Gossip
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Gossip Friday: A Fan’s Plea to the Widower
A reader’s letter in a fan magazine, from August 1942: An Open Letter to Clark Gable Dear Clark, First of all, I want to extend to you my deepest sympathy. I can imagine, to some small degree, how much Carole meant to you, how you miss her cheery companionship, her contagious sportsmanship. We’ll all miss her—so please feel that we are eager to share your sorrow. But I want to ask you to think of us—the millions of your friends and hers—and beg you not to make that loss twofold. We can’t bring Carole back, but we can try to persuade you not to leave us. Won’t you please…
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Gossip Friday: Let’s Save Clark!
Letter to the editor, February 1934: Why will movie producers insist on re-making Clark Gable into a sweet, gentle lover? Every time I see one of his pictures I grow more disappointed. The women fell in love with him because he was a big, capable, protecting he-man. The men fell for him because he’s a man’s man. Then why make the screen’s mostperfect he-man into a sissy? Let’s keep him a caveman! Mary K. Jones 709 St. Claire Ave. Grosse Pointe, Mich.
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Gossip Friday: Gable for Negri?
From January 1932: We hear–unofficially–that far from deciding on Greta Garbo for “Grand Hotel,” Metro has decided to borrow Pola Negri for the chief female role and has offered, as an inducement to Pathe, to lend Clark Gable in exchange, for one picture! —- Interesting, but we all know Garbo did make “Grand Hotel” and Gable didn’t make another film for Pathe. Quite an idea, though…
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Gossip Friday: 1931–The Fans Have Spoken
Two fan letters from 1931: September: Richard Dix is plenty good, but give Clark Gable a real chance. He’s simply wonderful and no going out of the way to say it either. He has the looks that could steal any poor girl’s heart DeWuse John —– October: I have just seen “A Free Soul,” and is that a picture! It may not be the most wholesome type of picture, but to my mind is one of the best produced in some time, the reason being the splendid, forceful portrayals of Lionel Barrmore and Clark Gable. Miss Shearer was fine, too, as she always is, but special tribute is due Mr.…
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Gossip Friday: Santa Checks Up on Good Boys and Girls
In the January 1935 issue of Hollywood magazine, they printed “Santa’s book” of good and bad points for film stars. So who’s getting what they wanted for Christmas and who is getting coal? CLARK GABLE Good Points: For giving is It Happened One Night. Being always thoughtful of others. When a friend had no place to keep her dog, he gave it a home on his ranch. Bad Points: Balks at picture assignments with women stars. Drives studio frantic by disappearing between pictures, when he is wanted for story conferences. Gifts: More dogs to take care of CAROLE LOMBARD Good Points: Proved she could act in Twentieth Century. Came…
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Gossip Friday: Nuts About Gable
Letter to the editor, from December 1931: I think Clark Gable is taking the movie world by storm! He’s marvelous! Handsome and everything a movie fan wants! But–why on earth can’t he ever have a likable part in a picture? He was miscast in “Laughing Sinners;” imagine Gable in a Salvation Army garb!!! He was great in the “Secret Six” but he had a dislikable role. He was marvelous as the polished gambler in “A Free Soul” but imagine how the feminine hearts sank when he was shot after doing all that marvelous acting. In the future let us see Clark taking the male lead. Then watch his rise to…
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Gossip Friday: The Curtain Raiser?
From December 1936: YOU know, of course, that Clark Gable and his wife are merely separated—and that, until now at least, there’s been no move toward divorce. They’ve been living under a verbal agreement whereby they have arranged to live “peaceably apart.” BUT—just the other day, Clark started legal proceedings in open court, asking the California Superior bench to “define, compute and compound” the agreement between himself and his wife—so that there may be no misunderstanding when and if a divorce move is started by either. Wonder if that’s the curtain raiser?
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Gossip Friday: Poetry for the New Sheik
From October 1931: Metro is letting its news about its new screen sheik, Clark Gable, trickle out slowly to a breathless world. The latest bulletin is this: Clark’s dressing-room is filled with books of poetry with many underlined passages.
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Gossip Friday: No Dinner Parties!
From January 1932: Clark Gable and his wife are pretty well reconciled to the fact that they are going to have to fight off divorce rumors from here on in. But just by way of keeping down the quantity, Clark has let it known that Mr. and Mrs. Gable “do not do any entertaining.” In other words, there wll be no chance for curious “friends” to be present at a party and mistable an innocent little difference of opinion for what would later pass as a “first-hand” report of an argument between the Gables. Social affairs are a hotbed of Hollywood gossip. You know how the whisper goes: “So-and-So arrived…
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Gossip Friday: Attacked by Small Town Vamps
From December 1931: Clark Gable almost had his coat and vest and golf knickers torn off at the preview of “Susan Lenox” in a small town near Hollywood. The only reason Clark didn’t come home in a barrel is because he managed to outrun the hysterical femmes who were waiting for him at the finish of the picture. Poor Gable! He tried to smile and “be nice” to the crowd until the ladies began to tear and pull at his necktie and his shirt. When one of the small-town vamps began to shout, “Give us a kiss,” and all the other small-town vamps seemed bent on putting the suggestion into…