Who is Clark Gable

Clark Gable was born on February 1, 1901 in Cadiz, Ohio. Clark was his maternal Grandmother's maiden name. His mother died when he was only 10 months old. From this point on he was raised by his father (Bill Gable) and his step-mother (Jennie Dunlap). His father moved them to Hopedale, Ohio where his new wife was from and built a house for them there in 1917. Afterward his father's business started to fail so he moved them Ravenna, Ohio. He dropped out of school at age 16 and went to work in the tire factories in Akron, Ohio.

He was inspired to become an actor after seeing a play titled "The Bird of Paradise". He was waiting on $300 he would inherit when he turned 21 before he made his move to try his hand at acting. Not wanting to follow after this father, who drilled oil wells, he eventually worked his way out of oil fields and into some theatre companies with whom he traveled to Portland Oregon. There, while working as a necktie salesman, he decided to work with acting coach Josephine Dillon. After much training from dillon the two were married and decided to go to Hollywood. Josephine Dillon was 17 years older than he was and the marriage is widely belived to be out of want and not love. After small parts in silent films and an impressive run in a play he was offered a contract by MGM. In 1930 he and Dillon were divorced and he promptly married Ria Franklin Prentiss Lucas Langham.

His career really began to take off in 1931 when he was asked for by Joan Crawford. She wanted him to be her co-star in "dance, fools, Dance". He was in four more movies in 1931, helping boost his popularity and fame. He went on to star in 6 films with Jean Harlow from 1932 to 1937. Jean Harlow died during the making of "Saratoga" of kidney failure. The film was finished with doubles in some shots and fine camera work in other shots.

Clark worked his way up the ladder shooting films on an exhausting schedule when he was offered the role of Rhett Butler in "Gone with the Wind" by MGM. He actually held out for the role until MGM agreed to pay a divorce settlement to his then-wife Ria Langham. He was looking to get out of the marriage so he could marry Carole Lombard, who he was having an affair with at the time. The two were actually married during the making of "Gone With the Wind" in 1939. Carole Lombard had a farmhouse re-built to suit what she thought would be perfect for the two of them to live out there days in. This new home on several wilderness acres gave them a place to hunt and fish (Gable's favorite oudoor activities).

After the role of Rhett butler in "Gone With the Wind" Gable's career rose to new heights. He had been nominated for an academy ward for "Best Actor" for his role in "Mutiny on the bounty" and won the "Best Actor" award in "It happened one night". Now he was nominated for "Best Actor" again for the role of Rhett Butler.

In 1939 Gable married actress Carole Lombard, whom he was very much in love with a mere 22 days after his divorce from Rhea Langham, only to lose her in an accident after not even three years of marriage. Carole Lombard was on tour to promote war bonds in January of 1942 when her plan re-fueled in Las Vegas and because the pilot was trying to make up time by taking a shortcut, along with the fact that the navigational beacons had been shut off due to war time policy, the plane went off-course and crashed into a mountain in Mount Potosi, near Las Vegas, Nevada. A devastated Clark Gable rushed to the area but was persuaded by an MGM employee to stay behind while he and others searched for the survivors and bodies. A short while later gable recieved a telegram at the lodging where he was staying that no one survived the crash.

All 22 people on board were killed, including Carol's mother. She was declared the first woman killed in the line of duty during the war and was given the presidential Medal of Freedom by Franklin D. Roosevelt.This had a dramatic effect on Gable's personality and happiness for the rest of his life. He was reportedly "inconsolable" according to friends who saw him drinking too much and riding his motorcycle at wild speeds. He told one confidant "its not that I want to die, I just don't care if I live anymore." A short time later he joined the Army Air corp and fought in World War II.
He also attended the commissioning of the liberty ship SS Lombard, named after his wife, when it launched in 1944.

After his wife's fatal accident, Gable joined the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1942. He insisted that he train with the other men and asked for no special treatment during his enlistment. After training he went to work as part of a 6 man crew making a gunnery training film. He also logged 5 combat missions as an Observer/Gunner in a B-17 Flying Fortress. His efforts won him the Distinguished Flying Cross.

