{New Article} 1931: Tongue in His Cheek

clark gable

So. The world shut down for months and of course, I, like everyone else, thought of all the time I would finally have to do things. I will finally type the stack of twenty-five articles on my desk! They will finally be done! Well, here we are three months later and they have not been touched. BUT I painted the hall closet and organized the pantry. More important than typing articles? Probably not but now the Honey Nut Cheerios have their own airtight container.

Honey Nut Cheerios aside, here is a 1931 Clark Gable article that is run-of-the-mill for that period, but hey, I typed it!

Ramon Navarro says: “I believe Clark Gable to be the best starring material we’ve had in Hollywood for several years!”

Joan Crawford says: “He is just about the grandest actor I’ve ever had the privilege of working with…he’ll surely hit the top.”

A studio hand says: “I’ve seen ‘em all come and go. But I’m willing to bet anyone in Hollywood a ten-spot that Gable will go farther than any other young man on the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer lot if he is given the chance.”

A studio typist pleads: “Can’t you do something to keep Clark Gable out of sight? Every time he so much as passes through our office my head starts to reel. If I’m ever going to get this work done…well, just keep Gable out of here…that’s all!”

Yes, that’s the way they feel about Clark Gable out at his own studio. What’s more, almost all of Hollywood feel the same way. And from the fan mail that is already pouring in…in spite of the fact that he has only been in a very few pictures…one can easily guess that the entire country is going for Gable in a big way.

But there is one person who is not at all up-in-the-air about the success of Clark Gable—and that one person is Clark himself.

…

Something tells me that Clark has Hollywood’s number. Here is one potential star who is not growing near-sighted nor increasing his hat band as stardom looms up around the corner!

Strictly speaking, he is not a handsome man in the movie-actor sense of the word. He has too much jaw bone—too much character in his face. Although most of his fan mail is from women there is nothing particularly romantic in his appearance. To the contrary, his screen personality s slightly cruel—more ruthless than wooing. But combined with his masculine strength there is the color and depth of his attractive speaking voice wherein, I believe, lies the secret of his fascination—and incidentally his very good contract.

Away from the screen he carries none of that suggestion of menace. He appears far younger and more juvenile without benefit of his grease-paint. Though the studio is not zealous in publicizing the fact, he has been happily married for several years to girl no longer connected with the profession. His private life is in many ways no different and certainly no more exciting than Robert Montgomery’s or Neil Hamilton’s. But unlike those young men he has had the advantage of having been beaten by Hollywood before the loving cup of success was lifted to his lips. They say Montgomery is having a little difficulty keeping his feet on the ground.

That is one gymnastic trick Gable will not have to master.

“I can’t help comparing the fate of that fellow I was five years ago to the break they are giving Clark Gable now,” he continued his ironical tale. “I am no better an actor than then. You see, I did not come to the studios inexperienced and hoping for a chance to learn the acting craft. I had had many years of stock engagements and Broadway behind me when I first tried the movies as an extra on the Paramount, Universal and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer lots.”

Clark’s career has been a colorful one, if not unusual from other actor’s in many respects. He fought through the same paternal objections, tried his hand at jobs which did not particularly interest him following his graduation from high school in Hopedale, Ohio, then suddenly broke all ties and set out to do what his heart had always been set on—a career of acting. “Acting fascinated me because it seemed to be a job that could never be entirely mastered no matter how high your name went up in electric lights. There was always the variety of learning new roles—new parts with new interpretations. It could never grow monotonous like lumber-jacking, contracting, salesmanship or any of the other jobs I had tackled.”