85 Years Ago, Clark Gable is Set Free

On March 8 1939, Clark Gable’s second wife, Maria “Ria” Franklin Gable, and her atrocious hat, obtained a divorce in Reno, Nevada. Clark and Ria’s marriage had been “in name only” for years. Clark had left the family home to live at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in the fall of 1935 and famously began a romance with Carole Lombard the following year. Ria had been confident Clark would not divorce her, stating to reporters that Clark had never mentioned divorce. As the years wore on and the romance between Clark and Carole blossomed, the press began to loudly criticize Ria for clinging on and not allowing Carole to become Mrs. Gable. Once Ria received her demanded settlement (a sum that would equal $6 million in today’s dollars!), thanks to Clark signing on for Gone with the Wind, she headed to Reno to obtain the divorce.

As the press reported:

Mrs. Gable Granted Divorce Decree After Testifying Hollywood’s No.1 Lover Left Her in Fall of 1935 and Never Came Back

Las Vegas, March 8—Clark Gable was divorced Tuesday by his wife, Maria, in a maneuver expected to pave the way for his long-anticipated marriage to actress Carole Lombard.

Mrs. Maria (Rhea) Gable was granted the decree after testifying that Hollywood’s No. 1 lover deserted her in the fall of 1935 and never came back.

In Hollywood Gable shied from comment, but Miss Lombard confirmed rumors of long standing that she will become Mrs. Clark Gable the third.

“We have made no plans,” she said. “Clark is working in ‘Gone with the Wind’ but when he gets a few days off and I am not busy perhaps we will sneak away and have the ceremony performed.”

Gable shyly dismissed the entire affair with a shrug. “No comment,” he grunted.

The second Mrs. Gable, who replaced the former Josephine Dillon, testified that he left her for good after taking a trip to South America in October of 1935. He made known his intentions before he left.

“He said he was going to South America,” she aid. “When he came back he said he wanted to try it alone. He said he wanted more freedom.

“After this he came to the house several times to talk to me but he never offered to return to the marital state.”

A property settlement was not sought of the court, but it was known that Gable settled something over $300,000 on his wife, before she came to Las Vegas six weeks ago to establish legal residence. Previously she had refused to seek a divorce, explaining that Gable first must ask her to restore him his marital freedom. Two months ago, he publicly announced he was asking her for a divorce.

Mrs. Gable, a plumpish middle-aged woman wearing a simple black dress trimmed in pink and black pagoda hat, was in high good humor for her court appearance. Although the public was barred, she broke precedent by agreeing to let newspapermen attend the normally-closed session. First to testify were Frances McNamee, niece of her attorney, and Louis Howard Hale, the attorney’s office boy, who established that she had fulfilled Nevada legal requirements by living here six weeks.

When she came to the witness stand, she corroborated the two young witnesses.

“I came here on January 20, 1939, and have been here ever since,” she said. “I came with the intention of making my home here.”

She told briefly of being married to Gable on June 19, 1931, in Santa Ana, Calif., and said they had no children. The question of a property settlement was not at stake in the Nevada courts, she added. Asked by her attorney, Frank McNamee, Jr., as to why she was seeking a divorce, she replied briefly:

“In October of 1935, my husband abandoned me without willful cause on my part.”

Mrs. Gable was smiling broadly when she emerged, but she became serious when asked is she had any immediate plans for a third marriage. She was a widow when she married Gable.

“Please say that I’m not planning to marry anyone,” she said. “My plans are for a trip east and that I expect to continue my residence in Las Vegas and will come back here occasionally for a weekend.”

She said she would return to her Beverly Hills home today before going to New York where she plans to join Sam Woods, movie producer, and his wife when they return from Europe. She said she would later visit relatives in Houston, Texas.

Mrs. Gable, who is 10 years older than the 38-year-old actor, married him a short time after he was divorced from the former Josephine Dillon, his dramatic coach in the years he was beginning his climb to movie fame. He was a telephone troubleshooter when the first Mrs. Gable took him in tow and before their marriage was dissolved he was well on his way to stardom.

Four years ago–a few months before his second marriage went on the rocks–his first and second wives became embroiled in short-lived but furious quarrel over the former’s right to use the name, Mrs. Clark Gable. Mrs. Gable No.1 defied the second to take the issue to court, but peace was restored before the matter was litigated.

Gable’s romance with Miss Lombard has flourished for more than two years, but both had consistently refused to discuss matrimonial plans as long as the actor was still married. Miss Lombard has been single since 1932, when she divorced William Powell in Carson City, Nev., on the grounds their difference in ages made their domestic life unhappy. She is now 29.

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Divorces Heartthrob Gable in 4 Minutes Flat at Reno

Las Vegas, Nev.–Hollywood’s No. 1 romance between Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, had its last obstacle removed here today.

Rhea Gable, 49-year-old wife of the 38-year-old actor, divorced him. It required but four minutes to hear her charge of desertion.

Thus the way was paved for Gable and Miss Lombard to wed.

Their friendship began more than three years ago, when Gable and his wife separated because of what she termed “temperament.”

Gable was not in the courtroom as Mrs. Gable walked in with her two witnesses, Frances McNamee, niece of her attorney. Frank McNamee, Jr., and Howard Hale, the lawyer’s office boy.

In reply to a question from her attorney, Mrs. Gale testified the actor had deserted er without her consent and without cause.

Judge William Orr granted the decree.

Mrs. Gable and the actor, then just starting the road which took him to the peak of picture popularity, were married in Santa Ana, Cal., in 1931.

Mrs. Gable said she would go to New York in about three weeks.

Gable, previously was married to Josephine Dillon, now a Hollywood dramatic coach. Miss Lombard is divorced from actor William Powell.

No Time or Place Set, Gable Says

San Francisco, Cal.–Actor Clark Gable, whose wife, Maria, divorced him in Las Vegas, Nev., today, had no comment when asked about his plans to marry Carole Lombard, cinema comedienne.

“We have made no plans for the time or place of the marriage,” Gable smiled.

Gable paid his wife 286 thousand dollars in a property settlement.

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Ria was born in 1884, which makes her SEVENTEEN years older than Clark, not merely ten. I also always find it amusing that the press recounts the June 19, 1931 as their wedding date, when at the time of that ceremony the press was reporting that the pair was already married and just had to re-do the ceremony for legal reasons (complete hogwash. More on that here) Additionally, Clark was Ria’s fourth husband, so asking if she had plans for a third marriage is way off base. Ria was previously married to William Prentiss, Alfred Lucas Sr., and Denzil Langham.

Clark Gable and Carole Lombard would marry on March 29, 1939.