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Gossip Friday: All Wet
From January 1935: Clark Gable is well aware that the life of a movie star is not a bed of roses; but, nevertheless, he got a surprise while he was working in “Copy Cat” with Constance Bennett. The actor, according to the script, was required to make a leap into a rowboat. He obeyed instructions, but, alas, he landed so hard that his weight caused him to crash through the bottom of the boat, and there he was entangled until he was rescued. If Gable attempted the “stunt” when he was alone he undoubtedly would have been drowned. __ “Copy Cat” was After Office Hours.
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Gossip Friday: Matchmaking Stew
From 1949: Ada Dodge, charming hostess, claims that it was her famous “Chuck Wagon Stew” that was responsible for bringing Ann Sheridan and Clark Gable together for some fun and a few laughs. Ann, as a cowgirl, met rancher Gable at this party and started tongues aging. I do know they lunched together the next day at Charlie Farrell’s Racquet Club.
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Gossip Friday: An Ol’ Smoothie
From 1949: Admiring eyes were glued on Clark Gable when he made of his rare nightclub appearances at Mocambo. And we wish you too could have seen that ol’smoothie dancing a rumba with Iris Bynum! Speaking of Clark, it’s rumored his MGM bosses would like him to dye his graying temples. Our money says they’ll get nowhere fast with their Number One rugged realist.
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Gossip Friday: Praise from Laughton
A reporter discusses actors and actresses with Charles Laughton, April 1935: “One thing certainly prejudices me [against stars], and that’s personality. If I meet a star and dislike him very much indeed, I always try to say the best I can about his pictures, just in case I;m tempted to be unfair.” “Yes, I can understand that,” said Laughton. “And who do you dislike?” I told him. He nodded.”Yes, he’s pretty nasty, I agree. I hope you don’t feel that way about Clark Gable?” I gasped. Clark Gable is one of my secret weaknesses. that made me cautious. “I like him,” I said mildly,”but I don’t admire him as an…
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Gossip Friday: Glare from the Audience
From January 1938: My eyes are still weak from the glare of the diamond bracelet Clark Gable gave Carole Lombard and which she wore when her hero appeared on a recent Chase and Sanborn broadcast. Carole sat in the control-room for a while watching Gable rehearse. She got so nervous she couldn’t stand it and so spent the rest of the afternoon in the Jack Benny rehearsal studio. As for the comedy spot Gable did with Charlie McCarthy (and which was a dilly, if ever there was one); the star’s managers frowned on the sketch on the grounds that it was undignified but Gable overrode the negative nods and went…
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Happy Anniversary, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard
Clark Gable and Carole Lombard finally tied the knot 77 (can you believe it) years ago today! Associated Press, March 30, 1939: Happy Ending Written to Courtship of Hollywood Stars Fun-loving Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, who wrote the long anticipated happy ending to the story of their courtship in a little Arizona town late yesterday, returned early today to the bride’s Bel-Air home. Exhausted by their 750-mile trip, they retired, to wait until later to move into the home on his One-Mule San Fernando Valley ranch which Gable redecorated in preparation for the wedding. Friends were not surprised when news of the ceremony reached here last night, although their…
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Gossip Friday: Sharing the Burden of Riches
From August 1936: People who are wealthy always have relatives or friends who are willing to share the burden of riches. In the case of married masculine stars, trouble ensues when they separate from their wives. Rudy Vallee discovered this fact when his ex-mate, Fay Webb, attempted to set aside a property agreement. The case was recently settled by the payment to Fay of a fat sum. Clark Gable has asked the Los Angeles coyrts to interpret a settlement recently agreed to by himself and his estranged wife. Gable claims that he understands that his wife intends to enter an action to set aside the agreement, and demand a much…
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Gossip Friday: Crawford vs. Shearer
From November 1936: Interest in the alleged feud between Joan Crawford and Norma Shearer is revived by the announcement that Joan is to challenge direct comparison with her rival by starring in the new version of “The Last of Mrs Cheyney”. The Lonsdale story was one of Norma’s early talkie successes. The assignment follows Miss Crawford’s relinquishment of her role in Parnell with Clark Gable. The star, it appears, did not approve of the plan to make the film more romantic fiction than political history. ____ “The Last of Mrs. Cheyney” actually already had Myrna Loy starring in it when the swap was made and Myrna went to Parnell and…
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Gossip Friday: Too Much Gable
Fan letter from August 1936: I think that Clark Gable’s popularity will decrease rapidly if he continues to appear on the screen as frequently as he does at present. I made a count, and discovered that he actually had five releases in 1934 and the same number last year. This is a total of ten pictures in two years–a truly ridiculous figure for a star of his magnitude. Ronald Colman who was Gable’s predecessor as the idol of feminine sans made about ten films in five years. This actor is still gaining admirers. I don’t know where Clark Gable will be in ten years time. If he made about five…
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Gossip Friday: From One Hitchhiker to Another
From July 1936: Usually, in Hollywood, when one lends money, it is never repaid. Clark Gable, however, recently had a different experience. Nearly two years ago, the star, whilst driving on a country road, gave a lift to a young hitchhiker, who told a hard-luck story. Gable lent him five dollars. A few days ago a youth jumped on the running board of the actor’s car as he was driving out of the studio, and handed him back the loan. He was no longer a hitchhiker, for he had landed a job. Clark is gradually recovering from the shock of getting the money back. Like all affluent Hollywoodites he has had many far…