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{New Article} 1936: “The New Romance in Clark Gable’s Life”
I have a vintage magazine addiction. The first step towards getting help is admitting you have a problem, right? Well, I admit it. I now have so many magazines stacked on my desk and nightstand and scanner that I had to promise my husband I would not buy another one until I have gone through every one of them. And so I am. In the coming weeks you will find lots of new pictures in the gallery as a result, as well as many new articles. The majority of these articles are quite intriguing and so I am devoting a blog post here and there to them. Also, I would…
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The Scoop on “Gable:The Ties that Bind”
As previously mentioned on this blog, Michelle Morgan, the author of the book Marilyn Monroe: Private and Undisclosed , is heading up a new Gable documentary, “Gable: The Ties that Bind”, that features FIVE HOURS of previously unreleased footage! There will also be a companion book penned by Michelle herself. I asked Michelle the questions everybody wants to know: How did you get involved with the project? At the end of summer 2010 I was hanging out my washing one afternoon when an email came through from Tegan Summer, to say that he had acquired some personal home movie footage of Carole Lombard and Clark Gable. I was absolutely intrigued and suggested…
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Oscar Night…Minus Clark and Carole
The Academy Awards are tonight, so I thought I would post something about the night “Gone with the Wind”won it big–February 29, 1940 at the now-destroyed Cocoanut Grove in Los Angeles. Clark didn’t win that night; the only black spot on an otherwise glorious night for the film. The one thing about that evening that has always puzzled me is the lack of pictures of Clark and Carole at the Academy Awards. There are none. Zilch. Zero. I understand Clark didn’t win, but how can there be no photos? I am a Clark photo fanatic, as is evident by the thousands of pictures in the gallery, and I have never…
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Gossip Friday: Rhett and…his Scarlett?
From September 1938: With the announcement of Clark Gable as Rhett Butler and Norma Shearer as Scarlett in “Gone with the Wind”, Clark and Norma, far from happy, are wearing two worried frowns on their personable faces. Gable is anxious to know these things: “Will I be the Rhett Butler of the fans’ dreams? If please the North, will the South be happy over the choice? Will I interpret each scene, each move, as the millions of readers have pictured it in their minds and hearts? Will I fail in this, my heaviest assignment to date? Frankly, I don’t see how any actor can win with this role and I’m…
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Property of Carole Lombard
At her untimely death at age 33, Carole left behind quite an impressive estate. Unfortunately, it has been said that her most valuable furs, clothes and jewels perished with her in the plane crash. Still, there were treasures left behind. I have the listing of Carole’s personal property that was appraised at her death; it is quite long and full of much legal mumbo jumbo. The settling of her estate lists it all more concisely and together, but I found the appraiser’s notes on how much everything was worth rather intriguing. So here are the highlights, from the appraiser’s report. Bank accounts: Jewelry and furs: Yowza. Carole definitely had…
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Gossip Friday: Carole with her Clark
Some ooey gooey love mush since it’s nearly Valentines Day… From May 1941: The most in love woman in all Hollywood—Carole Lombard. Watch pictures of Clark and Carole together. Carole either clings lovingly to her husband’s arm or gazes adoringly into Clark’s eyes. She completely submerges herself into one with Gable and openly tell the world with her eyes, “I love this man. He is mine.” For the most in love [girl] we dare you to find any that surpasses Carole Lombard with her Clark. ____ New this week: Saturday: Clark and Carole profiles from Movie Star Parade magazine in the Article Archive Sunday: Screenshots from “Idiot’s Delight” in…
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Movie of the Month: China Seas (1935)
China Seas is a real MGM high octane thriller, set on the high seas, with… Romance! Pirates! Deception! A torrid love triangle! Gable is Alan Gaskell, a roguish captain of a ship that sails between Hong Kong and Shanghai. It’s established pretty early on that he’s been having some adult fun ashore with a Shanghai harlot, Dolly, who goes by the name China Doll (Harlow). So imagine his surprise when setting his ship off to sea that she is on board as a passenger! She confesses she is madly in love with him; he is weary of her and rejects her advances. She is green with jealousy upon the arrival onboard…
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Gossip Friday: On the set of Comrade X
From January 1941: Hedy Lamarr, who has completely forgotten her nervous jitters and family troubles that tore at her heart, has become a fun-loving, chattering, prank-playing imp on the “Comrade X” set. And all because that irresistable Clark Gable has kidded Hedy out of those self-conscious blues into being a real and naturla human being. It’s a new Lamarr, take our word for it. _____ New this week: Tuesday: New look for the site, film page for The Painted Desert Wednesday: Page for Grace Kelly Thursday: Pics of Clark and Sylvia Ashley in the gallery Friday: Clark’s death certificate
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Happy 110th Birthday, Mr. Gable
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGOUvzPzhkk) I am asked often, “Why Clark Gable? Why a site for him?” First of all, Clark is an excellent place to start if one wants to get into classic films. He is where my love for classic films began. After being awestruck by “Gone with the Wind”, I saw his Oscar-winning performance in “It Happened One Night”, which introduced me to the lovely Claudette Colbert and to investigate more Frank Capra films, and so on. From Clark’s films alone one can be introduced to Joan Crawford, Vivien Leigh, Ava Gardner, Jeanette MacDonald, Marion Davies, Helen Hayes, Grace Kelly, Sidney Poitier, Spencer Tracy, Marilyn Monroe, Jean Harlow, Myrna Loy,…
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Gossip Friday: Snippets from the set of Gone with the Wind
From August 1939: There’s a mad scramble between every scene on the “Gone with the Wind” set. For Vivien Leigh is an Anagram fiend and Olivia de Havilland is equally rabid on the subject of Chinese Checkers–and they like Clark Gable for a partner. Gable happens to like both girls and both games, but he’s hit upon a practical solution for the predicament. It’s three-handed bridge and now everyone is happy. *** Though Vivien Leigh has many elaborate costumes for “Gone with the Wind”, her costliest is the ugliest dress she wears in the picture. Fourteen copies of this dress had to be made, for it is the one which…