Gossip Friday: Found His Destiny

From March 1943:

From the most authentic source, to Movieland [magazine] exclusively, comes some pretty distressing news for Gable fans.

The big fellow, whom everyone in Hollywood worshipped, feels he has found his destiny in the Army. He likes being Captain Gable. He wants to keep on being Captain Gable, even after peace is declared. He says that he will never return to the screen. Naturally, if our government asks him to make propaganda shorts or even feature films, he will do that, though he would prefer not to. But as for regular acting in the make-believe stories, that he refuses.

Don’t cheer yourself up with the idea that Clark may change his mind I hope he does, but I’ll wager anything that he won’t. Gable is not a mind-changer. There’s a stubborn streak in him which he inherits from his Dutch ancestors, and when he gets an idea, he sticks to it regardless of arguments. He said after Carole’s death that he would never make another picture. He did finish “Somewhere I’ll Find You,” which was already in production, but he did that rather than let down MGM, his one and only producing company.

Clark really loves every minute of his time in the Army Air Corps. He has always been a man’s man, preferring male society to feminine five to one. He finds England, where he is now stationed, completely fascinating.

He’s keeping his ranch in Encino, California, and will live there after the war. He’ll never have to think about money again. His salary before he enlisted, had reached $75,000 a year on a flat fifty-two weeks yearly.

The only hope we see for his public is to get Selznick to release “Gone with the Wind” for a yearly revival.

Meanwhile, Movieland salutes Captain Gable, an intelligent and clever and truly patriotic guy.