Happy 120th Birthday, Clark Gable
Clark Gable was born 120 years ago today, on February 1, 1901. The only child of William and Adeline Gable, he was born at home in their small duplex in Cadiz, Ohio, at 5:30am after 15 hours of labor. He weighed 10 and a half pounds!
You can view our posts about Clark Gable’s birthday over the years here.
These pictures of Clark celebrating with a large cake with a crown on it are widely circulated. Here’s the deal on that particular birthday party in 1938:
They halted shooting on Stage 12 at MGM yesterday afternoon to celebrate Clark Gable’s birthday. Since the Chicago Tribune News Syndicate named him king of movie stars, the tag has stuck and the birthday party was built around the coronation motif, with Queen Myrna Loy there to cut the cake, and Spencer Tracy on hand to spoof the royal celebrant. As Gable is now making “Test Pilot,” Carole Lombard sent him an affectionate note inclosing two tickets to the big sight-seeing blimp that circles over Los Angeles. His stand-in, dressed in Irish costume, carried in the huge cake with a crown made of confection, and said: “I wear this Irish costume, King Gable, to remind you of ‘Parnell.’ Always remember it, Kingey, because the theater owners will never forget it.”
Then Judy Garland sang a song and the lyrics recalled “Parnell.”
Gable, like Jack Dempsey, is a born crowd-pleaser and, like Dempsey, he always knows what to say. When the adjusted the tiny crown on his head and strapped it under his chin with a silk ribbon, he cracked: “Put that ribbon on top of my ears, to hold them down!”
Louis B. Mayer, standing with Eddie Mannix, Benny Thau, Bob Montgomery and Bill Grady, nodded approvingly: “That’s why he’s such a favorite–only the really big person will kid himself.”
I believe Judy Garland actually sang “Dear Mr. Gable, You Made Me Love You” which she had sung at his birthday party the previous year, which happened to be on the set of Parnell.
I am quite positive that Clark would have scoffed at the notion that anybody would remember him on his 120th birthday, 60 years after his death. But we sure do.
Happy Birthday, Clark Gable!!
4 Comments
Barry Lane
Very nice, and appreciated.
CocoB
Gable would definitely be amazed that 120 years later so many people still love him and his work- from all over the world.
He would still be shaking his head at this amazing website dedicated to him and all the work you have done over the years.
My husband and I love movies of all kinds and all genres. Both American and foreign. In this last year of lockdown and heartbreak- there is not much to lift the spirit at times but we always seem to come back to a Gable movie. And they work- we feel better after.
Gable’s career spanned some of the most difficult years Americans had ever seen – he made people feel better then and he’s still got it now.
If you can TCM is dedicating today to Clark with a marathon of his movies, enjoy them.
Happy Birthday Clark!
SUSAN FLANAGAN
Thank you for the wonderful tribute to Mr. Gable. He will always be a favorite to all you “get” movies from the golden era. Week after week I so enjoy your website. It must take considerable time to dedicate to Clark Gable’s career and it is an extraordinary result of entertainment history!
RIP Clark Gable, your charisma lives on!
Dan
Happy Birthday Clark!! How I wish I could have met you but alas, you died well before I was even born. They do not make stars like you anymore.- Thanks you so much for your tribute for CG again this year. This piece just highlights the fun these stars must have had at this time in history. I love this site and come here daily to get a little reminder of the world as it once was. You have created something special here 🙂