Gossip
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Gossip Friday: Rhett Refuses to Twang
From June 1939: Clark Gable, even, is taking his role of Rhett Butler very, very seriously. More seriously than any he’s every played before, his pals tell us. But he’s not going to try to talk with a Southern accent. So different from Vivien Liegh, the English gal who got the Scarlett O’Hara role. Vivien IS developing a Southern drawl for the film. Even to the extent of snooting her English pals, these nights. She turns down their dinner and party invitatons with this classic–“So soddy, my deahs–but I just cahn’t afford to be exposed to your broad A’s. I’ve got to talk Southern, honey!”
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Gossip Friday: Don’t Believe Your Hunches
From February 1932: Playing hunches or other psychic suggestions is not Clark Gable’s way of doing things. “I don’t believe in hunches at all,” he argued. “In fact my experience has been that hunches work out exactly the opposite way. A lot of people kid themselves into believing a hunch made them do this, that or the other thing that panned out well. As a matter of fact, it was either their own good judgement or advice from outside sources that guided them and not a hunch at all. They judt don’t stop to analyze the reasons behind their own decisions and give all the credit to an imaginary hunch.”…
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Gossip Friday: The Grieving Husband
From February 24, 1942: Clark Gable today was expected to report back to work at his studio within a few days to begin work on “Somewhere I’ll Find You.” The production was postphoned indefinitely when the actor’s wife, Carole Lombard, perished in a plane crash in Nevada. From February 27, 1942: Clark Gable did not actually work before the cameras the first two days after returning to MGM for “Somewhere I’ll Find You.” He sat quietly on the set talking to his director, Wesley Ruggles, and watching various scenes. From March 2, 1942: What can Hollywood offer Clark Gable–without Carole Lombard? It certainly can’t tempt him with more money, more fame,…
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Gossip Friday: Moving On Out
From June 1932: When Clark Gable’s wife went to New York, Clark gave up the apartment that they had occupied together and moved into bachelor quarters. But he didn’t give anybody the address and when he appeared at the studio his manager was constantly by his side to keep him from being questioned about the divorce, which folks say is imminent. However, in his new neighborhood word sort of got around among the kids that Clark was living in that corner house and dozens of little girls–all under ten, Mrs. Gable–have presented themselves at the front door, welcomed Clark to his new house and asked for an autographed picture. In…
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Gossip Friday: Oh, Buster!
From December 1931: Buster Keaton got generous one day and invited the entire cast of “Possessed” to be his guests for luncheon. Joan Crawford and Clark Gable were the honored guests. Then he served them corned beef and cabbage and onions. And that afternoon Joan and Clark had to do a big love scene. Oh, Buster!
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Gossip Friday: Carole’s Free Films
From September 1941: Clark Gable gave Carole Lombard a 16mm projector and sound equiptment last Christmas, and she decided it would be very nice to have a 16mm library of all her hit pictures. She made inquiries and discovered that a 16mm copy of a feature film, with sound, costs four hundred dollars and she could get a twenty percent discount. So, very blithely, she made the rounds of the various studios where she’d made the films, and told them about her wonderful idea. The studio heads insisted upon presenting her with the copies. Not one would let her pay for them. Which was pretty heartwarming for Miss Lombard—thinking, after…
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Gossip Friday: Christmas with Classic Stars (Part 2)
Continued excerpt from last week, “Santa is a Headache”, Hollywood magazine, January 1940: Many of the stars, including Barbara Stanwyck, have started a considerable amount of Christmas charity work. Barbara tells me: “I’d a lot rather give the money to a hospital or to some needy groups of people than spend it on gifts for friends who already have a lot. I think they like it better, too.” There is a growing tendency among the players to get away from cards. Most send telegrams to friends who aren’t within the charmed gift circle. Or cards which read: “This card should be a very nice one. But it’s plain, because my…
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Gossip Friday: Christmas with Classic Stars (Part 1)
Excerpt from an article entitled “Santa is a Headache” from the January 1940 issue of Hollywood magazine: Claudette Colbert is one who started her shopping last August–with a notebook. Each time she found out what someone wanted, she wrote it down. Then she weny out and shopped. She put into the giving much of her own time and thought, which makes her gifts worthwhile. Joan Crawford will be doing the same thing. Jewelry, clothing, and countless other gifts will be selected and wrapped by Joan herself. Hearty Clark Gable will be shopping these days with Carole Lombard for three things: Gags, personal gifts and a large stock of liquid cheer…
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Gossip Friday: Battle of the Beard
From March 1937: Parnell will always be remembered in MGM records as the picture of the battle of the beard. Because Parnell wore a beard, they wanted Clark Gable, who portrays the great Irish leader, to grow one. Gable protested. Director John M. Stahl, stickler for realism, insisted and produced bearded Parnell photos. Gable hired a research expert, unearthed Parnell pictures showing him smooth shavem. Finally they shot tests of Gable wearing a false beard, and they looked so funny and foolish that they abandoned the idea. During shooting of the production, the MGM commissary had to strike blackberry pie off of its menu, because the extras got their beards…
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Gossip Friday: Mrs. Clark Gable Pays Her Bill
From March 1932: Well, well, well, Mrs. Clark Gable certainly pays her bills on time. She was in Magnin’s shortly after the first of January and gave the saleslady a check to take to the accounting department to see if it checked with the store’s figures of what she owed them. She had kept track of her bill and brought in the check before she received an accounting! And was she getting attention! Seven salesladies hovering over her at once. And the customers whispering to each other, “That’s Mrs. Clark Gable.” I couldn’t help but remember Clark’s remark, “And a year ago I could have walked down Hollywood Boulevard munching…