Clark Gable

Any man has ever wanted to be like him, to speak with that powerful voice, to have that class and elegance, and especially, to conquer so many beautiful women. Clark Gable belongs to that group of classic movie stars, such as Errol Flynn , Gary Cooper or Cary Grant , who have been characterized by those charming cheeky roles that make all the ladies fall in love with him.

Probably his most remembered character is that of Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind(1939), and even more memorable, if possible, is that phrase he gave to Miss Scarlet when she asked him what would become of her if he abandoned her: “Frankly, dear, I don’t give a damn.” Butler, like his other characters, was like that, he had that special quality to surprise everyone around him with the most arrogant phrases, without arousing the slightest hatred towards him; on the contrary, it enhanced the admiration felt for him. Famous for his peculiar English lord mustache, that smile and that drooping eye as if to say “I’m a hundred times above you and you can’t do anything about it”, Clark Gable can boast of having worked with the best filmmakers of his time: George Cukor , John Ford , King Vidor ,Raoul Walsh , Ernst Lubitsch , John Huston …

Gable, however, and like the rest of the mortals, was not born a star, much less “the King”. He came from a family of workers of German origin; his mother died when he was just a baby, so he was soon forced to work to earn a living. First in a factory, and from time to time as a salesperson. One day he attended the theater and after seeing the play “The Bird of Paradise” by Richard Walton Tully, he decided to become an actor. He began acting in minor stage and film works until, in 1930, he signed a contract withthe Metro GoldwynMayer. He would soon be crowned.

Although his first works were considerable box office successes ( The Six Mysteries , A Free Soul ), his consolidation as a big star came after his participation in the Frank Capra film . His performance as Peter Warne in It Happened One Night (1934) earned him the Oscar. As leftover in real life as in fiction, Gable gave the statuette to a young admirer. A year later he starred in Frank Lloyd ‘s Mutiny on the Bounty , where he led a mutiny against the captain of a caravel. For this role he received a new nomination fromThe academy.

It was his golden age, and the Americans, who love to do rankings of all kinds with their celebrities, soon began to classify him on their lists: one of the sexiest men, one of the best stars of all time, one of the legends of the cinema, one of the highest grossing… But that sweet moment of his career was soon marred by a tragic event. In 1942, his wife (one of the five he had) Carole Lombard , died in a plane crash; This deeply shocked Gable, who decided to enlist in the Air Force and fight inthe second warWorld. It is said that Hitler, a fervent admirer of the actor, moved land, sea and air for Gable to return to the screens safe and sound. 

The King returned to the cinema. The 50s were characterized by the cowboy side of the actor. In this decade he participated in several westerns, such as Beyond the Missouri (1951), Destiny Star (1952) or The Implacable (1955); In between, he also acted under the orders of John Ford in Mogambo , a remake of Red Dust (1932), also starring Gable.

The gallant continued making films (he participated in more than 70 films); some great ( Teach me to love , I’m not for you ), others not so much, while his state of health was getting worse, due in part to the fact that he was a compulsive drinker and smoker. In 1961 he starred in her last film, Wild Lives , alongside Marilyn Monroe (also her last film). A new western whose hard role as a tired man, often on horseback, was already unbearable for his weak heart. Clark Gable passed away at the age of 59, two months before the film’s premiere.

“The king is dead”, proclaimed the newspapers of half the world, but his wake remained and will remain present among us for a long time. “Dear Mr. Gable: You Made Me Love You”, as Judy Garland sang to him …