After returning home he began acting again. During this time he had some successful films and some films that did not do well financially or critically. Clark Gable was quickly bored with the roles that MGM offered him around this time, this, along with complaints from MGM about his salary and demands caused him to part ways with them in 1953. He then pursued films with other studios and with independents.

In 1955 He married Kay Spreckles, a fashion model and actress. Spreckles and Gable got along well, and some time later she announced that she was pregnant with their child. Gable was glad to hear the news; Spreckles already had other children she brought in to the marriage. Clark decided to star in "The Misfits" written by Arthur Miller and directed by John Houston. The film also starred Marilyn Monroe and Montgomery Clift. In the film Gable insisted on doing some of his own stunts for the closer shots, which was taking a toll on him because of a heart ailment. There were production problems on the set due to several different factors, but in the end some critics have called this Gable's best work. He even said himself that it was his best film since gone with the wind.

Two days after production wrapped Gable suffered a heart attack. After a short stay in the hospital he began to get better and was taken off life support only to suffer another heart attack and die on November 16th 1960. Before the filming of "the misfits" he had said he didn't "look Clark Gable enough" to star in the film, so he lost over 30 pounds. This, along with the fact that he was a chain smoker for 30 years plus other factors contributed to his untimely demise. On March 20th, 1961 his wife gave birth to John Clark Gable in the very same hospital where his father had died.

Clark Gable's impact on the film industry has been enormous. He will be remembered through the generations as a great actor. Really when you think about it he was the first great male lead after the production of films with sound. There are still many landmarks, houses and such today where you can visit to learn about his history, living conditions, and more.

During much of his career Clark Gable was under contract at MGM studios. MGM was THE studio during the golden age of Hollywood. They had many of the top stars signed to them and they continually produced movies that were financial gems, people would flock to the cinema to see their films. MGM was formed when Marcus Loew purchased Metro Pictures, Goldwyn pictures and Mayer pictures. The films all these studios produced were used to supply Loew's theater chain Loews, inc.

With a huge list of top name movie stars, lavish sets, wardrobes and money to invest in production budgets MGM was unstoppable during this time and actually fared well during the great depression. MGM used to produce their films in Technicolor creating a shined appearance that no other studio could rival. Among the stars signed to MGM were:

Clark Gable
Jimmy Stewart
Spencer Tracy
Frank Sinatra
Fred Astaire
Joan Crawford
Greta Garbo
Buster Keaton
Bette Davis
Gene Kelly
Elizabeth Taylor
Judy Garland
Hedy Lamarr

And that's just to name some of the big big stars that were under contract there. It is important to remember that when adjusted for inflation, "Gone with the Wind" is the highest grossing film of all time.

Studio bosses and executives at MGM could be particularly cruel. Gable was sent to Columbia studios as a punishment by Louis B. Mayer, his boss at MGM, to make the film "It Happened One Night" in 1934. This was a comedy, something Gable had no experience in to speak of so his confidence was not strong about doing the film. Adding to this was the fact that at the time Columbia studios had a bad reputation, this is why it was considered a punishment to go there.

Gable went on to do a stellar acting job in the film and actually won his first and only Oscar for his role in the movie he made at Columbia pictures. This must have been some slap in the face of the MGM heads, but at the same time this just boosted Gable's popularity and made folks want to pay to see his MGM movies. Clark Gable eventually found himself at odds with MGM over the roles he was being given. Likewise, studio executives were not happy over the salary he was being paid and called it "excessive". He parted ways with them and went on to make movies with other studios.

There is also a dark side to the MGM studios. There are many stories of abuse of stars, particularly young stars. There have also been many stories very unbecoming and rude statements and attitudes from studio personnel toward the stars and crew. Judy Garland stated that during her teenage years she was taking "pills to put me to sleep and pills to wake me up" at the behest of MGM in order to keep up with the demand the studio put on her to make films. This is particularly sad considering the years of drug and prescription medication abuse she suffered the rest of her life up to her death, which was caused by the pills and lifestyle she had been introduced into during her fragile young years at MGM.

