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Gossip Friday: In Defense of Clark Gable
From June 1940, letter to editor: Never having complained before, I feel I am entitled to do so now. I sat through Gone with the Wind twice, thanks to Clark Gable’s excellence performance (and he is not my favorite actor.) Everyone I have seen since the picture was shown here was highly enthusiastic over his marvelous portrayal of Rhett Butler. Now it seems he has been completely ignored, and consideration give to a silly and boring performance by James Stewart in “Mr. Smith, etc.” Finally the Academy Award was given to Robert Donat. Nice going! It’s a wonder to us that Gable’s name was even recalled in connection with the…
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Gossip Friday: Gable is as Gable Does
From January 1938: Being in the business world of Hollywood and meeting stars every day, I can give you this impression of Clark Gable, not as fiction, but as a true fact from everyday life. He called at our place of business one morning dressed in sport clothes. Very businesslike, this Gable. He wandered about the store missing nothing, with our employees giving him little attention. (He prefers that.) A little girl seated in a toy automobile glanced about, and suddenly seeing Mr. Gable, called her father’s attention to him. She wanted his autograph. The father spoke to Mr. Gable, and, smiling graciously, Clark walked over to the car and…
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{New Article} 1935: This is Clark…and This is Bob
First off, let me apologize for my lack of updates recently. I have packed up my entire life and moved across town, which always seems like less of a chore than it actually ends up being. Among the many advantages of my new home is that I finally have an office, or “classic movie den” to call my own. While I shifted through boxes and boxes of paperwork, I finally organized all these articles that have been simmering on my desk for literally years. The good news is that I have 52 Clark Gable articles to type. The bad news is I have to type them. Oh well, let’s start with…
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Gossip Friday: Hang On, Carole!
From November 1941: Clark Gable’s convertible coupe, with a canvas covered steel top as a precaution in case he turns turtle, is the fastest thing on wheels in Hollywood. And Gable has a habit of driving at terrific speed. I noticed on the right side of the car’s dashboard a heavy bar with leather finger grips and asked him about it. He grinned. “Oh, that,” he said. “Well–sometimes I turn a corner kinda fast, and Carole has to hang on.”
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Gossip Friday: Quite a Pipe
From October 1939: Clark Gable related one “something for practically nothing” incident which leads me to believe that the old, time-honored proverb “Never look a gift horse in the mouth” isn’t always sound advice. A few weeks ago, Gable received a strange, old pipe. Accompanying the gift was a note, “This is nothing more valuable than the bearer of good wishes from a fan upon your marriage.” The pipe was so unusual looking that Clark, out of curiousity, took it to an authority on such things. That gentleman placed the probable orgin of the pipe at about the time peg-legged Peter Stuyvesant came to New Amsterdam. Naturally it would be…
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Gossip Friday: Clark Gable–Forgotten Man
From April 1939: …take the [Clark] Gable burial and its ramifications. This was in Too Hot to Handle. The scene had been shot a half a dozen times, but still it wasn’t right, in the opinion of Director Jack Conway. “We’ll shoot it again,” he decreed. Clark looked pained. “Hey, what is this?” he protested. “I suppose you think I LIKE being buried alive!” Myrna Loy, cool and comfortable in her easy chair, soothed him from the sidelines. “It’s for the sake of your art,” she said. At six o’clock, they were still at it and still Conway wasn’t satisfied. Clark was dirty, dishevelled, cranky. Walter Pidgeon remonstrated with him.…
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August Movie of the Month: Forsaking All Others (1934)
This month, Clark Gable plays the heartbroken guy to Joan Crawford’s wide-eyed heiress and Robert Montgomery’s selfish but lovable cad in Forsaking All Others. Clark is Jeffrey Williams, who still harbors a childhood crush on Mary Clay (Crawford). Upon returning from a two year jaunt in Spain, he has plans to finally propose to her until he learns that she is set to marry his best friend, Dillon “Dill” Todd (Montgomery), the next day. He swallows his feelings and agrees to give the bride away. Dill gets an unexpected visit from an old flame, Connie Barnes (Francis Drake), and ends up running off to marry her, sending Mary a telegram…
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Gossip Friday: Two Rodeo Clowns
From January 1940: Funniest sight of the month–Watching Clark Gable and Andy Devine playing cowboy at Andy’s San Fernando ranch. Any day, now, when these two screen worthies aren’t working before the cameras you can see them astride a pair of giddyapps, running here, there and about everywhere, across the broad acres of the Devine rancho vainly trying to rope a bunch of fleet-footed white-face calves. the last private rodeo ended in a startling manner when Clark tossed his lariat around Andy’s shoulders by mistake and jerked the rotund owner of Rancho Pauncho to the ground. At least Clark says it was a mistake. He hasn’t convinced Andy, however, who…
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Gossip Friday: Happy Birthday, Myrna Loy! From Kingfish
Today marks the 108th birthday of one of Clark Gable’s dear friends and frequent co-stars, Myrna Loy. Their friendship was sweet and yes, platonic. At their first meeting at a party in 1933, they danced to “Dancing in the Dark.” She said later in her life that every time she heard that song she thought of him. He made a pass on her that night when he walked her to her front door. She was flabbergasted that he would try anything when his wife (Ria) was in the car at the curb a few feet away and so she pushed him off the porch into the bushes. Clark turned out to…
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Gossip Friday: Mrs. Gable Out of the Shadows
From April 1932: When a crowd at the last opening caught sight of Clark Gable descending from a car, they raised a shout not unlike that which greeted the Trojans after their triumphant return after defeating Notre Dame. Clark, good naturedly, took a bow while his companion waited in the shadow. “We want Mrs. Gable too!” the crowd shouted. It was then that Clark gave the retort courteous. Taking his wife’s hand, he led her out under the blaze of the arc lights. “Let me introduce you all,” said he, “to Mrs. Gable.”