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It’s Carole Lombard Month! (And some more news)
Well, folks, it’s that time of year again–Carole Lombard Month here on DearMrGable.com! October brings with it Carole’s birthday and a month of Carole-ful joy on the site–articles, photos and Gossip Fridays all about the love of Clark Gable’s life! I have been doing this for several years and fans of the site seem to love it more and more each year. Two other things worth mentioning: 1. I have created a link to the “Nutshell Reviews” of each of Clark’s films that I did earlier in the year. It’s now included in the top menu. 2. I am headed off to the great state of Ohio–aka the birthplace of…
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Gossip Friday: You’d Never Guess
From November 1937: Just before he left on his extended bear-hunting expedition, Clark Gable had a short wave radio set installed in his car. You’d never guess whom he wants to keep in touch with during his trip, would you?
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Gossip Friday: A Familiar Looking Couple
From November 1939: One cold, fall night not long ago, an auto court manager in a small California mountain town rented a bearded man and his wife a cabin for one night. The manager didn’t pay much attention to the man, or the beard, because every male in town was growing one for the annual Fiesta. But he couldn’t he over how pretty the blonde girl was, and he was almost sure he had seen her before. The next morning word was buzzed about the town that Clark Gable and Carole Lombard had spent the night there, and left behind a hunting coat with Clark’s name in it. There were immediate suggestions that the coat be…
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1939: A Memorable Year for Clark Gable
Everyone has specific years in their lives where they look back and realize that that particular year was one of the most memorable of their entire lives. 1939 is being heralded quite a bit this year, as it is widely considered the best year for movies in history, with classics such as Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Dark Victory, Ninotchka, Wuthering Heights, Beau Geste, Juarez, Stagecoach, etc. Looking back, I don’t think that Clark Gable could deny that 1939 was indeed a special year for him, personally and professionally. Let’s have a look back at Clark’s life, 75 years ago…. January –After…
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Gossip Friday: A Commissary Visitor
From July 1937: The whole MGM commissary was agog the other noon when the luscious Carole Lombard dropped over for lunch with Clark Gable. And we understand that it was none other than little Missy Lombard who’s responsible for those twenty pounds Clark dropped after completing work on “Parnell.” Seems the studio had been after him to lose weight for months, but it took the iron-hand of Carole to get him to be serious about the situation. And as Gracie Allen would say, he certainly looks beautiful!
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Gone with the Wednesday: Who’s That Girl?
Many people over the years have seen the above photo of Clark clutching hands and beaming at this random brunette woman in Atlanta and wondered, WHO is that incredibly lucky girl? The answer is…Mildred Hartsfield. William B. Hartsfield was the 49th Mayor of the city of Atlanta (and yes, that airport you transfer in everytime you fly Delta is named after him). He was mayor from 1937-1962, the longest tenure of any Atlanta mayor. He was in full support of hosting the premiere of Gone with the Wind , seeing it as an oppurtunity to show off his fine city to the world and therefore pulled out all the stops. He declared…
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{New Article} 1940: Help Kill Crazy Rumors About Me!
This article is a little bit of fun. I’ve read here and there over the years about Carole Lombard’s “fragile health” after she married Clark Gable. I know she had poison ivy at one point, and appendicitis, but I’ve always suspected that this whole “fragile health” scenario was a bit of a cover-up for her struggle with fertility. It gave a reason as to why she wasn’t pregnant yet despite everyone’s held breath for the news, and as to why she had slowed down making movies. Well, here is one time where she is denying she’s an invalid; this article addresses Carole’s feelings on the subject of her being…
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Gossip Friday: Good Lux from Carole Lombard
From July 1936: The latest gag present from Lombard to Gable was delivered to a somewhat bewildered Mr. G. at the close of a radio broadcast in which he was appearing in a dramatic skit with Marlene Dietrich. Just as the show ended an attendant brought in a huge floral horseshoe–the kind gangsters used to send their dead colleagues. The card from Carole read, “Good Lux.”
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Clark and Carole at the Races
It’s Kentucky Derby Day! Clark Gable loved horses his whole life and there were only brief periods of time in his life where he didn’t own at least one. He even had a race horse in the early 1930’s, named Beverly Hills–although I don’t think she raced to greatness. In addition to owning horses, Clark was a frequent visitor to the Santa Anita racetrack, often with Carole Lombard on his arm, naturally…
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{New Article} 1936: Humor is a Habit with Gable
This 1936 article isn’t earth-shattering by any means, but does contain a few interesting little tidbits: Any time you can get Clark to taking about himself, you can depend on it that he’s kidding himself thoroughly, relentlessly, fiercely, You know that typical Clark Gable expression that’s always on his face? A sort of grinning bewilderment? Mixed with a certain surprise and incredulity? Plus a dash of secret ridicule? Well, that “Clark Gable look” is perfectly indicative of what he thinks of himself. He’s constantly mystified at all the fame and good luck and popularity that stays with him, and he’s laughing at himself for it. He can’t take himself seriously.…