{New Article} 1942: Heart of a He-Man

This article, from October 1942, deals with the recently widowed Clark Gable returning to the set of Somewhere I’ll Find You. The film halted production for several weeks after the untimely death of Clark’s wife, Carole Lombard.

The picture began again after weeks of many misgivings and many hopes, and the director called the crew together. “Boys, Gable will be back this afternoon—he’s coming in to get the feel again—just sit around—and let’s not say anything—I mean—oh, hell—you know what I mean!” His eyes were misty as he talked quietly and stumbled around for more words, because he didn’t want the boys to misunderstand. Neither did he want Mr. Gable to feel strange. We all gulped. We caught on quick.

Mr. Gable came back. Everybody was so glad to see him it made your throat tighten and you wanted to cry. Lots of the boys did. You had all you could do not to pat him on the back. In their attempt to be inconspicuously nonchalant, several people fell over each other. I wished fervently it would make Mr. Gable feel good that he was back in the swing of things. From that moment nothing interfered with his being on the set before shooting and working through the long, solid, sometimes weary days that followed. I took off my hat to Mr. Gable!

In the months that have passed, everywhere I’ve gone people have talked to me. Big people, little people. Important people all because they were identified with an issue that meant a good deal to them. “What’s Clark Gable like? How does he act? How does he feel? What’s he going to do?” they’d ask. At first, I was annoyed. Curiosity, I judged it.  But I realized it is the province of the soul to be interested in your fellow man. Not curiosity. Interest. It is part of the vast hope and admiration for the courage of one who could easily have gone down had there been less of this interest and his hope to keep him up.

He is a gentleman for whom all who know him and work with him have an appreciation that is akin to worship. I have only once before been witness to similar appreciation…I sat on the set day after day. I have seen Mr. Gable. Watched him do his scenes with infinite finesse when he looked as if his heart would break and as if his eyes could not look ahead to see. But a wise man knows he must always finish what he starts.

He is “Pop” to the crew. As usual as if they are talking about their very own, you’ll hear the head cameraman, or the boy who is oiling the sound machine, or the watchman, say: “Wonder how Pop’s feeling today?” or, with a swelling pride, “Gosh, Pop sure looks great today,” or, “Pop? Oh, he’s OKAY!”

I think Mr. Gable is the quietest man with whom I have ever worked. Yet you know he is there. Because he has that quality of gentle strength that makes itself felt by its very human kindness. His friends, directors, executives, actors and crew people visit him often. It is never necessary to wonder if Mr. Gable will be in the right mood. He is absolutely direct and entirely free from pretense, and if you’d like to get clunked on the head, just try to suggest to ANYBODY around that Mr. Gable could get temperamental.

Studio head Louis B. Mayer wanted to replace Clark with Robert Taylor, but director Wesley Ruggles told him he knew Clark would come back and be professional. I’d say Somewhere I’ll Find You is at the bottom of the heap of the Lana Turner-Clark Gable pairings, and although some people claim you can’t even tell Clark is hurting, I think he just looks like he is not into it. There’s a lackluster look in his eyes.

You can read the article in its entirety in The Article Archive.