Articles
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{New Article} 1935: Behind the Scenes with Joan, Clark and Bob
Here is one of those articles that is utterly pointless and serves only as a publicity piece from MGM for Forsaking All Others. I don’t think there was ever any real concern that there was going to be a battle royale for star status between Clark Gable, Joan Crawford and Robert Montgomery but nonetheless: When Joan Crawford, Clark Gable and Robert Montgomery were announced as the stars of “Forsaking All Others,” under the ace direction of “Woody” Van Dyke, the local gossip columnists assumed their favorite cat-that-ate-the-canary expression and sat back and waited for the worst to happen… …of course, there was that fascinating angle of Mr. Clark (star) Gable…
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{New Article} Gable’s Mystery Romance
In 1952, Clark Gable headed for an extended trip overseas. The plan was, to avoid paying income tax, he was to stay out of the United States for 18 months, during which time he would make what would ultimately be his final three films for his home studio of over 20 years, Metro Goldwyn Mayer. The three films were Never Let Me Go (filmed in London), Mogambo (filmed in London and Africa) and Betrayed (filmed in Holland). Of course, the King of Hollywood was not going to wander the streets of Europe alone. He was quickly spotted with a young model named Suzanne Dadolle. I wrote a piece on her…
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{New Article} 1950: The King Takes a Lady
After Clark Gable suddenly up and married his fourth wife, Sylvia Ashley, there were a lot of articles praising the union (naturally, are they really going to say otherwise) and this here is one of those: They came back to his Encino Ranch on December 21st, the morning after their wedding, Clark Gable and Sylvia Hawkes Ashley Fairbanks Stanley, who has just become Clark’s fourth wife. And as they fled through the ranch gates, surrounded by knots of curious fans, Clark called out merrily, “I have never been happier.” Then, the big white ranch gate swung shut and a couple of burly, grinning cops from the Metro Studios mounted guard…
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{New Article} 1933: Get Well Soon, Clark Gable!
This article, from 1933, is all about Clark Gable’s recent tragic illness. Now, it is quite true that Clark became very ill as he started production on Dancing Lady. But this piece really exaggerates: There were many in the film colony who were quick to say, “Gable is leaving the cast of Joan Crawford’s ‘Dancing Lady’ because he doesn’t like his role. That business about being ‘sick’ is just a stall!” But it wasn’t a stall! Clark Gable isn’t bluffing—not this time. He is still dangerously ill at the moment this is being written…. Those who saw him hobble about the MGM lot a few days ago, in a painful…
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{New Article} 1935: A New Log of The Bounty
This is a short article from 1935 about the filming of Mutiny on the Bounty on Catalina Island. It really doesn’t give much detail except to rehash the history of the events depicted in the picture. A new tale, of another Bounty, could be written around the adventures of that sore-beset crew, filming this grand tale for Metro, for all of them, from Director Frank Lloyd on, have stories to tell of trials and tribulations. But it all is well worth it, for without question here, in “Mutiny on the Bounty,” will be one of the greatest pictures ever contrived. I have lately returned from a cruise on this new…
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{New Article} 1937: Two Kings Share One Crown
This fluff piece from 1937 was most certainly ordered by MGM publicity to beef up their young acquisition, Robert Taylor. The article discusses how “Bob” is replacing Clark and how Clark’s day in the sun is fading. Which makes zero sense. It wasn’t until after this article was published that Clark was officially crowned the “King of Hollywood” by Ed Sullivan, and Bob at this point was really just starting out, Camille and Magnificent Obsession being his two most memorable roles at this point. This is quite the transparent PR play. Robert Taylor, a youth in his twenties, briefly out of an American university, has overnight become the living symbol…
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{New Article} 1932: What About Clark Gable Now?
Clark Gable had only been in the public eye for a little over a year when this article was published. But yet it’s all about “What is he up to NOW? What is NEW with him? He has CHANGED so much!” Meet Clark Gable today! This he-man with dimples; this gangster who went heroic by feminine demand; this most desired of all screen lovers—where does he go from here? His powerful performance in “Strange Interlude” has clinched his right to stardom. Unofficially MGM’s biggest male draw for the past six months, he is on his own for the first time in the just completed “China Seas.” What is Hollywood doing…
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{New Article} 1931: Do Women Love Cave Men?
Newcomer Clark Gable had burst onto the screen in 1931, tossing around the likes of Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford and Barbara Stanwyck, sending feminine hearts aflutter. But does this mean that women love cavemen??? WE MUST KNOW. Ivan Lebedeff says: “A woman loves the man she loves, whatever he is. Love to a woman is something, the reason for which can never be explained. The most beautiful women often give themselves to ugly and sometimes even invalid men. And women of fine intellectual and spiritual development sometimes give themselves to absolute dumbbells. “But there’s a physical side to all women. They are all thrilled or attracted more or less by…
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{New Article} 1932: An Open Letter to Clark Gable
These “open letters” that editors of fan magazines would write to stars are quite eye roll-inducing. Usually they mildly insult the stars in some way, then the star offers a rebuttal. This one is at least short and I didn’t find Clark’s rebuttal in any subsequent issues of this magazine so I guess “Delight’s” opinion didn’t matter much to him, eh? From Screenland magazine editor Delight Evans: Dear Clark: This is going to hurt me more than it does you. I like you a lot—just because I’m an editor doesn’t mean I can’t pick my favorites—and I hope you like me, too. (I should think you would after all those…
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{New Article} 1931: By Popular Request
When this short article was published in the summer of 1931, Clark Gable had just busted onto the screen with several small but memorable roles in films such as The Secret Six, Dance Fools Dance and A Free Soul. I am guessing that the magazines had a lot of requests for more information on this new heartthrob and the magazines didn’t have much to say yet… Clark Gable’s face is undoubtedly his greatest asset. No, this newest recruit from the New York stage isn’t a handsome young man, with curly hair and chiseled features. If he were, you probably wouldn’t remember him, because leading men do have a way of…
