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September is Carole Lombard Month!
It’s Carole Lombard month on DearMrGable.com! In past years, Carole Lombard month has been in October, to commemerate Carole’s birthday October 6. But something very special will be happening for the site in October (more on that soon!) so I am moving Carole up a month–I didn’t think she’d mind! Stay tuned to the blog this month for rare Carole pictures, Carole gossip items, Clark and Carole articles and much more on one of Hollywood’s favorite couples!
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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: 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…
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Gossip Friday: Just that Swell!
A letter to a movie magazine, January 1941: Clark Gable is a very natural, homespun sort of actor that never seems to go high-hat or stale. I like him. All his pictures, including the much-critised “Parnell”, have been good in my estimation. The nicest, most pleasant things I’ve ever read in Photoplay or any other motion picture magazine in regard to any actor are the things written about the Gable farm. Not that I feel Clark could enjoy ploughing through the fields of mud and slop I’ve witnessed in the country…but with his money, the up-to-date paraphernalia and what-not, his farm is a wonderland and it is a credit to…
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{New Article} 1941: Roughing It
This short article appearing in Cosmopolitan Magazine (yes, you read that right) in July 1941. It is basically Clark detailing how much he enjoys the outdoors, riding horses and training dogs. You can get a world of pleasure out of owning and training a hunting dog. A good one can be bought for around twenty dollars, and you can get books out of the library and do the training yourself. Studying up should be part of the fun. There is always something new to be learned about an animal. From the time I was six, I have had some kind of mutt at my heels. The first dog I owned was…
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{New Article}1940: At Home with the Gables
After some rather depressing articles detailing Clark’s emotional spiral after Carole’s death, it’s nice to go back and look at the good times they had together, in their favorite place to be–their Encino ranch. Carole didn’t marry Rhett Butler. With her eyes wide open, she married a farmer. Clark likes the movies. Nobody forced him into his profession. He wanted to be an actor. But his first and deepest passion is for the soil. He could talk all day about fertilizer and tractors. It’s like pulling teeth to get a couple of words from him on his next picture. Without the movies, he could still be happy. Without a piece…
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{New Article} 1942: Why Gable Wants to Fight
This article drums over the reasons Clark would want to join the army and whether or not he should. A mute point, of course, since by the time this article was published in October 1942, Clark was already sworn in and in officers school. If this were a time of peace in the world, Clark Gable would probably seek escape on a desert island. It would have to be an island that offered excitement, however, because, at heart, Gable is an adventurer, a man who loves the mystery of the unknown, who has lived close to nature and knows her changing moods—a man who has always been able to find…
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Clark on the Auction Block
As was widely publicized, the first auction of Debbie Reynolds’ amazing collection of Hollywood artifacts was held this past weekend. Her collection was/is absolutely amazing– there is no other word for the truly astounding pieces included. Although not really the “jaw-droppers”, there were a few Clark Gable items up on the block, unfortunately all a bit out of my price range: Clark’s personal dressing gown, which he owned for many years and used during production of Gone with the Wind, Honky Tonk and other films. (Clark’s wearing it in the picture above) Described: Clark Gable personal dressing gown for off-screen use during filming of Gone with the Wind. (David O.…