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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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Gossip Friday: Can Clark Gable Stay Married?
From December 1931: Can Clark Gable stay married? Clark recently said: “Neither my wife nor I ever expect to be married again. She is my ideal woman. I hope I never fail as her ideal man.” And Hollywood, remembering that Clark has been married before and that he is younger than his wife, sighs: “Ah…” If Clark Gable and Rita [sic] Langham can stay married, it will be a great thing brought to pass between a man, a wife and that most exacting mistress of all, Fame. The only other two men upon whom she has bestowed her hysterical favors so lavishly have been Rudolph Valentino and John Gilbert. And…
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Gone with the Wednesday: Hat’s Off to Debbie Reynolds’ Final Auction
Debbie Reynolds is holding the final auction of her unmatched collection of classic film memorabilia May 17-May18 in Los Angeles. It saddens me greatly that her dream of opening a movie museum was never realized and that these precious items are now scattered around the globe. Debbie’s dedication for keeping classic film history alive is extraordinary and it’s such a shame that so few in Hollywood share her passion for it. Well, since it is all to be scattered to the wind… Gone with the Wind fans, if you want to open your wallets and own a piece of film history, here is what is for sale: Delicate black lace wire frame hat…
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Gossip Friday: Eligible Gable
From March 1936: All things considered, Clark Gable will probably have the most terrifc year of anybody in Hollywood. Imagine Clark on the semibachelor list! The first announcement of the formal separation of himself from Ria Gable was immediately followed by an onslaught of rumors concerning fair ladies and Clark. He was variously reported engaged or about to be engaged to Elizabeth Allan, Mary Taylor and Loretta Young. It can be wagered that they’ll be no peace or contentment in and about the colony until Clark is married again. The suspense will be pretty terrible, because even after a divorce is filed, it takes a year for the final decree…
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Gone with the Wednesday: Snag Yourself a Scarlett Sweater
Gone with the Wind did not suffer from lack of marketing. Products sporting the film’s name were pushed upon the public long before the film was released; everything from clothing to perfume to candies to jewelry. In 1938, even before the film was cast, you could buy yourself a “Scarlett O’Hara sweater” that is “inspired” by the film: Or you could “Play the lead in Gone with the Wind” in this dress: As the film was in production and released, the marketing hit a fever pitch and you could get your hands on Gone with the Wind jewelry: Or you could win it in a magazine contest! In case you’re…
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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.…
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Gossip Friday: Beard Protest
From April 1937: Just a little publicity story sent out about Clark Gable wearing a beard in “Parnell” caused more of a furare than anything of a similar nature with the single exception of Marlene Dietrich’s determination to wear trousers a few years ago. Mail was received from all parts of the United States, a great deal from fans, but some from barbers’ associations advising that the idea be dropped for fear of a falling off in the tansarial trade. Also, it seems there are various bearded organizations in the United States which strongly advocated the idea. After the stage play, there was nothing in particular to suggest that Gable…
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Gone with the Wednesday: Facts for Your Own Gone with the Wind Trivia Game
In 1940, Photoplay magazine supplied its readers with facts on Gone with the Wind so that they could play their own GWTW trivia game… Hollywood can talk of nothing these days but Gone with the Wind. It’s crept into every luncheon and dinner party until hostesses, in despair, have invented a Gone with the Wind game. Pencils and papers with questions to be answered concerning the mighty epic are passed around at every gathering. The one winning the highest score gets the prize. Why not try it at your parties, too? With [us] supplying all the answers to facts and figures, you can make up your own questions. Here goes:…
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Gossip Friday: Two Worried Mothers
Letter to the editor, February 1935: We are two young mothers who feel it our duty to not let the evil influence of our cinema contaminate the innocent young minds of our children. You can imagine our distress when we found out that our little Freddie, aged ten, and Johnnie, aged eleven, had wandered into the neighborhood theater during the showing of “Dancing Lady.” We feel that such pictures are a menace to civilizaton and that they should be abolished. Our little ones now prefer to attend an evening show instead of hearing bedtime stories. “Peter Rabbit” and “Bunny Brown” are being sadly neglected these days. We wonder if such…
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Gone with the Wednesday: “Gone with the Wind Indeed!”
This week, featured is another article from the archive, Gone with the Wind Indeed!, Photoplay magazine, March 1937. This article is all about the pressing issue of casting the great civil war epic: Time was when you could call a man a rat in Hollywood and get yourself a stiff poke in the nose. But now what you get is–”Rhett? Rhett Butler? Well–I don’t know about that ‘profile like an old coin’ stuff, but I’ve been told I am rather masterful and–” Yes and there was a day when you could call a woman scarlet in this town and find yourself looking into the business end of a male relative’s…