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Gossip Friday: The Answer to All Questions
From December 1938: [Clark Gable’s] favorite ambition is to make enough money to travel three years, then relax. I asked him, how would he relax? Just sit still? He said no. He’d relax with raising animals an’ feeding ’em an’ taking care of ’em and building fences an’ anything outdoors, because even if it was hard work, he’d think it was fun. Me too. Spencer Tracy’s his favorite actor. Looks like pretty near everybody’s favorite acttor’s Spencer Tracy. And, oh, gosh, it was the cutest thing. When I said, “What’s your favorite hobby?” he said, “Carole Lombard.” When I said, “Who’s your favorite actress?” he said, “Carole Lombard.” When I…
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Nutshell Reviews: Key to the City (1950) and To Please a Lady (1950)
In a Nutshell: Key to the City (1950) Directed by: George Sidney Co-stars: Loretta Young, Frank Morgan Synopsis: Gable is Steve Fisk, the boorish mayor of Puget City, who meets Clarissa Standish (Young), the stuffy mayor of Winona, Maine at the annual mayors conference in San Francisco. They fall in love despite their differences but trouble arises as they try to make their relationship work outside the convention. Best Gable Quote: “I don’t start anything I can’t finish. If I tell you I love you, I mean it.” Not-So-Fun Fact: Young and her husband hosted the film’s wrap party at their home on September 18, 1949. It was during the…
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Gone with the Wednesday: Repost–A New Ending for Gone with the Wind
This week, here is an article I posted in 2012 about a contest Screen Guide magazine had to come up with a new ending to Gone with the Wind. The winner is hardly satisfying… http://dearmrgable.com/?p=5740
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Nutshell Reviews: Command Decision (1948) and Any Number Can Play (1949)
In a Nutshell: Command Decision (1948) Directed by: Sam Wood Co-stars: Walter Pidgeon, Van Johnson, Brian Donlevy Synopsis: Gable is K.C. Dennis, a and American General in England during World War II. His duty is to plan bombing missions over Germany, at the loss of hundreds of men. Despite objections from fellow soldiers and Congressmen, he continues his mission because he believes it is key to the U.S. victory over Germany. Best Gable Quote: “Someday you’re going to wisecrack yourself right into the infantry, sergeant.” Fun Fact: The only Gable film in which there is no love story. There are no females in the cast. MGM received thousands of letters…
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Nutshell Reviews: Adventure (1945), The Hucksters (1947) and Homecoming (1948)
In a Nutshell: Adventure (1945) Directed by: Victor Fleming Co-stars: Greer Garson, Thomas Mitchell Synopsis: Gable is Harry Patterson, a hard-boiled, womanizing sailor. When his ship is destroyed by a Japanese sub and he and his crew–including best pal Mudgin (Mitchell) –are stuck in San Francisco, he meets a stoic spinster librarian, Emily (Garson) and her bubbly roommate, Helen (Blondell). Despite their differences, Harry and Emily fall in love and impulsively decide to get married. They soon realize they made a mistake and Harry heads back out to sea. But he discovers maybe Emily has changed him and the life of a sailor isn’t as appealing as it was before.…
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Nutshell Reviews: Honky Tonk (1941) and Somewhere I’ll Find You (1942)
In a Nutshell: Honky Tonk (1941) Directed by: Jack Conway Co-stars: Lana Turner, Frank Morgan Synopsis: Gable is fugitive con artist Candy Johnson, who stumbles upon the small town of Yellow Creek while on the run. He quickly takes advantage of the town’s lack of law and order. He also steals the heart of Elizabeth (Turner), a Boston-bred girl with a crooked father (Morgan). Although he insists he can’t be tied down, she manipulates him into marrying her and he becomes the most respected man in Yellow Creek. Her father doesn’t trust him, however, and sets out to destroy his reputation in town. Best Gable Quote: “You’ve got a full set of…
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Gossip Friday: Gable and Cagney, Up-and-Comers
From September 1931: Clark Gable and James Cagney are the two lads you want to keep your eyes on. They’re the sensations of 1931. (And doesn’t it seem like old times to have sensations again?) Their reputations have grown like Jack’s beanstalk. Each is slated for stardom in the fall. Women–even the hard-to-please Hollywood kind–are calling Clark Gable the greatest lover since Valentino. And Gable’s career, in part, is suprisingly like Valentino’s. After considerable banging around the world, he finally drifted to Hollywood. After much struggle, he became an extra, finally graduationg to “heavy” parts. But here their records differ. No single picture has pushed Gable ahead the way “The…
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Nutshell Reviews: Comrade X (1940) and They Met in Bombay (1941)
In a Nutshell: Comrade X (1940) Directed by: King Vidor Co-stars: Hedy Lamarr, Felix Bressart, Oskar Homolka, Eve Arden Synopsis: Gable is McKinley Thompson, an American reporter living in Russia who is secretly sending news out of the country as the elusive “Comrade X”. His bumbling valet, Igor (Bressart) discovers who he is and blackmails him to take his headstrong Communist daughter (Lamarr) out of Russia to protect her from prosecution. Everything doesn’t go as planned and soon the three of them are racing out of Russia with the Russian army on their tails. Best Gable Quote: “I don’t talk to ladies that start yelling. It’s a rule I’ve got.”…
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Gone with the Wednesday: Clark Gable Reflects Back on Rhett Butler
Clark Gable didn’t want to play Rhett Butler–mainly because everyone else wanted him to. He often described how, even before he himself had read the book, people would call him “Rhett” and ask him when he was signing on for the film. He thought it was a great role, certainly, but the pressure was too great. In the end, it wasn’t really his decision, as he was traded like cattle to Selznick for MGM to have the distribution rights. Clark remained nonchalant about the film for years afterward. He had done his work, gotten his paycheck, that was the end of it to him. I’ve had people say to me at…
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Nutshell Reviews: Strange Cargo (1940) and Boom Town (1940)
In a Nutshell: Strange Cargo (1940) Directed by: Frank Bozarge Co-stars: Joan Crawford, Peter Lorre, Ian Hunter Synopsis: Gable is Verne, a thief who has been imprisoned for years in a dirty jail on an island in New Guinea. Out on work duty one day, he comes across Julie (Crawford), a cafe singer. She turns him in when he breaks out to try and be with her. She is then banished from the island for harboring a criminal. When Verne manages to escape again along with fellow inmates, Julie joins them on their voyage to the mainland. Both are uneasy by the presence of Cambreau (Hunter), a mysterious Christ-like figure…