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Remembering Carole Lombard
Today marks 74 years since Carole Lombard died suddenly at age 33. She was the victim, along with her mother and one of Clark’s closest friends, of a fiery plane crash near Las Vegas. A difficult day for Clark Gable and Carole Lombard fans, as in a way it ended both of their lives. Carole’s life was over and with it went Clark’s entire way of life; he was never the same. Here is a bit of a collection of articles in her memory: From the article Goodbye, Carole: “I have seen flames around the plane and there seems to be nobody left alive.” Out of far West vastness eight…
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Gossip Friday: A Request to Regress
From January 1934: The latest report from The Merry Widow front is that Clark Gable has asked the studio to permit him to appear in the production as an extra. There are sentimental reasons behind the request. Gable was an extra in the silent version six years ago. The earlier Merry Widow won fame for Roy D’Arcy, whose name has passed from the lists of major stars now, and Clark is at the other end of the film see-saw. At the moment of writing there is very little prospect of the Metro moguls acceding to his request.
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{New Article} 1955: Clark Gable: After 25 Years in Hollywood, He’s On His Own
This article about post-MGM Clark was syndicated in newspapers in 1955. After a quarter of a century in the movie business, William Clark Gable, the acknowledged king of the actors, has decided at the ripe age of 54 to go on his own. “From here on in,” Gable confided recently in Durango, Mexico, where he was on location for The Tall Men, “I’m through working for salary. I’ve been on salary since 1930, and I’ve got less to show for that kind of security than most people think. “The thing for an actor to do nowadays is to work for a share of the picture’s profits. You’ve gotta take a…
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Gossip Friday: Happy New Year in Hawaii
From June 1950: December 31, 1949 was our last vacation day in Hawaii, and some friends and I decided to make it one we’d never forget. At 1:00am, after seeing the New Year in, we took one last spin along Waikiki Beach, hoping to meet some celebrities we could talk about back home. Suddenly a sparkling 1950 car drive up alongside ours, and a handsome person stretched out his head and yelled, “Happy New Year!” Surprised as we were, we quickly answered, “Happy New Year Clark Gable…Happy New Year, Mrs. Gable!” Winifred Chinem Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Gossip Friday: What’s Ahead for 1940
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! From January 1940, “Hollywood psychic” reveals what was in store for Clark Gable and Carole Lombard in that coming year: Both may expect a fine year. But there is someone in the background who is trying to make trouble for them. Clark faces a minor operation, and Carole must watch her health also. Toward the end of the year, a baby adoption is indicated. _____ Not so much….
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2015 Year in Review
Happy 2016! This year, I slacked in some areas (no Movie of the Month features for the majority of the year, yikes), not as many articles posted as I’d like (I still have over 80 waiting to be typed), but did a lot of things that I’ve been meaning to do for years (reviewing “Gable and Lombard” (1976), digging into old newspapers to research Mrs. Gables, the site got a new webhost and a makeover, which was a long time coming). New articles added to the Article Archive this year: 1935: This Belongs to You! This Belongs to Me! 1935: I’m No Ladies Man, Says Clark Gable 1945: Gable! 1936: Gable’s…
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Gossip Friday: Secret Elopement
From March 1950, Louella Parsons: I can tell my readers that the lovely blonde Lady Sylvia Ashley Fairbanks Stanley had no idea that she was going to marry “King” Clark Gable 48 hours before she did on Tuesday, December 20. The previous Saturday she and Clark had lunched with Minna Wallis, who’d re-introduced them at a dinner months ago. That night they had dinner with Charles Feldman and agreed to dine with him again Tuesday. Tuesday morning, the telephone rang and Sylvia said to Charlie, “Something has happened. We cannot have dinner with you, but you’ll hear from us later.” That “something” was her elopement with Gable! Charlie didn’t know…
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Gossip Friday: Christmas Cow
From January 1940: Clark Gable, who had been at Fieldsie’s party with Carole Lombard (this was the first year they had discovered each other), slept well into the morning [on Christmas Day]. He had sent his lady love an appropriate gift, and when he arose he waited for her ecstatic telephone call. Secretly, he was also eager to see his own present from Carole. The first gifts of sweethearts are always the tenderest, the most elaborate and sentimental. Gable’s was. As he walked about, happy, sappy, in love, he came across an unexpected sight on his front lawn. There stood a forlorn heifer. None of the neighbors had cows. They are…
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Gossip Friday: Thank you, Youngster
From October 1936: Clark Gable plans a fitting reward for an honest little boy who evidently lives in Beverly Hills not far from the hotel where the actor resides. “The big moment” of millions of feminine fans entered a Beverly Hills drug store near the hotel, made a purchase and then departed. He was almost instantly overtaken by a small boy about ten or eleven years old, who thrust a wallet into Gable’s hand. It was the actor’s property. The boy explained that he had seen the actor drop it, and darted away as soon as he had returned the wallet, before Clark could learn his name. The star is…
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Gossip Friday: Stumped by Carole’s Gift
From October 1936: Carole Lombard has found a “topper” for the wreck of a car she sent Clark Gable as a Valentine gift. It is an antiquated fire engine. When the star learned the fire engine was for sale she hurried out and took an option on it. What Gable will do with the engine is a question. Gable turned the tables on Carole when she gave him the car, for he transformed the broken-down roadster into a snappy racing car. Carole feels that her latest gift will have him “stumped”!