Gossip
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Gossip Friday: Parnell is Serious Business
Clark on the set of Parnell From May 1937: Never has Clark Gable taken a role more seriously than “Parnell.” For the three days he was filming Parnell’s death, he went around looking like a ghost. He wouldn’t even ride his bike. He just gloomed. On top of that, he had a very bad cold. Late one afternoon frantic calls from newspapers besieged MGM demanding to know the truth about a rumor that Gable was dead. Gable replied from the Beverly Wilshire that the Gable rumor was garbled. The moment the picture was finished, Gable dashed for the Arizona mountains on a hunting trip with Ted Tetrach of the property…
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Gossip Friday: Clark’s Stand-in
From July 1940: On the set of “Boom Town”, Mickey Rooney dropped by for a visit with his idol, Clark Gable. Gable was doing a scene with Hedy Lamarr, in which the weeping actress threw herself down on a couch. Gable was supposed to come up to Hedy, pat her on the shoulder and tell her how much he loved her. The scene was just getting underway when Mickey arrived on the set, and Gable motioned to him to take his place. Imagine Hedy’s surprise when she heard Mickey’s voice, quivering from sheer nerves, saying, “I love you.” She turned quickly and burst into laughter, which Mickey blushed to the…
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Gossip Friday: The Truth about Matrimony
From April 1940: What, in a word, is the truth about matrimony on the coast? On a recent whirlwind tour of the colony I became the Marriage Reporter Pro Tem of the coast. I looked at the stars with no eye for their wardrobes, their coiffures or their conversation, if any. I studied them as wives. Not even Clark Gable’s eyelashes were able to deter me from my chosen point of view. Mr. Gable, bless his heart, was interesting to me only as a married man. And having angled some of the famous pairs from a strictly Married Love approach, I can report that things out there are just about…
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Gossip Friday: Too Many Eggs
From August 1940: Clark Gable’s such a successful farmer that his valley neighbors often drop by for advice on their alfalfa crops. Mrs. G. gets their wives into a huddle and begs them for “recipe counsel” . Seems that Clark, proud of his record-laying hens, likes the fruits of their labor used for his own table. “After you’ve fried, boiled, scrambled, baked and even eaten them raw,” Carole moans, “then what’s to do?” And don’t think she doesn’t slip them a dozen or two!
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Gossip Friday: On the stage
From November 1936: …Which reminds me of a swell yarn about Clark Gable. He is one Hollywood star who has never gone swell-head and who never forgets his early struggle. He was making an appearance on Louella Parsons’ “Hollywood Hotel” show, which as you may know broadcats from the old Figueroa Playhouse in downtown Los Angeles, whose boards, at one time or another, have been trod by all the great theatrical personages of the last decade. At a break in rehearsal, Clark walked over to a corner of the stage, faced the empty orchestra pit, and started playing to it. “Whatcha doing?” kiddingly inquired one of the orchestra boys. “Doncha…
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Gossip Friday: Where Shall We Eat?
Since I’m in Hollywood this week, here’s an item form 1934 on where the stars eat in Tinsel Town: Well, you must be hungry. Should we stop at a drug store for a sandwich? Or, we have the choice of three famous restaurants–the Brass Rail, a beer parlor once owned by Zeppo Marx, which has been a haunt of picture people ever since; Perry’s, Hollywood’s newest restaurant; or Sardi’s, where caricatures of celebrities line the walls. At the latter you might see Jackie Cooper, Will Rogers, Eddie Cantor, Charlie Chaplin, King Vidor and Jetta Goudal, who go there all the time. The most persistent Sardi fans, however, are Busby Berkeley…
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Gossip Friday: Closed Set
From March 1937: People thought Carole Lomabrd was going Garbo on them when she had the ‘Swing High, Swing Low” set closed to visitors. As a rule the Lombard sets are wide open to anyone with a pass and a desire to watch Lombard antics. But when “Swing High, Swing Low” started, nine-tenths of the visitors cornered Carole to ask her about the Clark Gable romance. So now Lombard is behind locked doors where she can keep her romance and her acting to herself. ____ Over 60 new pictures added to the gallery this week!
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Gossip Friday: Carole Live on the Air
From February 1940: At the Silver Theatre radio rehearsal, Carole Lombard and Conrad Nagel were deep in a discussion while waiting their turns for rehearsal. Eavesdropping resulted in the discovery that the conversation was about citrus fruit culture. Both Carole and Conrad had definite ideas on the best ways to cultivate crops of oranges and lemons. The discussion finally got so heated that Carole said, “Well, before we get into a fight over this, I’ll admit that maybe you’re right. After all, we have only four acres of citrus trees at our place.” Nagel looked shame-faced. “That’s decent of you,” he said, “because I’ll have to confess that on my…
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Gossip Friday: Something’s Missing
From December 1940: I knew something had been wrong with Hollywood these past few months. But I couldn’t put my finger on it. There didn’t seem to be any snap and pep in the place. Why there were days when everythings was as silent as the tomb. And just about as cheery. Now I know what was the matter and I am delighted to report that everything is inder control again. It was Missy Lombard–that charming screwball who has more humor in her little finger than an executive has in his entire writing department. Carole, the dope, went serious on us. No squeals and screams, no “simply out of this…
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Gossip Friday: “What’s that you say?” and some Carole pics
From December 1939: If you want to drive Carole Lombard crazy, just pretend to talk merrily while she is under a dryer. She is certain that you are telling a juicy tidbit and that she’s missing out on something. She’ll never believe that you were simply saying that it’s hot for this time of year. ______ Coming up this weekend–rare pics of Clark and Carole in the gallery! Until then, here are some of my personal favorite shots of candid Carole. One of the reasons I adore her so is that her candids actually LOOK candid. She didn’t care if she came across as a total goofball or not. …