Gone with the Wednesday: Clark Gable Rights a Wrong
This is one heartwarming story from the set of Gone with the Wind. Lenny Bluett, a young black man playing an extra in the film, was distraught over discovering that the port-a-potties on the set were labeled for White and Colored. He brought to the attention of Clark Gable, who had a few choice words for Vic Fleming and the property manager…
I just love that video.
Clark was far from perfect (who is?) but it ruffles my feathers when I have heard people call him racist (don’t even get me started on Marcella Rabwin’s book!!!). I have no idea where that came from, but he was in no way racist. He and Hattie McDaniel were very fond of each other; in fact one of the reasons he didn’t want to attend the premiere of GWTW in Atlanta was that Hattie couldn’t go because of segregation.
Lenny is still with us, at 95 years of age!
5 Comments
Barry Lane
This is covered in Michael Sragow’s biography of Victor Fleming. As for Marcella Rabwin, my understanding is that she did not like Fleming and thought him crude and racist. The quote I heard was that Fleming did not like anyone, except Clark Gable. No allusion to Gable being racist. And the clip is wonderful. Thanks for putting it up.
Kimberly
When people refer to Clark being racist, I believe it is due to him not liking Jews, or Selznick.
Barry Lane
I don’t think that is right at all. Gable refused to play a scene in The Hucksters related to anti-Semitism. My source for that was Luther Davis, the screenwriter. Believe I put this up under that film’s title, but if not will recapitulate upon request.
Barry Lane
Re David Selznick.
People did not like him. They did admire and respect his acumen but an arrogant guy on amphetamines — not always a pleasure to deal with. Unrelated to ethnicity.
Linda Duarte
I saw this a few years ago on TCM and just loved that Mr. Bluett shared this story with us. So proud Mr. Gable did the right thing in an era where he didn’t have to do anything.
And the legend grows…