-
Gossip Friday: Steal from Spencer
From January 1939: Clark Gable’s New Year resolution is “to steal a scene from Spencer Tracy,” while Spencer Tracy is anxious just to “do the best I can in the roles I get.”
-
Gossip Friday: Best Dressed Man
From December 1935: Virginia Bruce Fires Broadcast at Men’s Dress Virginia Bruce fired a broadside at Hollywood men’s fashions yesterday. Declaring that men, much more than women, are “slaves to convention” in the matter of dress, the blonde player said she was “disgusted” with formal dark business suits, shoes and hats for every day wear. She held Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy and Jack Oakie were outstanding “best dressed men” of Hollywood–because they are entirely informal and know how to wear light colors and contrasting shades becomingly.” Men, she said, may belittle women because of their fondness for accessories, but men would be much more attractive if they adopted some of…
-
Happy 120th Birthday, Clark Gable
Clark Gable was born 120 years ago today, on February 1, 1901. The only child of William and Adeline Gable, he was born at home in their small duplex in Cadiz, Ohio, at 5:30am after 15 hours of labor. He weighed 10 and a half pounds! You can view our posts about Clark Gable’s birthday over the years here. These pictures of Clark celebrating with a large cake with a crown on it are widely circulated. Here’s the deal on that particular birthday party in 1938: They halted shooting on Stage 12 at MGM yesterday afternoon to celebrate Clark Gable’s birthday. Since the Chicago Tribune News Syndicate named him…
-
Remembering Clark Gable, 60 Years Later
Clark Gable died sixty years ago today, on November 16, 1960. He was only 59 years old. After a long and tedious shooting schedule for The Misfits, Clark was ready for a rest. He was set on not doing another movie until after his child was born, in March. On November 6, 1960, he spent what would be his final day at his beloved ranch. He toiled away the day working with his hunting dog, playing with the children, and relaxing. He told Kay he felt tired and went to bed early. He tossed and turned all night. At about 8:00am, Kay awakened to see Clark standing in the doorway, pale and…
-
Gossip Friday: Not Very Chummy
From May 1936: Ever since the other day, they’re thinking of giving still photographers little lessons in tact at MGM. Loretta Young and Spencer Tracy were sitting at the privileged “directors’ table” at the MGM restaurant. Far up at the other end of the table sat Clark Gable–alone, and not at all socialable. In came a photographer. He wanted a picture. He asked Clark to move up with Loretta and Spencer, so they could all look very chummy. And all he got was black looks. But he should have known better. ___ Hmmm….wonder why that would be? I think we all know…
-
Gossip Friday: Boom Town Preview Postscripts
From November 1940: Boom Town Preview Postscripts: It required 27 varied location sites and a total of 41 sets to screen this story. Metro buily a boom town of its own for this picture. Clark Gable has been suggesting an oil story for himself for about three years; at the age of 18 he worked as a tool dresser in Bigheart, Oklahoma. Spencer Tracy sets a new record for himself in screen fisticuffs, engaging in five battles; this is the second time he and Gable fight each other in films, although the last time, in “San Francisco,” they wore boxing gloves. Gable is two inches taller in the picture than…
-
Gossip Friday: Coming in Third
From December 1940: Mickey Rooney, the cigar smoking toughie of Mickey McGuire two-reelers 15 years ago, has been voted the nation’s foremost box office attraction for the second consecutive year, the Motion Picture Herald reported yesterday. The tousled, 20-year-old Rooney won the Herald theater poll by an overwhelming vote over 200 actors and actresses–the handsomest leading men and the prettiest girls of the motion picture industry. This year he carried young Judy Garland with him from relative obscurity in 1939 to the No. 10 moneymaker. The Garland parade began early in 1940, when she and Rooney were cast in “Babes in Arms.” The film was such a smash hit countrywide…
-
Movie of the Week: San Francisco (1936)
This week, ruthless nightclub owner Clark Gable chases after virtuous opera singer Jeanette MacDonald in San Francisco. Clark is Blackie Norton, a ruthless saloon-keeper in 1906 San Francisco. Despite their differences, he falls in love with Mary Blake (MacDonald), a small town minister’s daughter and aspiring opera singer whom he hires to sing in his revue. His childhood pal, priest Tim Mullin (Spencer Tracy), objects to him putting Mary on display and stopping her from her opera aspirations. Realizing that Tim is right and that she should pursue her dreams instead of letting Blackie hold her back, Mary leaves him and becomes a successful opera star. It isn’t until the…
-
Movie of the Week: Test Pilot (1938)
This week, it’s Clark Gable as a fearless test pilot, Myrna Loy as the woman he loves and Spencer Tracy as his best buddy in Test Pilot (1938). Clark is Jim Lane, a boozing, womanizing army test pilot who walks to the beat of his own drummer. On one trip, his plane starts leaking gas and he lands on the field of a Kansas farm, where Ann Barton (Loy) lives with her parents. Their sparring turns to mutual attraction soon after and by the time Jim’s best friend and mechanic, Gunner Morris (Tracy) arrives to help fix the plane, they are in love. When Jim brings the plane home to…
-
{Photos} Boom Town (1940)
Here’s some photos from this week’s Movie of the Week, Boom Town (1940). With a cast consisting of Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert, Spencer Tracy and Hedy Lamarr, the portraits are of course wonderful. There’s some behind-the-scenes photos I found in a fan magazine of Clark and Spencer filming their first scene together, ending up face first in the mud! Clark Gable with a baby and small child is always worth the price of admission in my book. Saving the best for last, the funniest screenshots from this film are from Clark’s fist fight with Spencer (well Clark and Spencer’s stunt double):
