BIOGRAPHY
Clark Gable, often remembered for his good looks, pencil mustache and commanding screen presence, was a staple of Hollywood's golden age of film. Regarded as the "The King of Hollywood" in his prime, Gable regularly appeared as a leading man opposite to such superstars as Joan Crawford, Myrna Loy, Jean Harlow, Lana Turner and Norma Shearer. For his contribution to film, Gable was listed as the seventh greatest male star of all time by the American Film Institute and won the 1934 Best Actor Academy Award for his work in "It Happened One Night." Gable is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Rhett Butler in "Gone with the Wind." This role cemented his legacy in film and popular culture which endures to this day.
William Clark Gable was born on February 1, 1901 in Cadiz, Ohio to parents William and Adeline. Adeline died within a year of Gable's birth prompting his grandparents to take custody until his father remarried in 1903. Gable's father stressed the value of hard, physical labor and imparted an interest in automobile mechanics on his son. While Gable enjoyed mechanics, he also showed a strong inclination towards literature. In 1917, the family moved to Ravenna, Ohio after encountering financial troubles and, at age 17, Gable decided to pursue acting after seeing the play "The Bird of Paradise." He eventually joined a traveling theater company, and worked his way to Portland, Oregon, where he met his theater coach Josephine Dillon. She improved his posture, high-pitched voice, confidence and sense of style. Acting as his manager, she accompanied him to Hollywood to begin his film career. Despite being 17 years younger, Gable wed Dillon in 1924.
Gable's first appearances were in silent films such as "The Merry Widow," "The Plastic Age," "Forbidden Paradise" and the "Pacemakers." These pictures did not lead to any larger roles, prompting Gable to return to theater and eventually move to New York to work in Broadway productions. After some success, Gable returned to Los Angeles and found his big break in the play "The Last Mile." After seeing his performance, MGM offered him a contract and his first sound role in the 1931 film "The Painted Desert." The role garnered a great deal attention from fans and MGM became aware of Gable's star potential. Gable and Dillon divorced that year and shortly after he wed Ria Franklin Prentiss Lucas Langham. To improve his popularity and screen image, MGM paired him with well known female stars. Gable's lovemaking scene with Jean Harlow in the movie "Red Dust" made him MGM's most important male star during that time..
In 1934, MGM lent Gable to Columbia Pictures where he began work on "It Happened One Night." Gable went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Peter Warne in this film. Gable's portrayal of Rhett Butler in 1939's "Gone with the Wind" is widely regarded as his most famous role. The movie received an Academy Award for Best Picture and Gable was nominated again for Best Actor. Gable married his third wife, actress Carole Lombard, in 1939. She was killed on January 16, 1942, after her plane crashed into a mountain outside of Las Vegas following a war bond selling tour. After Carole's death, Gable enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and spent most of the war in the Atlantic theater working special assignments as an aerial gunner. He was promoted to major in 1944. Post-war, Gable returned to film, and in 1953 left MGM to begin working independently. As a freelancer he starred movies like "Soldier Fortune" and "Teacher's Pet" that revitalized his career. "The Misfits" was both Gable's and co-star Marilyn Monroe's final movie appearance.
Gable died November 16, 1960 in Los Angeles, California after experiencing a severe heart attack.
Considered by many to be the embodiment of masculinity in his work on the silver screen, Clark Gable had a career that spanned over three decades and included nearly 70 films, as well as an Academy Award for Best Actor alongside two more nominations. His movies appear on countless "greatest" lists and are regarded as not only benchmarks but also inspirations for present films. Fifty years after his death, Gable's work is still as respected and relevant as when it was first released. With his characteristic style, charisma and on screen presence he has become an instantly recognizable American icon.