Gossip Friday: Moving On Out

From June 1932:

When Clark Gable’s wife went to New York, Clark gave up the apartment that they had occupied together and moved into bachelor quarters. But he didn’t give anybody the address and when he appeared at the studio his manager was constantly by his side to keep him from being questioned about the divorce, which folks say is imminent. However, in his new neighborhood word sort of got around among the kids that Clark was living in that corner house and dozens of little girls–all under ten, Mrs. Gable–have presented themselves at the front door, welcomed Clark to his new house and asked for an autographed picture.

In the meantime Mrs. Gable, who is really a lovely looking woman, seems to be doing very nicely in New York. I wish I could tell you that there was a pained tragic look on her face, but at the opening of “Grand Hotel” she was just plainly having a good time.

There is, however, enough smoke to make the divorce rumors fairly authentic. Whether Clark wants to run the risk of losing popularity by going through with it is something that only the Gables know.

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They did not get divorced in 1932–wouldn’t for another nearly seven years. Clark was not hiding his affair with Joan Crawford very well, which I believe was the reason why Ria up and left for New York. In this article (that I consider mostly rubbish), it claims that Clark called Ria in New York and begged her to come back. This I doubt.  I don’t really know why he didn’t divorce her this early on, perhaps it is true that his publicity team was worried it would tarnish his brand new stardom. But running around with Joan Crawford was better? Ah, old Hollywood….