Clark Gable "The King of Hollywood"
Known as Clark Gable to his millions of loyal movie fans, William Clark Gable was born in a small Ohio town called on February 1, 1901. Clark Gable was not the only name he was known by. The Hollywood heartthrob also went by the nicknames “Gabe”, "The King of Hollywood", “The King” and "Pa" (by his 3rd wife Carole Lombard). To the great disappointment of many of his female fans, Clark Gable had five marriages during his life. His first marriage with his former acting coach, Josephine Dillon ended in divorce after almost 5 1/2 years of marriage. About a year later he married Ria Langham and like his first marriage, it too ended in divorce after 8 years. During his marriage to Ria Langham, Clark Gable had an affair with the Hollywood actress Loretta Young, which resulted in the birth of a daughter.
Gable and Lombard
Clark Gable's third and most famous marriage was to the beautiful Hollywood actress Carole Lombard. To this day, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard are still considered Hollywood's most famous couple ever. In January of 1942 tragedy would turn Clark Gable's world upside down. The plane that Carole Lombard and Carole's mother were flying in crashed into Nevada's Table Rock Mountain. Sadly, they both lost their lives. After serving in the Army Corps during WWII, Clark Gable would come home from Europe to resume his Hollywood acting career. In 1949, roughly 7 years after the death of Carole Lombard, Clark Gable married the widow of the famed Hollywood actor, Douglas Fairbanks. Sylvia Ashley would become his forth wife, but like his first two marriages, it would end in divorce after only 3 years.
Clark Gable - The Death of a Hollywood Icon
In 1955 Clark Gable would marry one last time. He would marry his high school flame, Kathleen (Kay) Williams Spreckles and become the stepfather to her two children. 1959 was a good year for Clark Gable. Kay would become pregnant and Clark's daughter (with Loretta Young) would make him a grandfather. In the first part of November 1962, Clark Gable would finish filming his final movie, The Misfits co-starring another Hollywood legend, Marilyn Monroe. After filming the Misfits, Clark would suffer a heart attack. On November 16, 1960, Clark Gable died of a heart attack. He was survived by his wife Kay.
Hollywood or Bust
Clark Gable had a miserable childhood. His mother died when Clark was but seven months old. At the young age of 16, Clark Gable would quit school and begin working in an Akron, Ohio tire factory. That would only be the beginning of the tough days for Clark Gable. Clark worked in a plethora of tough jobs, including working in oil fields, stock companies, and selling ties. Clark Gable decided that he wanted to be an actor after watching a play titled "The Bird of Paradise." In the 1924, with the help of a Portland, Oregon theater manager and acting coach named Josephine Dillon, Clark Gable was able to make it to Hollywood. Prior to marrying Clark Gable, Josephine Dillon implemental in helping Clark Gable become a Hollywood actor.
Despite His Looks, Clark Gable Signs with MGM
The famous actor and director Lionel Barrymore got Clark Gable an acting screen test by recommending him to MGM’s Irving Thalberg. Shockingly, after Clark Gables screen test, Irving Thalberg would say that he was not particularly impressed with Clark Gable's looks. But, in 1930, after several screen tests, MGM eventually hires the young actor. in 1931, Clark Gable would get noticed while co-starring with the great actress Joan Crawford in the movie "Dance Fools Dance." In the 1932 movie "Red Dust," Clark Gable's on screen chemistry with the sultry actress Jean Harlow would take him all the way to the top of the popularity chart.
Gable Punished - Grabs Oscar in "It Happened One Night"
A rift developed between MGM and Clark Gable when he refused to do an assignment for MGM. MGM punished Gable by loaning him out to low budgeted Columbia Pictures. Even with the punishment of having to work with low budgeted Columbia Pictures, Clark Gable would not be denied. Gabel won an Oscar while acting one of Hollywood's best romantic comedies to ever be produced: Frank Capra’s “It happened One Night”.
Clark Gable and MGM's Rift is "Gone with the Wind"
Not surprisingly, Clark Gable would be called back by MGM with the promise of getting far meatier roles. MGM kept their word by giving Clark Gable starring roles in films like “Mutiny on the Bounty” in 1935 and “Gone with the Wind” in 1939. For his work in "Gone with the Wind” Clark Gable was once again nominated by the Academy Awards Committee for an Oscar as best actor.
Clark Gable - A Falling Star
After the plane crash that took the lives of his wife, actress Carole Lombard and her mother, Clark Gable would leave Hollywood for about three years. During that time he joined Army Corps where he served in Europe during World War II. After his stint in the army, he returned to Hollywood where he starred in the 1945 movie “Adventure." The film received a lukewarm response even though it was highly promoted as Clark Gables comeback movie. Feeling that Clark Gable’s salary was too high, MGM refused to renew his contract with the studio. During 1940’s and 1950’s, the unwanted Clark Gable was forced to star in a lot of low budget films.
In 1961, while filming what would be his final movie, “The Misfits”, Clark Gable announced that he is going to become a father. Sadly, he passed away without ever seeing his son. Clark Gable was laid to rest in the shrine that he had built for his wife Carole Lombard and her mother in their loving memory. Through his many wonderful movies, Clark Gable "The King of Hollywood" will be with us for ever.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Neil Gerstein is an expert author who writes about multiple topics. You can read some of his articles on his following websites:
