{New Article} 1941: Things I Don’t Like About Myself

Well, this website is ten years old and I’ve got well over ten years’ worth of Clark Gable stuff clogging up my laptop, external hard drive and office. Since my Movie of the Week feature ended, I’m trying to organize things better; in particular the pictures on my laptop are nightmare. When you have 75,000+ pictures, what is the best way to organize them? By date? By subject? By subject, then by date? It makes one’s head explode. Which might just happen soon.

But before it does, I’m also digging through my articles. This is less of a feat although the sheer volume of articles I have to type might also make my head explode. One at a time, one at a time. The man’s been dead almost 60 years, eventually you’d think I’d stop finding articles on him right? Maybe eventually? I digress. Combing through a pile of articles I came across this one. I had typed and posted it’s companion piece, 1941: Gable on the Spot: Things We Like About Clark years ago, but somehow neglected to type and post this one. So here it is. It is apparently Clark telling this magazine reporter what he doesn’t like about himself.

 

Things I don’t like about myself? Lady, I could write a book.

There is that bad habit of forgetting dates and friends’ birthdays and anniversaries. It’s a good thing Mrs. G. takes care of that end of it—and she does a good job of it, too. Has a little book with everyone’s name and birthday and anniversary marked down and always send a gift or telegram. Many a time I’ve met a friend who’s said, “Say, thanks for the telegram. That was swell of you.” I have no more idea than a rabbit what he’s talking about, until I ask Mrs. G. and sure enough—it was his birthday.

That I don’t like in me at all. Or my impatience in stupidity. A stupid act or a person who gets unnecessarily stupidly, when he could just as easily have used his head, is the one thing that makes me lose my temper. And I don’t like losing my temper.

The way I hate to make publicity stills or have my picture taken makes even me sorry for the studio. I put it off just as long as I can possibly get away with it, then I finally go and act like a ham standing before a camera in riding boots or clutching a pipe between my teeth.

I should pay more attention to clothes, too. But the thought of getting a suit fitted drives all notion of clothes out of my head. I remember the big night when “Gone with the Wind” was previewed. The event called for white tie and tails and I forgot all about it until it was almost time to dress and then neither Carole nor I could find the suit. I had one somewhere. After we’d about given up, we finally discovered it hanging in the cleaning bag in the attic. They tell me I’m about the only actor in town who doesn’t at least know where his dress suit is.

I hate a liar. Maybe because I’m such a good one myself, heh? Anyway, to find someone has told an out-and-out lie puts him on the other side of the fence from me for all time.

I hate dishonesty in anyone, but sometimes I think I should be more tolerant of it. I hate pretentiousness almost as much. When Vic Fleming and I go into Arizona to look at property, we land in auto courts and thank God we have beds. None of this I’m-too-good-for-it sort of thing. That’s not my dish.

I should be neater, I guess. The other day Carole came on the set to visit and took one look at this trailer. “Where’s the broom?” was all she asked. Did she clean this place out! Otherwise it just stays as it is with the coffee pot and teapot and Campbell’s cookies in the drawers.

Most of the time the fan magazines are overtly fluffy and full of nonsense that more than likely was never uttered by the subject, but I do find this one to be largely “in his voice.” There are a lot of things listed here that have been used to describe him by those close to him. He very much disliked dishonesty and pretentiousness. When it came to friends and girlfriends, he ran very hot and cold. One day, you were as close to him as anyone. The next you could be shut out in the cold and you may never know why. It might have been something you’d said or some little thing you did–but once Clark decided he no longer wanted to spend time with you, that was that.  And although he was known to be extremely clean–showering three to four times a day–around the house he was known to be messy and disorganized.

You can read more about Clark’s “faults” in the Article Archive. 

(Article #16 posted in 2019)