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{New Article} 1938: Happiness Ahead for Clark and Carole
Here’s another article with the all-too-common theme of “Will Ria ever give Clark a divorce? Will Clark and Carole ever marry?” Today Carole and Clark have put their love to the test of companionship, deep sympathy and understanding and they have found it stronger than either of them. Their heads no longer in the clouds, Clark and Carole know now. In a quiet, deeply happy, strong knowledge they are aware that they have revolutionized each other’s lives to the extent that nothing else matters, not even their careers of the white blinding light of stardom. Their intimates know that serenely and calmly, in the face of all obstacles and gossip,…
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Ahoy to the USS Carole Lombard
Two years after the death of his wife, Clark joined Irene Dunne to launch the USS Carole Lombard, in honor of Carole and her dedication to her country. It is noted that the event was the first time in public that Clark visibly showed emotion over Carole. You can see the tears in his eyes, even in these newspaper photos. He had just come home from serving overseas and I am sure as he watched the ship back out of the harbor, it was with a heavy heart. Associated Press account: The mist that reddens a man’s eyes and passes for tears was plainly discernable in the eyes of Captain Clark Gable…
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September Movie of the Month: Men in White (1934)
Men in White is a complicated film to review. It is hard to view the film as it is, without thinking of what it could have been. This film was one of the surefire victims of the Legion of Decency. (Spoilers ahead) Gable, mustache-less, baby-faced and wearing far too much pancake makeup, is George Ferguson, a young doctor working hard to prove himself at a New York hospital. He puts medicine and his patients before all else, much to the chagrin of his heiress fiancé, Laura (Myrna Loy). He soon learns that all work and no play lead him open to temptation and he falls for Barbara (Elizabeth Allan), a nurse. Soon…
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{New Article} 1941: She Knew What She Wanted
From 1941, this article, taking its title from her recent film, boasts the triumphs of Carole Lombard, a gal who knows what she wants and goes out and gets it! What makes Carole Lombard different from Ye Average Woman is that she knows what she wants. What removes her to another planet entirely is that she goes after it—and gets it. Most women lead lives of noisy desperation. They ask everyone, including the corner cop, just which man to marry, what dress to wear today, what car to buy, which recipes to use, and in the end what cemetery to choose for the final collapse. They haven’t the faintest idea of…
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{New Article} 1941: The Gags of the Gables–Like Crazy!
This is a fun article detailing a lot of the pranks and gags Clark and Carole were notorious for pulling on each other. It all began, this frenzied funning, on the night Mammy and Pappy had their first date. They went to the Mayfair Ball on this history-making occasion. Clark, at that time, was living at the Beverly Wilshire hotel. Carole had her home in Brentwood. At the Ball, they had their first fight. Carole went home with friends. Clark, presumably, went home alone. Came the Dawn and Mr. G. was awakened by a loud and furry cooing. He opened his big, still-dreaming eyes and there were seven white doves…
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{New Article} 1957: I Call on Clark Gable
Folks, as far as articles go on Clark Gable, this one is a gold mine! If you’ve perused through our Article Archive here, you know that many interviews with Clark are pure fluff. MGM protected what was published about its stars and Clark was no exception. Most interviews never asked the questions people really wanted to know, and instead of a true sit-down interview, it was a quick conversation (if any at all) that was beefed up by the writer’s own assumptions and fluffy writing. This one is different. Of course by this time, it was the late 50’s and the “studio system” had dissapated. Clark was no longer under MGM’s protective wing,…
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Gossip Friday: Hats off to you!
From September 1938: “Where did you get that hat?” The old cry is ringing around the MGM lot these days louder than ever since an assistant director, a wardroble lad, a sound man, an electrician and a bit player all appeared one morning in bright straw hats with flaming hatbands. “Gable’s cupboard,” came a simulatenous answer from the five. There was an immediate stampede from all directions to the famous Gable clothes closet. You see, Clark is a collector of hats. Can’t resist buying a half-dozen every time he hits a shop. One look in his studio mirror, however, convinces Clark the hats were never made for him and up…
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Gossip Friday: Out on the Town
From August 1941: Clark Gable and Carole Lombard made one of their rare Hollywood appearances at Ciro’s one night during the brief engagement there of Danny Kaye—who, incidentally, is just about the funniest guy to come out of the East. Clark and his Missus were dressed fit to kill. “I have so few opportunities to dress now,” says Carole, who lives quietly on a big ranch in the valley with the idol of American womanhood, “that I have to take advantage of them.”
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Spotlight on: Merle Oberon
Merle Oberon, a British/Indian actress probably best known for her portrayal of Cathy in Wuthering Heights (1939), is an interesting person in Gable history. No, they were never paired together onscreen; they did have a brief romance offscreen. But what’s interesting is that Merle, who at first glance is only a flicker on Clark’s romantic radar, was present at many of the defining moments in Clark’s life. In 1936, Clark had officially been declared “fair game” after moving into the Beverly Wilshire Hotel after separating from Ria, and Merle was one of the first to announce her intentions. She was a relative Hollywood newcomer and her romance with fellow British import…
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{New Article} 1936: What are Clark Gable’s Plans for the Future?
This article from 1936 is a bit of a fluff piece, but I always find it interesting to see what the predictions are for Clark’s future, considering we all know the future. The most colorful chapter in Clark Gable’s life is just ahead of him. Until now, everything has been a prelude. All the struggle, the handicaps, the good fortune and the bad—they have each played a part in shaping the story of a fellow from Cadiz, Ohio, who has become one of the most famous men in the world. And the main part of his life story has only started! That’s true. Gone with the Wind, Carole Lombard and…