Clark Gable and his then wife Carol Lombard were patriotic people, especially Lombard. When the Pearl Harbor attack happened Carole Lombard decided to go on a war bond tour to raise money for the war effort. Gable didn't want to do this with her so he was deciding what he could do to help the war effort. He could have taken an appointment to the Army Air Forces directly in to the rank of Captain but decided to start at the rank of Private and work his way up like anyone else. He then went to finish an already-scheduled film. After one rally in Indiana Lombard decided to fly home to California instead of taking the train and the plane crashed killing everyone on board. Heartbroken and jaded, Gable told the press he would retire from acting and sell his ranch and join the Army Air Force as he had previously planned. A General from the AAF sent a telegram to Gable offering him a very important assignment in the war effort upon hearing the news. MGM actually received the telegram. They informed the General that he could not be contacted because he was in mourning, never telling Gable of the important message. MGM was gun shy because other actors and actresses that belonged to the studio had joined the war effort or been drafted, cutting in to their stable of stars. As you know he did eventually enlist but this is just another example of MGM up to their old tricks, with no concern of their stars feelings or well being.

Gone with the Wind was released in 1939. This was a great year for movies, one of the greatest ever, for instance The Wizard of Oz was also released that year. I have listed a few of the other great movies released that year here for your enjoyment and entertainment.

Mr. Smith goes to Washington. This is a wonderful movie directed by Frank Capra and starring Jimmy Stewart and Claude Rains. In this film Jimmy Stewart plays a senator that exposes a corrupt political system.

Dark Victory. Edmund Goulding directs this powerful film starring Bette Davis as a socialite with a brain tumor who begins to lose her eyesight when she is cured through an operation only to find that she only has a year to live. This is one of my favorite movies, a definite must see.

Wuthering Heights. Directed by William Wyler, starring Laurence Olivier and David Niven. This is a captivating story about two people who love each other but are from opposite ends of the financial spectrum and thus, are destined for heartache. Very good movie here.

You know, upon further recollection, I can remember when I was a kid; I went with my mother to see "Gone With The Wind" at a movie theater. Now, I am only in my thirties, which makes my point. About 50 years after this film came out it was still being played once a year and that's just at this particular theater! I can remember other times, before this, when she had mentioned going to see this very movie and we didn't go for one reason or another so evidently this was something that happened not only at that theater but others too, and fairly often.

I read a movie listing for a showing in a theater in Utah that is happening now, by now I mean Sept. 2007. This is truly amazing and it is rare that any movie should be shown at a theater so long after it's film release. You have places that do tend to show "Rocky Horror Picture Show" and "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" but it is because those are fun films and have a cult following. And besides, they weren't released in 1939 like "Gone With The Wind" was. If anyone runs across this and has any comments about seeing "Gone With The Wind" in ANY movie theater at any time it sure would be nice for you to e-mail me or leave a comment in the place provided at the bottom of the page, we would love to hear from you.

There is still quite a lot of Clark Gable memorabilia out there on the open market. Quality varies from your typical flea market grab to pictures developed from negatives up to autographed items and surprise finds. A Clark Gable picture I bought that came with a certificate of authenticity 12 years ago was in fairly heavy rotation at the time but I haven't seen them in quite a while now, they have become a rare find. There are still items around that you can find that have a story attached to them; those are the items that are the real treasures. I have added an eBay listing of a few Clark Gable auctions below for your viewing pleasure. Going to eBay and browsing through the pictures, antiques and trinkets is really fun and I like to look for Clark Gable things there quite often.

Just a few quick things to point out about Carole Lombard, one of Clark Gable's wives and of course his beloved. She was sometimes called the "profane angel" because of her frequent use of foul language. She had always been somewhat of a tomboy, playing sports with boys and having two older brothers. In 1926 she had a car accident that left her scarred on the left side of her face. The doctor had given her 14 stitches to repair the cut that was caused when her face hit the windshield.

