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Gossip Friday: Early Out
From February 1936: One of the nicest parties of the year was given by Pansy and Nicholas Schenck at Joseph Schenck’s palatial home; many of the guests came on from the Lewis Milestone cocktail party which was a gay and happy affair; after a week of unprecedented gaiety you might think the Schenck party would suffer, but with a good orchestra, grand food and conversation, most of the guests stayed on and on. Carole Lombard and Clark Gable left early because they are working and had to be on the set early; Louis B. Mayer did some fancy dancing with Hope Lighton; Marion Davies stunning in black; Mrs. Jack Warner…
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Gossip Friday: Not a Knockout
From June 1936: The famous knockout blow that Clark Gable delivered to his skilled opponent in the prizefight scene for “Cain and Mabel” will be retained in the picture, but will not appear as a knockout. Warners wanted to use it as the end of the 15-round bout in the story, in which Clark co-stars with Marion Davies, but the camera caught the “Round 1” marker above the ring, and there is no way to keep this from showing. As a result, the scenes will appear as a knockdown, and another way will be figured for Gable to score a kayo at the finish of the fight.
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Movie of the Week: Polly of the Circus (1932)
This week, Clark Gable is a preacher in love with sassy acrobat Marion Davies in Polly of the Circus (1932). Clark is Father John Hartley, a small town minister living a peaceful life. The circus comes to town, with its star attraction: trapeze artist Polly Fisher (Davies). She is enraged when her risqué posters are covered up and confronts Hartley, who admits that her posters aren’t appropriate in the town. The crowd mocks her at her next performance, causing her to fall. She recuperates at Hartley’s house at his insistence since he feels guilty. Soon they fall in love. But his parish and bishop uncle (C. Aubrey Smith) don’t support…
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Movie of the Week: Cain and Mabel (1936)
This week, Clark is a mechanic-turned boxer who hates-loves-then-hates-again Marion Davies’ waitress-turned Broadway star in Cain and Mabel (1936). Clark Gable is Larry Cain, a heavyweight boxer, whose publicity team cooks up a fake romance with Mabel O’Dare (Davies), an aspiring musical star, for publicity. .Clark wins the heavyweight title but his fights aren’t popular enough to earn much of a profit. Marion gets a starring role on Broadway but her shows are hardly sell-outs. “The ushers are quitting because they’re scared of being alone in the dark!” her employer scoffs.So his support team and her support team decide that if they throw them together in a romance, the…
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May Movie of the Month: Cain and Mabel (1935)
This month, Clark’s a grumbling small-time boxer in a love-hate relationship with Marion Davies’ spunky waitress-turned dancer in Cain and Mabel. Clark Gable is Larry Cain, a heavyweight boxer, whose publicity team cooks up a fake romance with Mabel O’Dare (Davies), an aspiring musical star, for publicity. The two loathe each other but begrudgingly agree to play along to help both of their careers. Of course along the way they actually do fall in love and decide to quit boxing and show business to be together. Their publicists won’t hear of it however and set to break them up. This is completely Marion’s film. She’s billed first and carries the…
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Nutshell Reviews: Cain and Mabel (1936), Love on the Run (1936) and Parnell (1937)
In a Nutshell: Cain and Mabel (1936) Directed by: Lloyd Bacon Co-stars: Marion Davies Synopsis: Gable is Larry Cain, a small time boxer, whose publicity team cooks up a fake romance with Mabel O’Dare (Davies), an aspiring musical star, for publicity. The two loathe each other but begrudgingly agree to play along to help both of their careers. Of course along the way they actually do fall in love and decide to quit boxing and show business to be together. Their publicists won’t hear of it however and set to break them up. Best Gable Quote: “I’m supposed to be a fighter and what am I doing–playing post office all…
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Nutshell Reviews: Hell Divers (1931) and Polly of the Circus (1932)
In a Nutshell: Hell Divers (1931) Directed by: Richard Boleslawski Co-stars: Wallace Beery, Dorothy Jordan, Marie Prevost Synopsis: Gable is Steve Nelson, a budding Navy pilot constantly at odds with Windy Riker (Beery), who has been in the service for years and has no patience for newbies. When Windy stages a farce that makes Steve’s girl Ann (Jordan) leave him, their relationship becomes hostile and costs one of them their position in the Navy. Best Gable Quote: “Say, there isn’t another girl in the world for me but you.. Never has been and never will be.” Fun Fact: Gable was in the midst of a heated affair with Joan Crawford…
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April Movie of the Month: Polly of the Circus (1932)
This month, Clark Gable is a straight-laced minister and Marion Davies is his sassy acrobat love interest in Polly of the Circus. Clark is Father John Hartley, a small town minister living a peaceful life. The circus comes to town, with its star attraction: trapeze artist Polly Fisher (Davies). She is enraged when her risqué posters are covered up and confronts Hartley, who admits that her posters aren’t appropriate in the town. The crowd mocks her at her next performance, causing her to fall. She recuperates at Hartley’s house at his insistence since he feels guilty. Soon they fall in love. But his parish and bishop uncle (Aubrey Smith) don’t support him…
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{Hollywood} The Former Homes of…
Instead of hopping on a tour bus to be driven around, snapping photos and hoping to catch today’s stars in their bathrobes watering their front lawns, we were on a mission to find the homes of the past. Let’s start with two of Clark’s wives… Here is the house on Landale that Clark’s first wife Josephine Dillon lived in from her arrival in Hollywood until her death. Clark owned this property, paid the property taxes and let Josephine live there rent-free. He left her the house in his will. After Clark’s widow Kay Williams sold the Encino ranch to developers in 1970’s, she moved into posh Beverly Hills to this house on…
