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Movie of the Week: Command Decision (1948)
This week, Clark Gable is an American General stationed in England during World War II, commanding bombing missions over Germany in Command Decision (1948). Okay, so here’s the thing about this whole Movie of the Week premise. It’s great for me to re-watch all of Clark’s films and revisit a lot of these pictures that are otherwise buried in my computer, and it gives some structure to my Facebook and Instagram posts as well. As you can probably tell, they are not in any particular order; I figured chronological would be boring–it’s much more interesting to bounce around his filmography. Some weeks are certainly better than others; some movies have…
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Gossip Friday: New Aunt and Uncle
From December 1940: Proudest couple in Hollywood are Clark Gable and Carole Lombard who now answer to Uncle and Aunt. Miss Lombard’s brother and sister-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Peters, have just become parents of a seven-pound baby boy. Funniest incident at the hospital, where the Gables kept vigil with Peters and another brother of Carole, Stuart Peters, was that when Stuart heard the stork had arrived, he promptly collapsed. Gable had to leave the new father to look out for himself while he carried the overcome uncle to the adjoining room for treatment.
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Movie of the Week: Possessed (1931)
This week, wealthy Clark Gable’s in love with Joan Crawford’s wrong-side-of-the-tracks factory worker in Possessed (1931). Crawford is Marion Martin, a disillusioned small town factory worker looking for something better. After a chance meeting with Wallace Stewart (Skeets Gallagher), a drunk Park Avenue man on a train, she heads to New York to fulfill her dreams. He advises her to meet a rich man or she’ll never get along in the city. She takes his advice to heart and when two of Stewart’s friends show up, she squeezes her way into meeting them. Gable appears about fifteen minutes in the film as Mark Whitney, a distinguished attorney. He takes a…
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Gossip Friday: It’s a Wonderful Party
From March 1947 (Louella Parsons): There was something very heartwarming in the dinner given by Frank Capra, George Stevenson, Sam Briskin and William Wyler to launch their hit, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” and bring Jimmy Stewart back to his fans and friends. I say “heartwarming” because the famous hosts had invited all the actors who have EVER appeared in any of their pictures to be present along with the top-notchers of today, and so the whole charming affair at the Ambassador Hotel was a sentimental reunion of old and new stars and old and new friends. At one table, I saw Viola Dana (she was the darling of her day),…
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2018 in Review
Happy New Year!! Here’s what went on around here in 2018: The following articles were added to the Article Archive this year: 1934: Clark Gable’s Real Family Life! 1934: Why I Like to Be Alone 1934: Gable-Crazy! 1934: An Open Letter to Clark Gable 1934: Clark Gable Replies 1947: Tee for Two 1947: The Gable I Know 1955: Let’s Just Say She’s a Friend of Mine (and Then They Eloped) 1956: The Brave Lovers Movie of the Week started July 1, 2018, to continue until July 1, 2019. The list so far: July 2, 2018: Night Nurse (1931) July 9, 2018: Dancing Lady (1933) July 16, 2018: Somewhere I’ll Find…
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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…
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Gossip Friday: For Clark From Carole
From December 1938: How would you like to know what Carole Lombard gave Clark Gable [for Christmas?], what Claudette Colbert bought for her husband, Barbara Stanwyck’s gift to Bob Taylor, and vice versa? Well, here goes. Claudette today gave her doctor husband a magnificent new desk set and cuff links. Carole added to the handsome Cabonshon ruby we told you about with a new camera and an outboard motor for Clark. ___ Okay, it says it would tell you what Barbara Stanwyck bought Robert Taylor, and then it doesn’t say. Huh.
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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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Gossip Friday: A Quiet Holiday
From December 1941: The quietest Christmas celebration in its history was observed in a Hollywood accustomed in the past to tossing around presents of diamonds and minks and sables like confetti. There were some valuable presents to be sure–but most of these were United States defense bonds. Few parties were given, with most of the stars and lesser lights celebrating only with their families and intimates. Only the families with children made the usual fuss. On this score the two busiest homes were those of Mr. and Mrs. Bing Crosby and Mr. and Mrs. Don Ameche. They each have four sons. Almost as busy were Margaret Sullavan and her husband,…
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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…