Clark Gable in Tampa Part 1: Virility and Charm–And His Voice is Husky Yet Soft

Since it’s Clark Gable’s birthday month, we will be featuring a series of small articles that were printed in the Tampa Tribune in February 1958. It was around his birthday that Clark Gable and wife Kay Spreckels arrived at the Tampa International Airport, en route to a cruise to the West Indies. Is any of this earth shattering information? No. But if you wanted to know what Clark thought of chemise dresses, if he ever unclogged sinks at home, if he thinks women should know how to cook, if he thinks Rhett ever came back to Scarlett, what his favorite cake is and if he likes to die in movies, then these articles are for you!

“Who wants to interview Clark Gable?”

Sweeter words were never spoken.

When they echoes in the Tribune newsroom a few days ago, just hours before The King and his wife were due to arrive at Tampa International Airport, the response was what might have been expected.

Eight women staff writers were within hearing, and all eight, it seems, were willing.

But, alas, newspapering sometimes having sterner duties than sex appeal, only four were able.

The fortunate, some with husbands in tow, set out to see The King.

Panky Giamsch left her typewriter, a half-written headline notwithstanding, behind her. Food Editor Lee Winter said: “Clark Gable is the only dish I’m interested in at the moment.” Ramona Demery plucked a boutonniere for The King from the garden club column. And Ann McDuffie, faithless to her fashion, turned Christian Dior’s picture to the wall.

Their enthusiasm for Gable was rewarded, as the pictures (taken by Husband Tom Demery) and the following interviews attest.

Virility And Charm–And His Voice is Husky Yet Soft

By Ann McDuffie, Tribune Staff Writer

It took only one conversation with Clark Gable for me to understand why he became known as moviedom’s “king” and has been able to retain the unofficial title almost two generations.

The mustached Mr. Gable’s virility and charm are more vibrant in person than on the screen–or else the 57-year-old star has the acting ability to turn on the full force of his magnetic personality, even after a long, tiring flight, just for the benefit f four women who interviewed him for The Tribune.

(This is to the delight of all his other fans, ranging from junior high school girls to grandmothers, who somehow heard he would be in town and crowded around during the interview.)

Clark Gable, who would not consent to being televised while here, has a way of wrinkling his face into a half smile, just as he does in movies, and concentrating all his attention on the woman addressing him, thereby making her feel that she is the only person in the room.

He answered our questions in an open, almost naïve manner, and his voice is the husky, yet soft tone heard in movies.

His real name, he said, is Clark Gable and he has never considered plastic surgery to flatten his ears against his head.

“Honey, they’ve been like that for a long time and there’s no sense in changing them now.”

He sometimes goes clothes shopping with his wife and admits that, like other husbands, he occasionally winces at the bills. But he asserts she usually prepares him for high price tags in advance. On a recent shopping excursion in New York, his wife, the former Kay Williams Spreckels, bought two chemise dresses.

What does he think of the chemise silhouette?

“Honey, I just can’t say very much about that. My wife has two, you know. They’re all right. Now that’s a good diplomatic answer, isn’t it?”

What kind of house do you live in?

“Oh, Early American.” The “of course” was understood.

Are you interested in antiques?

“Not especially, but my wife is.”

Do you ever take care of any household chores, such as opening stopped up drains or repairing leaky faucets?

“No. That’s hard work and I probably couldn’t figure it out.” (This jokingly, then more seriously) “I told my wife if she would manage the house, I would take care of the outside.”

Do you like to garden?

“Yes, we have a farm–a tiny one, just 20 acres.”

What do you like most about gardening, the digging?

“No, that’s hard work! I run the tractor, raise flowers, alfalfa and I also have a few citrus, oranges, limes and grapefruit.”

And it was not hard to visualize the nattily dressed man in work clothes operating his tractor on his California farm.

His natty outfit on his arrival in Tampa for the beginning of a West Indies cruise consisted of a obviously custom-made black-gray pinstripe suit, white oxford cloth shirt with button down collar, black tie, monogrammed handkerchief in his pocket, black silk socks, and black coarse-grained loafer type shoes.

The dark colors emphasized his graying hair but did not hide the fact he has the physique of a much younger man.