She was still left with quite a scar. She then began to learn about motion picture photography and how to make the scar less noticeable when being photographed. Lombard eventually became quite good at helping those who were photographing her take better pictures concerning her facial damage. Later on she had plastic surgery to repair some of the scarring. I have seen several pictures of her that were taken after the accident where she is concealing the left side of her face or there are shadows over the left side. I have also seen several pictures of her straight on from this period and she just looks amazing.

Below are some movies that feature Clark Gable and/or Carole Lombard. I have handpicked these particular films because they are among my favorites and showcase their talents and capabilities. I have also tried to include other films throughout this page for your browsing enjoyment along with some clips of films that I felt were worth sharing.

During the 1930s Clark Gable was extremely popular and making a great sum of money. He was also on the big screen tugging at the heartstrings of women and living the dreams of men. All this combined caused him to be a popular target for extortion and threats. The FBI was called to intervene on these cases and has released some of the case files on the incidents. I sifted through one of the case reports and listed it below, very interesting stuff.

In February 1938 MGM received a letter that read:

Clark Gable
If you value your life and your future then send me one thousand dollars right away and tell no one or else! I am disguising my writing by printing so nothing can be proved. My dad is hard up on his farm and I am going to get money if I have to steal it. Say nothing to no one or else!

Alice Schnetter
Route one
Fonda Iowa

The letter was then sent to the FBI office and an investigation took place. During the investigation it was revealed that a man named Gaylord Forsyth actually wrote the letter. Investigators questioned Alice Schnetter, the name indicated at the bottom of the letter, and found that she was a 20 year old widow of well to do means. She revealed that she'd dated Forsyth on and off and he had proven to be meddlesome. She had been forbidden to see him by her father and had to order him from the premises on occasion. She also stated that he had written her name on several one dollar bills and she had been approached by someone who came into possession of one of the bills and asked for an engagement. She eventually refused to have anything to do with him.

Forsyth was arrested and confessed to the letter saying he had no intentions of harming Gable or collecting the money, he simply did it out of spite toward the girl after she told him she would no longer see him. He got the idea to write the letter after reading detective story magazines.

Clark Gable had many of his teeth extracted because of pyorrhea, this is an advanced stage of periodontal disease in which the ligaments and bones of the jaw and tooth-supporting structures become infected. In Gable's time this could cause death. Sometime later just before his film career really took off Clark Gable got false teeth.

I've written here before that I live a short distance from Cadiz, Ohio, the birthplace of Clark Gable. I will be making this trip in the next six months and can't wait to share pictures with you here on the site. Here is some info you may not know; the house that Clark Gable was born in was torn down in the early 1960s. it was, however was re-built in the 1990s and there was a ribbon cutting ceremony on Jan. 31st, 1998. The person cutting the ribbon that day? John Clark Gable, Clark Gable's son.

The reason this has all happened and is possible is because of The Clark Gable Foundation. The foundation has done much in the way of preserving the memory of Clark Gable for future generations and everyone else. Over the years they have erected a monument, held several birthday celebrations, some with cast members from gone with the wind, re-built and decorated the birth home and much more. I hopefully will have time to stay at the bed and breakfast that has been built next to the birth home and museum. Again, when this happens I will post my pictures here of my trip and all of the Clark Gable sites I get to see there. To read more about this foundation, please click here to visit their website.

Clark gable was born and partially raised not far from where I live here in Ohio. I heard stories when I was younger about how he worked on a certain building or at a certain tire plant or what not from older folks mostly. Now with the older crowd gone, I have set out researching on my own and have found a lot of stories and facts about places where he worked and visited.

There was a TNT plant not far from where I live now that Clark Gable used to work at as a young man. At the end of WW I the plant was abandoned. There was no lodging in Nitro, where the plant was so the workers would have to take a side-wheel steamboat from Charleston, WV, where there was lodging, to Nitro to work. I have found this wonderful picture of the boat that used to do this very thing. This was the steamboat "Virginia". Clark Gable would have rode on this boat on his way to work many times. Evidently the boat burned in 1921 due to fire as so many of these old, wooden boats did.