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For Us, The King Will Never Die
Clark Gable died 62 years ago today at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital in Los Angeles. A heart attack claimed The King of Hollywood at age 59. This pictorial layout appeared in Modern Screen magazine after his death: Clark Gable 1901-1960 For us the King will never die A poor boy…a nobody…with big ears and a magnetic charm, a he-man ruggedness…Clark lived his life, said little, and we loved him. lovers: In Clark’s life there were five wives and no scandals. But on the screen his amours were messy–and with the greats of filmland’s Golden Days. Shown in his arms are Norma Shearer, Greta Garbo, Jean Harlow and Vivien Leigh, the lovely…
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Movie of the Week: Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise (1931) and Sporting Blood (1931)
This week, Clark Gable loves Greta Garbo in Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise and Madge Evans in Sporting Blood (both 1931). Susan Lenox is a fine little pre-code film, mostly notable only because his co-star is the Great Garbo. Garbo is Susan (born Helga), an illegitimate orphan raised in shame by her aunt and her cruel husband, who treats her like a slave. He picks a man for her to marry “so you won’t be without a wedding ring like your mother”. When the man tries to rape her, she runs away in a rainstorm, seeking shelter in a barn owned by architect Rodney (Gable). Rodney lets her stay…
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{New Article} 1935: Gable Selects The Ten Most Attractive Women
This article is from 1935 and is a fluffy piece in which Clark Gable is asked to select the ten most attractive women in Hollywood. I have a bit of difficulty believing that this article is quoting Clark verbatim as it includes the following sentence: “A woman’s features may be perfectly moulded, her skin a peach-blown dream and her body perfect, but unless her character shines through, she can never be truly beautiful. It takes more than mere perfection of face and figure for a woman to be beautiful.” Can anyone imagine Clark saying “her skin a peach-blown dream” ???? Me neither. At first Clark picks the ideal characterisitics these…
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1936: A Hollywood Psychic Predicts Clark Gable and Carole Lombard’s Future
Featured in Screen Guide magazine in November 1936, here is one of those wacky articles that could only come from the 1930’s–a psychic tells you what will become of Hollywood’s great couples! “The Future of Ten Hollywood Romances as Predicted by Wanda, One of Hollywood’s Most Famous Seers” The ten blazingest Hollywood romances! How will the end? Marriage? Split up? This story tells. In presenting this remarkable set of predictions, I have kept in mind that my readers’ interest in the stars is no fleeting thing. You will be amazed as time goes on, to note the accuracy of Wanda’s readings. She has built for herself a tremendous following among…
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May Movie of the Month: Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise (1931)
It took me two months to do the Nutshell Reviews for all 66 of Clark’s credited roles. Now that that is over, it’s back to Movie of the Month! This month, Clark Gable is paired with the Grande Dame of the screen in this scandalous pre-production code romance, Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise. Garbo is Susan (born Helga), an illegitimate orphan raised in shame by her aunt and her cruel husband, who treats her like a slave. He picks a man for her to marry “so you won’t be without a wedding ring like your mother”. When the man tries to rape her, she runs away in a rainstorm,…
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Gossip Friday: How Do You Find Miss Garbo?
From September 1931: Clark Gable is playing opposite Greta Garbo in her new picture. One day at lunch he was approached by an ambitious reporter. “How do you find Miss Garbo?” he was asked. “I don’t,” said Clark. “She is always on the set ahead of me.” And what’s more–they say Clark isn’t a bit “scared” of Greta like most of the other leading men who have played opposite her.
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Nutshell Reviews: Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise (1931) and Possessed (1931)
In a Nutshell: Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise (1931) Directed by: Robert Z. Leonard Co-stars: Greta Garbo Synopsis: Garbo is Susan (born Helga), an illegitimate orphan raised in shame by her aunt and her cruel husband, who treats her like a slave. He picks a man for her to marry “so you won’t be without a wedding ring like your mother”. When the man tries to rape her, she runs away in a rainstorm, seeking shelter in a barn owned by architect Rodney (Gable). Rodney lets her stay with him and soon they are in love. When he leaves for a business trip, her uncle finds her and she…
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Gossip Friday: Gable for Negri?
From January 1932: We hear–unofficially–that far from deciding on Greta Garbo for “Grand Hotel,” Metro has decided to borrow Pola Negri for the chief female role and has offered, as an inducement to Pathe, to lend Clark Gable in exchange, for one picture! —- Interesting, but we all know Garbo did make “Grand Hotel” and Gable didn’t make another film for Pathe. Quite an idea, though…
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Gossip Friday: Santa Checks Up on Good Boys and Girls
In the January 1935 issue of Hollywood magazine, they printed “Santa’s book” of good and bad points for film stars. So who’s getting what they wanted for Christmas and who is getting coal? CLARK GABLE Good Points: For giving is It Happened One Night. Being always thoughtful of others. When a friend had no place to keep her dog, he gave it a home on his ranch. Bad Points: Balks at picture assignments with women stars. Drives studio frantic by disappearing between pictures, when he is wanted for story conferences. Gifts: More dogs to take care of CAROLE LOMBARD Good Points: Proved she could act in Twentieth Century. Came…
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Gossip Friday: Gable in Grand Hotel?
From December 1931: What do you think of this for a cast? Great Garbo…John Gilbert…Joan Crawford…Clark Gable in “Grand Hotel.” Irving Thalberg (MGM executive and husband of Norma Shearer) thinks so much of it that it is practically set that these four stars will be united in Vicki Baum’s sensational story. Anyway, the folks have had a lot of fun casting the parts. Garbo as the dancer, Gilbert as the young crook, Crawford as the stenographer–everybody agrees on that line-up. But what part is Gable to have? the only other important role in the book is the invalid from the country. Does Gable look like an invalid to you? ____…
