Gossip Friday: Besieged

From September 1941:

Clark Gable, Carole Lombard Besieged by Film Fans Here

Actor-Couple Signs 150 Autographs Before Hiding in Hotel; On Way to Hunt in Canada

Albuquerque, New Mexico–Two old hunting pals spent a few hours in Albuquerque Monday, after their eastbound plane was grounded by bad weather–and Alvarado Hotel employees were almost swamped by a rush of autograph seekers.

The reasons: one of the hunters is Clark Gable, motion picture star, who was accompanied by his wife, Carole Lombard of the screen.

Gable’s hunting pal is H.H. Fleishman, of MGM Studios, who also was accompanied by his wife.

The party was on its way by air to Manitoba, Canada, for 10 days of big game hunting when the TWA plane on which the group was traveling was grounded at Albuquerque by bad weather conditions to the east. Airline officials made arrangements for the four to continue by train, and they went to the Alvarado hotel to wait.

Although airline and hotel officials tried to keep secret the news of the stars being in town, Gable and Miss Lombard were spotted entering the hotel. The news spread swiftly and within a short time several hundred movie fans gathered at the hotel, all seeking autographs of the stars.

Gable and Miss Lombard signed their names about 150 times, then retreated with the Fleischmans to a private dining room, where they remained until time to board their train. In the meantime, about 100 autograph seekers waiting in vain for them in the hotel lobby.

The party left about 8:30, planning to go to Minneapolis and on into Canada, where the group will remain about 10 days. able will not return to work on a new picture until January.

“He makes no pictures during the hunting season, That’s in his contract,” smiled Fleischman, who said he had been accompanying the star on hunting expeditions for the past 14 years.