{New Article} 1948: The Gable Women

This 1948 article is one in a long list of ones from this time period after the War, after Carole, but before Sylvia, where the press was trying to guess who the next Mrs. Gable would be. This game would restart after Sylvia left the picture. At this point, in late 1948, the list of probable Mrs. Gables was narrowed down to Dolly O’Brien, Slim Hawks, Iris Bynum, Anita Colby and Virginia Grey.

what of Anita Colby, Hollywood’s most glamourous executive? The fans were asking that one, because of all the Gable dates, she has received the most publicity. 

Anita is one of those girls everybody likes. It seems inconceivable that a girl could have pep, personality and perfect features and still be liked by women as well as sighed over by men, but Anita has been doing the trick for years and shows no sign of losing her grip. She is as smart as the well-known steel trap, ambitious as a girl can be, and successful—a combination that generally produces spectacular unpopularity. But her sense of humor, her hearty laugh, her lack of cattiness and her obvious good character have made it possible for her to stay friends with glamor girls, big executives and casual beaux, without anyone resenting her beauty or her steady climb up the movieland ladder. 

Her intimates are convinced that if ever Gable had a platonic love, this is it. He loves taking Anita to parties, because she is so pretty and such a good sport, and she loves going with him because he’s a good sport too. He’s also Gable and every other girl in the place is gnawing her nails in envy and the attendant publicity is very good for a girl who’s out to get ahead in the world. But nobody thinks it will end in marriage. They believe Anita’s religious convictions would preclude her marrying a man who had two previous wives still living, and they believe anyway that the romance has never reached the point where it was that serious. It was already more in the newspapers than in her heart. 

Some months ago it was rumored that Clark and Iris Bynum had eloped, and he called her up to kid about it. This was, in a way, a natural reaction, because their relationship, while close, has never been particularly sentimental or likely to wind up at a lily-banked altar. 

Iris is a black-haired Texas beauty with a widow-peaked forehead, spectacular topography, long lacquered fingernails and an avid look. Her sultry brand of appeal has been appreciated by such connoisseurs of torridity as Tony Martin and George Raft, to give her the highest horrible kudos, and it is obvious to the most naïve observer that when she and Clark share an evening at the Racquet Club in Palm Springs, it’s dynamite meeting TNT. 

Their love story has had its ups and downs, and the last time they had parted Iris expressed herself rather loudly on the subject of Clark’s off-hand treatment of the women in his life—particularly her.  

“I’m tired of running when he calls up,” she said, in a who-does-he-think-he-is-Clark-Gable tone of voice. “No more!” 

The betting among the Hollywood and Vine bookmarkers, however, was that a phone call and the right tone of voice from El Gable would right matters with Iris. 

A complete contrast to Iris is Virginia Grey, the girl who has lasted longest in the Gable story. Most students of his biography think she was his first love after Carole Lombard’s death, and he has continued to turn to her for warmth, solace and adventure. She is an actress, in films and on stage, although for the most part her stage work has consisted of nothing more exciting than summer stock, and those who know her say she not only looks like an angel but has the temperament of a saint. Of all the women in his life, she, obviously, loves him the most, however he feels about her, for whenever he tires of a new love, or quarrels with a wild love, she takes him back. She is always waiting. She has never been known to reproach him or criticize him. She is simply there. 

She has been quoted as saying: “Whatever happens, he always comes back to me.” 

A mutual friend of hers and Clark’s said with amazement: “I’ve never seen anything like it. He has his other girl friends, his other romances, and she never objects,  doesn’t say a word. When he calls her, she runs to him like a little girl.” 

I don’t know that that is the most appealing thing to say about Virginia. It does appear that poor Virginia was hopelessly in love with Clark and something in him just couldn’t pull the trigger. It seems Clark liked a chase and Virginia was always available, so wasn’t the most desirable choice. It’s hard to figure out, given all these women he was courting, some for months at a time, why Sylvia was ultimately Wife #4. This article makes a big deal out of his brief dalliance with Iris, but from what I can tell that was a few dates and that’s it.

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