• Gossip

    Gossip Friday: His Majesty is Haughty

    From May 1954: Clark Gable has given Flickerville something to talk about since his departure from the MGM lot. He’s reported as having snubbed old, old pals and a couple of West Coast scribes who really helped put him up there with The Big Ones. “The King” is very haughty these days and isn’t having any of the old rah, rah, rah comradeship huddles that used to be part of the Gable legend. Despite the boost in his career that “Mogambo” gave him, tailor-made vehicles for His Majesty aren’t in the offing…

  • Gossip

    Gossip Friday: A Change of Heart

    From May 1955: We can be wrong, of course, but we also doubt that Clark Gable and Kay Williams Speckels will ever say “I do” to each other. Same magazine, September 1955: Clark Gable’s elopement with blonde and beautiful Kay Spreckels came as no surprise to me. Clark likes to laugh, and Kay is full of fun. This is the marriage Clark needed to forget his last mistake with Lady Sylvia. It was only shortly before they took the plunge in the wedding pool that the King was asked when it would happen. He put off with: “Kay and I might do it just to kill your favorite question.” But…

  • Gossip

    Gossip Friday: Ouch Indeed

    From March 1957: Cruel review for Clark Gable’s “A King and Four Queens” in a London paper. It ended with, “Why don’t you act your own age, partner? Be someone’s young graddad for a change.” Ouch, ouch and again ouch.

  • Photos

    Dearest Marilyn

    Here is a letter that Clark Gable’s widow Kay Williams Gable wrote to Marilyn Monroe on April 11, 1961:   Dearest Marilyn, How about our little ‘carbon copy lover boy’–I am certain you have seen his press pictures. Just exactly like Clark. The ears are too close to his dear little head–I’ll fix that dept. later. Do let me know when you plan to return to California–I’ll let you be second nanny in charge. Later you may take him fishing. Guess I will be the one to teach him to shoot ducks. My work is really cut out for me. I feel certain his dearest father is watching his every…

  • Anniversary

    Goodbye, Mr. Gable

    Clark Gable died 54 years ago today, on November 16, 1960. He was 59 years old.   Here is the description of his final ten days on earth, detailed by his widow, Kay. The last day Clark spent in the house he loved began much as any other day on the ranch, except that it was raining. It was Saturday, Nov. 5, 1960. The night before, Pa had finally finished all work on The Misfits and he came home looking so worn out my heart ached for him. He talked of flying up to the duck club near Stockton for the weekend, but changed his mind. Saturday morning he looked…

  • Gossip

    Gossip Friday: Night Owl

    From December 1953: On his last visit to [New York City], Clark Gable gave most of the major night clubs a big play, and he was spotted in as many as five and six different cafes nightly but never with a party of friends numbering less than eight. Toughest assignment to get, according to newsmen, was a daytime interview with the star—he was never available until after sundown and never after sunrise.