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Gossip Friday: Moving On
From October 1943: Report that Clark Gable and Virginia Bruce were engaged drew them apart in a hurry and Clark’s now seeing almost daily the beauteous Kay Williams, who used to be married to the South American millionaire Macoco. ___ Kay and Clark would break up….only to get back together years later and finally marry in 1955.
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Gossip Friday: Share with Greer
From April 1945: The news that Greer Garson would play opposite Clark Gable in “The Strange Adventure” has caused a tidal wave of enthusiasm among the fans. Greer herself is so please about it she’s even offered Clark her royal dressing room suite to use while his old one is being redecorated. But you know the “old moose!” He thanked Greer and said he’d undress behind a couple of old packing boxes. He would, too.
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Gossip Friday: No New Experience
From October 1936: Joan Crawford was sitting in front of her portable dressing room when an office boy brought two visitors, an elderly man and woman, to the set. She called the boy over, “Why don’t you give them a break?” the star suggested. “Clark Gable is right over there.” “I know it,” replied the boy. “They’re his father and mother!” Mr. and Mrs. Gable spent the afternoon with Clark, and later met Joan. “It is no new experience to see Clark,” Mr. Gable remarked to Joan, “but this is a real pleasure. I’ve always wanted to meet you!” ___ Uh, that’d be his father and STEPmother, considering his mother…
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Gossip Friday: Four is Enough
From 1954: Clark Gable says flatly that after four marriages he’s through for life, though he is reported to be very fond of Arizona socialite Betty Chisholm. She’s a sophisticated girl and makes Gable laugh–a must for any Gable wife. And sometimes Fate takes a hand in these conflicts of the head and heart and brings a reluctant admirer to heel. ___ After his marriage to Sylvia Ashley imploded, Clark was repeatedly quoted as saying he would never get married again. But of course he did marry again, in 1955–to Kay Spreckels.
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Gossip Friday: Fruit From The Gables
From February 1941: Xenia, OH–Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, famous movie couple, rate ace high with 29 members of the fifth grade geography class, taught by Miss Hannah McKenzie, in the O.S. and S.O. Home schools. The youngsters, ranging in age from nine to 11 years, proudly exhibited in their classroom Wednesday six boxes of citrus fruits sent to them by Mr. and Mrs. Gable, in reply to 29 individual letters written by the pupils to the film celebrities. The gift arrived by express and consists of nine varieties of oranges, lemons and other citrus fruits. There were navel and blood oranges, sweet lemons, Myer’s lemons, Ponderosa lemons (about the…
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Gossip Friday: Cat Assembly
From September 1940: Clark Gable and Carole Lombard have just taken a census of the pets at their ranch. They find they now have five dogs and 14 cats. The dogs are all hunting dogs but the cats, beginning with two to hunt gophers, just “assembled.”
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Gossip Friday: On the Up and Up
From July 1931– (Clark is pictured as one of “Four Newcomers Who are On the Up and Up.” The other four are Wynne Gibson, Joel McCrea and Mae Clarke): “Your ears stick out–“ “Your hair isn’t curly–“ “You aren’t good looking–“ This is the song producers sang to Clark Gable six years ago when he tried crashing the movies. Today, they are singing a different tune–to the sum of $750 weekly and a five-year contract with Metro. The styles in movie heroes change. Then, the sheik reigned, Valentino. Now, it’s the big he-man with the rough and tumble personality, Clark Gable. They wouldn’t give him a chance then. Now, he’s…
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Gossip Friday: Down to South America?
From December 1938: The political situation in Europe has done a lot for South American tourist travel. With Ty Power already there, and Clark Gable and Bob Taylor both announcing it as their next vacation spot, it looks as though Hollywood has finally discovered that there are really TWO Americas!
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Gossip Friday: One of the Greats
From January 1949 (Adela Rogers St. Johns): It was a drizzly Sunday when Clark Gable invited me out to his Encino ranch for the day and a potluck dinner. With the logs from the fireplace sending out cheerful warmth over the brightly beautiful room, we found ourselves relaxing in the pleasant glow and the quiet, sure strength that emanates from this man. Whatever goes on in his heart and soul no one will know. But that he has achieved the thing Hollywoodites claim to want most, an inner peace that comes from a quiet mastery over circumstances, there can be no doubt. In brown riding breeches and brown turtleneck sweater, he’s quite…
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Gossip Friday: Without Any Help
From July 1944: Buddy De Sylva, in his Paramount office, has a printed sign which tells of a conversation between Clark Gable and an interviewer. The large cardboard quotes the interviewer asking Gable what he attributes he amazing record as a box-office champion for many years. Gable’s answer is: “Any success I may have achieved is due to MGM’s wisdom. The studio picks my stories, casts my pictures and selects my directors.” The interviewer then asks, “Without any help from you?” And the Gable answer is, “Without any help from me.” The sign is prominently displayed so that any actor or actress who enters De Sylva’s office to complain about…
