• Boom Town,  Films,  Movie of the Week

    Movie of the Week: Boom Town (1940)

    This week’s movie is Boom Town (1940). Gable is “Big John” McMasters and Tracy is “Square John” Sand, or as Big John calls him right from the beginning, “Shorty”. They are two wildcatters out west trying to strike oil. They pool their money and smarts and soon hit it big. Putting a snag in their festivities is the arrival of Elizabeth or “Betsy” (Claudette Colbert), Shorty’s sweetheart from back home. She arrives to see him but falls in love with Big John instead, and they are married the night they met. A year passes and when Shorty thinks that Big John is not treating Betsy right, the two men come…

  • Gossip

    Gossip Friday: Too Old

    From October 1939: Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy and Robert Taylor were discussing the war the other day in the studio cafe. Tracy said: “Well, Taylor, I suppose you’ll be the first to go if if the United States gets into this thing. Too bad. Gable and I are lucky. We’re too old.” “Yeah, we’re too old,” echoed Gable. “Yeah,” replied Taylor, ducking, “it took the war to bring that out.” ___ Gable was NOT too old, as it turned out a few years later…

  • Blogathons,  Films,  Test Pilot

    CMBA Blogathon: Why Test Pilot (1938) Should Be Your Third Clark Gable Movie

    We interrupt Carole Lombard Month to bring you this post, which is part of the Classic Movie Blog Association’s Planes, Trains and Automobiles Blogathon. I’ve selected Test Pilot to talk about because, in my humble opinion, it should be the third Clark Gable movie you ever see if the first two are Gone with the Wind and It Happened One Night. Here are the reasons why: 1. It is truly a textbook example of a Clark Gable film. It’s got it all: adventure, romance, comedy, snappy dialogue and some intense drama. Clark is Jim Lane, a boozing, womanizing army test pilot who walks to the beat of his own drummer. On one…

  • Gossip

    Gossip Friday: Swimsuit Shopping

    From 1948: That “feud” continues between those good friends, Spencer Tracy and Clark Gable. If plans work out, both are supposed to be in Europe at the same time. Spence hopes to “frame” Clark with a gag cable from Esther Williams. It will request him to personally select for her a dozen of those daring diaper French bathing suits! If Clark falls for it, wouldn’t you love to be in on that shopping tour?

  • Gossip

    Gossip Friday: A Tracy Never Forgets

    From 1948: A Tracy never forgets! Not when he hears that Clark Gable has to smoke a big fat cigar in “Command Decision.” Spencer remembered how Clark hated the last one he smoked four years ago in a picture. So, the day they shot the scene, Mr. T. sent cigars to everyone on the set, with instructions to light up and “help” Gable give a good performance! Clark’s already planning his revenge.  

  • Films,  San Francisco

    August Movie of the Month: San Francisco (1936)

    This month, Clark is a hard gamblin’ hard drinkin’ woman chasin’ shyster, Spencer Tracy is his best friend the priest  and Jeanette MacDonald is the saintly opera singer who steals his heart in San Francisco. Gable is Blackie Norton, a ruthless saloon-keeper in 1906 San Francisco, proud of his gambling ways. Despite their differences, he falls in love with Mary Blake (MacDonald), an aspiring opera singer who he hires to sing in his revue. His childhood pal, priest Tim Mullin (Tracy), objects to him putting Mary on display and stopping her from her opera aspirations. Realizing that Tim is right and that she should pursue her dreams instead of letting…

  • After Office Hours,  Hell Divers,  News,  Parnell,  Test Pilot

    Four Gable Films Just Released on DVD!

    I love Warner Brothers Archive Collection! Thanks to them, the majority of Clark’s films are available to us fans for our home viewing pleasure. And FINALLY they have just released a few of the missing titles: After Office Hours (1935) with Constance Bennett! Buy it here. Hell Divers (1931) with Wallace Beery! Buy it here. Parnell (1937) with Myrna Loy! Buy it here. and Test Pilot, which I have been anxiously awaiting the release of for years! Buy it here.

  • Films,  Idiot's Delight,  Nutshell Reviews,  Saratoga,  Test Pilot,  Too Hot to Handle

    Nutshell Reviews: Saratoga (1937), Test Pilot (1938), Too Hot to Handle (1938) and Idiot’s Delight (1939)

    In a Nutshell: Saratoga (1937) Directed by: Jack Conway Co-stars: Jean Harlow, Lionel Barrymore, Frank Morgan, Walter Pidgeon, Una Merkel Synopsis: Gable is Duke Bradley, a bookie who acquires the deed to the Brookdale horse ranch because the owner, Mr. Clayton (Jonathan Hale) owes him a lot of money. When Clayton dies, his daughter Carol (Harlow), who dislikes Bradley, is determined to get the horse ranch back in the family by winning horse races to pay Bradley back. Meanwhile, Bradley tries to bait Carol’s rich fiancée (Pidgeon) to place bets with him. Best Gable Quote: “This is more work than I’ve done for a woman since my mother.” Not-So-Fun Fact:…

  • Films,  San Francisco,  Wife vs Secretary

    Nutshell Reviews: Wife vs. Secretary (1936) and San Francisco (1936)

    In a Nutshell: Wife vs. Secretary (1936) Directed by: Clarence Brown Co-stars: Myrna Loy, Jean Harlow, James Stewart Synopsis: Gable is Van, “Jake”, or “V.S.” Stanhope, a publishing executive happily married to the elegant Linda (Loy). Tongues start wagging about Van and his beautiful secretary, Helen “Whitey” Wilson (Harlow), whom he considers a close friend and confidante, but nothing more. While trying to secretly buy rights to a magazine from a rival publisher, he sneaks around town with Whitey, finalizing the deal. As his stories become inconsistent, Linda begins to suspect him and Whitey are having an affair. So does Whitey’s patient fiancé, Dave (a youthful Stewart). Dave grows irritated…

  • Gossip

    Gossip Friday: Gable, Tracy and Taylor

    From January 1940: Prime of the month—came from Robert Taylor, at the expense of Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy. Seems the three of them were lunching together, and Gable and Tracy were”riding” Taylor about being in line for the draft if America goes into the war. They razzed him and razzed him, with: “Poor Taylor; you’ll have to go, but we’re lucky. We’re TOO OLD to be called.” “Yeah,” flipped Taylor, ducking; “but it took a war to bring THAT out!”