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Gossip Friday: Broadway Bound
From February 1934: For the first time since he became a star, Clark Gable is going to New York. He left last night for his first sight of Broadway and Times Square since he flew to Los Angeles several years ago for a stage role. Several trips back east were planned by the one-time Ohio boy but film work always interfered. He is expected to be gone at least two weeks.
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Gossip Friday: Don’t Hang Up
From February 1945: Before Clark Gable went to New York on his last trip, Anita Colby asked him to telephone her sister, Francine, when he got to the big city. He called Francine and said, “This is Clark Gable.” Francine said, “This is Lana Turner,” and hung up.
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Gossip Friday: Not a Match
From May 1945: Mutual friends, expecting Betty Hutton and Clark Gable would go for each other in a big way, seated them together at a dinner party. They DIDN’T go for each other.
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Happy Birthday, Mr. Gable
Today is Clark Gable’s 117th birthday! To celebrate, I thought I’d comb through my massive collection and pick out my favorite 117 pictures of him. Not an easy feat, as I lost count at 20,000 photos a long time ago and there are so many I haven’t scanned or categorized yet. But here they are. These are in no particular order; they are not a countdown of my favorite pictures and they are not in chronological order either (thought that would be boring). They are just 117 of my favorites and the reason I love them could be because they are beautiful, they are weird, they are funny…whatever reason. Here…
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Gossip Friday: No Millionaire
From December 1959: Clark Gable doesn’t agree with big money Hollywood stars who set up camp in low-tax Switzerland. “The USA is good enough for me,” says the longtime matinee idol. Besides, he adds with a smile, Clark Gable is no millionaire. “I don’t know where anybody gets the idea I’m a rich man,” he says. “The British press is always asking me that question. I’m not–at least not moneywise. But I’m happy and I consider that being pretty rich.” Had it not been for his remaining under straight contract with MGM Studios, Gable might be better off in the financial department. “It’s only recently,” he says, “that I’ve gotten…
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Last Year, This Year, Next Year
A belated Happy New Year to all! I usually do a re-cap of the year’s blog posts but things were a bit quiet here in 2017. Not due to lack of new content available, as my office is drowning in it, but due to personal obligations I couldn’t post as much as I wanted. I certainly didn’t want to stop the Gossip Fridays but even those had to be halted for a bit. My ambition for this year is to at last get through articles I have had for years. And I’m also going to re-watch a lot of Gable films and offer a new post. So those are coming.…
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Gossip Friday: Hometown Hero
From January 1932: Clark Gable is getting his name in more than electric lights and theater page headlines nowadays. He recently received a picture postcard of a scene in his hometown, Cadiz, Ohio. Beneath the picture were the printed words: “Cadiz–Birthplace of Clark Gable.”
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Goodbye, Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard died 76 years ago today, at the age of 33. Her brief time on earth ending after crashing into a snowy mountaintop near Las Vegas, she left behind a world of grieving fans and one distraught husband. Celebrate, rather than mourn, Carole today. She would not be one to wallow, after all! Some great Carole content around here: Last year I chronicled the newspaper headlines around the time of her death, starting with January 16, through January 23: 75th Anniversary of Carole Lombard’s Death Here’s a piece regarding Carole and those persisting baby rumors: Carole Lombard, Clark Gable and The Baby That Never Was Some rare Carole photos…
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Gossip Friday: A Rolling Stone
From January 1932: One of the screen’s greatest matinee idols–and he wants to be a rolling stone. Sitting on the set, Clark Gable admitted to me he still can’t believe his good fortune–fortune that has enabled him, in one year to play opposite Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, Greta Garbo and now Marion Davies. The strange part of it is, he doesn’t want to go on with this glamorous life indefinitely. What he really wants, he confesses, is $200,000 and a chance to travel in the out-of-the-way places of the world. “I signed my 5-year contract against the advice of my agent and even my wife,” he told me. “My object…
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Gossip Friday: That Floating Feeling
From March 1934: Mrs. Kniffen ‘Has Floating Feeling’ As She Shakes Clark Gable’s Hand Looking up from her tea cup at a bridge tea yesterday afternoon, Mrs. Luther M. Kniffen, attractive young wife of Sheriff Kniffen, electrified the air with a casual “I Met Clark Gable the other day when I was in New York.” “Met him or saw him,” one of her listeners wanted to know. “Met him, shook hands with him in person, back stage at the Capitol Theatre.” “Were you thrilled?” queried another wide-eyed movie fan. “Wouldn’t you be, in the presence of America’s lover? I got so nervous thinking about meeting him that I expected I’d…