and never after sunrise.