Gossip Friday: Over and Under Exposed

From July 1938:

As a newsreel cameraman, Clark Gable for a day was convinced he was a flop.

For his role as a newsreel cameraman in “Too Hot to Handle,” Gable was called upon to cling to the top of a racing ambulance with his camera equipment while filming Myrna Lot trapped in a crashed burning plane.

While Hal Rosson’s cameras were filming Gable and the burning plane on MGM’s Sixty Acres, Gable also was making an actual newsreel of Miss Loy and the blazing plane to be shown on the screen of his boss’ projection room.

When Gable returned to the set the next day, he received a regulation report from the studio’s film laboratory which read:

“Clark Gable–Newsreel–Lab Report:

“Worst piece of film ever shot. Underdeveloped. Over-exposed. Under-exposed. (Signed) John Arnold.”

Arnold, head of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer camera department, later appeared on the set to berate Gable for his inferior photography and to demand of Director Conway that the scene be retaken with an experienced newsreel man doubling for Gable.

At the end of the day, Gable learned the truth. Leonard Hammond, ace newsreel man and co-author of the picture, stated it was one of the finest pieces of newsreel photography he had ever seen.”

Arnold’s lab report and his complaints were a “gag,” for which Gable had fallen completely.