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Gossip Friday: Back from the Dead
From March 1937: When Clark Gable was ordered home to bed with a cold, he left protesting that he could finish out the day all right. But he scarcely had left the studio before word was all over the colony that he had collapsed on the set. I was at the Brown Derby about 5 o’clock (asking an intern for something to cure a cold) and there received the news of Mr. Gable’s supposed collapse, and even considerable detail about what he said and who carried him out to an automobile. All false, of course, but it shows what happens. By 8 o’clock the rumor-mongers had slain Mr. Gable, and…
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{Photos} Dancing Lady (1933)
This week’s Movie of the Week, Dancing Lady, being the big all-star MGM musical that is was, had quite the plethora of publicity photos taken for it. There are some lovely shots of Clark Gable and Joan Crawford together: Most of the publicity shots are of Joan alone. There’s a whole set of her in this beaded dress, and they are beautiful: But then there are several of these of her half-naked in this odd outfit: And a bunch of her in the gym, even though it’s only a brief scene: This one is cute: Clark and Joan were friendly on set, not as friendly as they had been in…
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Movie of the Week: Dancing Lady (1933)
This week, Clark Gable’s a grumpy Broadway director in Dancing Lady. Clark made no qualms about which film of his was his least favorite out of all of them–this one. In 1957, he recalled, “MGM assigned me to do a bad part in Dancing Lady with Joan Crawford—a picture I didn’t like. But as bad as the part was, it wasn’t as bad as my health…I’d lost a lot of weight. They’d been working me hard and I was tired. I told myself, ‘If I have a few operations, that will take care of my health and the part in Dancing Lady too.’ I had my appendix and tonsils out,…
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Gossip Friday: Police Dog Pup?
From October 1931: Clark Gable hadn’t been on the lot for more than a few months before they named a salad after him on the lunchroom menu–avocado, lettuce, grapefruit, cottage cheese. he is that popular. Gable is of rough-hewn timber. Men like him. And he has those dimples for the ladies. Shaggy brows. Unruly hair. The kind of gray eyes you’d hate to meet if he were mad. Under it all is an elfish charm, bordering upon the naivete. Shy, sort of. A bit fierce. Yet warm as blazes when you know him. Like a police dog pup.
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{Photos} Night Nurse (1931)
For this week’s Movie of the Week, I don’t have any behind the scenes photos, as Clark Gable was just the lowly devious chauffeur, so was not in a position to command any behind the scenes interest. But here are some screenshots of a young and burly Clark: I do find it rather funny that the first time this evil chauffeur appears onscreen he is wearing polka dot pajamas! Poor Barbara. Knocked out cold. By a man in polka dot pajamas and a silk dragon robe no less! The chauffeur uniform isn’t exactly flattering, but look how young and chiseled he looks here, with his hair flopping onto his face.…
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Movie of the Week: Night Nurse (1931)
As I said yesterday, for the next year I will be featuring a movie a week (some lumped together for time’s sake). I’ll be doing a write-up of each film (yes, I am re-watching all these) and posting photos and trivia. These posts will not be in chronological order, so for no particular reason other than the fact that I recently re-watched it, I bring you Night Nurse! Night Nurse is a rather racy pre-code film. You’ve got every pre-code box checked: Half naked girls, men throwing women around, sexual innuendo, heck you even got children being neglected and murdered. What starts out as the story of poor, orphaned and…
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We’re 9!
This website is 9 years old today! Wow that is hard to believe. When I started I was hand-coding with an old laptop and a paperback copy of “Website Building for Dummies.” 2019 will be a big deal as it is the 10th anniversary of this website, not to mention the 80th anniversary of Gone with the Wind! Starting this week and running until the week of July 1, 2019, we will be featuring a “Movie of the Week”–photos, trivia, etc about one movie a week. Yes, I do realize that there are more films than weeks, so some of the lesser roles will be combined. They will not be…
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Gossip Friday: Appearing Together
From February 1937: Film fans who plan to attend the Shrine flood relief benefit Wednesday night in the Shrine Auditorium were assured last night that they will see Clark Gable and that Carole Lombard will be with him. Miss Lombard last night signified her intention to accompany Gable to the benefit. Bob Burns is taking his bazooka. Eleanor Powell and Bill Robinson will dance. Sophie Tucker will sing. Warner Baxter, Edward Arnold and May Robson are signed for appearances. Stars who previously have volunteered their services include Harold Lloyd, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Jack Benny and Mary Livingston and Bing Crosby and Stoll’s orchestra. Tickets are on sale at…
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Gossip Friday: No Pearls or Mink Allowed
From 1955: It’s so much hooey, that printed report that his doctors tabooed cocktails for Clark Gable. The King’s health is churning and so is his interest in Kay Williams Spreckels and not Marilyn Monroe as 20th Century Fox subtly hints! When Clark went duck hunting recently, it was Kay whom he asked to hostess a party for him. She made arrangements with Chasen’s where they cooked and served the wild birds in their private dining room. Clark loves gags so Kay dressed up a hysterical-looking dummy and placed it at the head of the table. The lady guests were instructed to wear sweaters and tweeds and–“no pearls or mink…
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Gossip Friday: Take a Hint
From December 1938, Walter Winchell’s column: Mrs. Clark Gable speaks up: “I am still the wife of Clark Gable, the question of a divorce has never even been broached to me!” Gable hasn’t lived under the same roof with you for years–can’t you take a hint? ___ That’s hilarious, nobody puts it quite Winchell! Despite what a lot of bad biographies and terrible films will have you believe, the movie-going public and the press wasn’t scandalized by Clark Gable and Carole Lombard’s romance and sympathizing with poor Ria Gable. Quite the opposite–they found Ria to be an old battle ax and wanted nothing more than her out of the way…