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{New Article} 1942: Heart of a He-Man
This article, from October 1942, deals with the recently widowed Clark Gable returning to the set of Somewhere I’ll Find You. The film halted production for several weeks after the untimely death of Clark’s wife, Carole Lombard. The picture began again after weeks of many misgivings and many hopes, and the director called the crew together. “Boys, Gable will be back this afternoon—he’s coming in to get the feel again—just sit around—and let’s not say anything—I mean—oh, hell—you know what I mean!” His eyes were misty as he talked quietly and stumbled around for more words, because he didn’t want the boys to misunderstand. Neither did he want Mr. Gable…
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Gossip Friday: Below Freezing
From March 1947: Clark Gable and Lana Turner are another pair of movie lovers who are not presently what you might call friendly. During “Homecoming,” the atmosphere on the set was below freezing they tell me. And that’s really strange because Lana and Clark are the two sexiest characters in the film business. I mean, if anyone can out-sexy Clark, it’s Lana–and vice versa. I’m told they had an outside date once and something went wrong. However, they’re both too smart to let it show in their movies.
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Gossip Friday: No Party
From 1954: So typical, after twenty-three years at MGM, Clark Gable vetoed a farewell party when he checked off the lot. According to a close friend, “Clark’s tired of living in Hollywood, but he doesn’t know where to go. He doesn’t want to get married, but no matter how often he explains this, his gal friends always get serious and spoil their romance.” The King celebrated his fifty-third birthday on the “Betrayed” set. Lana Turner and Vic Mature gave him a cake baked in the shape of a crown. But Clark’s little gift to Clark was the white Lincoln convertible with red leather upholstery in which he drove away for…
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Gossip Friday: Playing Scrabble
From 1954: Interiors were shot in London and exteriors in Holland. At all times, in all places, longtime friends Lana Turner and Clark Gable had a ball working together on “Betrayed.” Clark brought back old copper pieces for his Encino ranch fireplace. Lana collected rare. cut crystal mugs. Between shots the Hollywood pair taught English cast members how to play Scrabble!
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Movie of the Week: Homecoming (1948)
This week, Clark Gable is an accomplished surgeon returning home from World War II, Lana Turner is his nurse love interest and Anne Baxter is his fretful wife in Homecoming (1948). Gable is Dr. Ulysses “Lee” Johnson, a successful surgeon with a loving and caring wife, Penny (Baxter). When he volunteers for the Army and heads overseas to fight in World War II, he meets a snappy nurse, Jane “Snapshot” McCall (Turner). At first his stuffy, conservative ways and her free-thinking style clash, but soon they are working well together in crisis and become friends. Penny becomes suspicious of their relationship when Lee mentions her frequently in his letters home.…
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Movie of the Week: Honky Tonk (1941)
Clark Gable is a quick witted con man in the Old West and Lana Turner is the prudish judge’s daughter he’s after in Honky Tonk (1941). Gable is fugitive con artist Candy Johnson, who stumbles upon the small town of Yellow Creek while on the run. He quickly takes advantage of the town’s lack of law and order. He also steals the heart of Elizabeth (Turner), a Boston-bred girl with a crooked father (Frank Morgan). Although he insists he can’t be tied down, she manipulates him into marrying her and he becomes the most respected man in Yellow Creek. Her father doesn’t trust him, however, and sets out to destroy…
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Movie of the Week: Betrayed (1954)
This week’s movie is Betrayed (1954). Clark Gable is Colonel Pieter Deventer of Dutch Intelligence during World War II. He trains Carla Van Oven (Lana Turner) to be the liaison between the British and the local resistance movement, led by a spunky rogue called “The Scarf” (Victor Mature). Before she is put into position Pieter and Carla begin a romance. The team starts to suffer heavy losses after she joins them and Pieter begins to suspect she is a Nazi spy. She suspects the same of “The Scarf” but Pieter doesn’t believe her at first. Clark and (a brunette!) Lana teamed up again, although the romantic scenes in this one…
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Movie of the Week: Somewhere I’ll Find You (1942)
The Movie of the Week this week is Somewhere I’ll Find You (1942). This is one of the few Clark Gable films that when I sat down to re-watch it, I realized I have only seen it maybe three times total. After watching it, I determined that is because, well, I don’t like it very much. Let’s not beat around the bush: it’s not very good. Clark and Lana Turner were hyped up as “The Team That Makes Steam” so it seems strange to me that MGM would thrust them into this plodding war correspondent story. Lana isn’t really given the opportunity to be the sex goddess she was known…
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Nutshell Reviews: Betrayed (1954), Soldier of Fortune (1955) and The Tall Men (1955)
In an Nutshell: Betrayed (1954) Directed by: Gottfried Reinhardt Co-stars: Lana Turner, Victor Mature Synopsis: Gable is Colonel Pieter Deventer of Dutch Intelligence during World War II. He trains Carla Van Oven (Turner) to be the liaison between the British and the local resistance movement, led by a spunky rogue called “The Scarf” (Mature). Before she is put into position Pieter and Carla begin a romance. The team starts to suffer heavy losses after she joins them and Pieter begins to suspect she is a Nazi spy, while at the same time Carla begins to suspect The Scarf. Best Gable Quote: “You stupid, whimpering fool. No, I’m the fool.…
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Nutshell Reviews: Honky Tonk (1941) and Somewhere I’ll Find You (1942)
In a Nutshell: Honky Tonk (1941) Directed by: Jack Conway Co-stars: Lana Turner, Frank Morgan Synopsis: Gable is fugitive con artist Candy Johnson, who stumbles upon the small town of Yellow Creek while on the run. He quickly takes advantage of the town’s lack of law and order. He also steals the heart of Elizabeth (Turner), a Boston-bred girl with a crooked father (Morgan). Although he insists he can’t be tied down, she manipulates him into marrying her and he becomes the most respected man in Yellow Creek. Her father doesn’t trust him, however, and sets out to destroy his reputation in town. Best Gable Quote: “You’ve got a full set of…
