Clark Gable - Gay Influence - On The Rise Magaze 2023

CLARK GABLE – SKELETONS THE CLOSET. SEPTEMBER 5, 2015 ADM DID YOU KNOW? 13 A LADY NAMED FRANZ DORFLER WAS RPONSIBLE FOR GETTG CLARK GABLE HIS FIRST ACTG JOB, BUT HE SOON DCHED HER FOR ACTG TEACHER JOSEPHE DILLON. JO WAS 41, PLA AND MATRONLY, BUT SHE TOOK THE 23 YEAR-OLD ASPIRG YOUNG ACTOR TO HOLLYWOOD, AND 1924 THEY MARRIED. IT WAS JO WHO CHANGED HIS FIRST NAME OM WILLIAM TO CLARK.JOSEPHE DILLONIN 1925, WHEN CLARK WAS A STGGLG YOUNG ACTOR TRYG TO GA A TOEHOLD THE DTRY, HE PARTICIPATED A BRIEF SEXUAL RELATNSHIP WH HOLLYWOOD STAR AND NOTOR GAY WILLIAM HA. SEVERAL PEOPLE WNSED THEM TOGETHER AT THE STUD, AND ALSO AT A PARTY AT THE BEVERLY WILSHIRE HOTEL WHERE THEY ENGAGED A VARIETY OF SEXUAL ACTS. IT WAS ALL PART OF GABLE’S RELENTLS TERMATN TO MAKE AS A FAMO MOVIE STAR. EVEN HIS FUTURE LOVER JOAN CRAWFORD READILY ADMTED THAT HE AND HA HAD SEX. CLARK TOLD HER SO YEARS LATER, BUT SHE WAS ALSO A CLOSE IEND OF HA AS WELL, SO SHE ALREADY KNEW. EVERYONE DID. IT WAS SIMPLY A MEANS TO AN END, NOTHG MORE. HE WAS CERTALY NOT HOMOSEXUAL. NOR WAS HE BISEXUAL. ON THE NTRARY, FACT. HE ADORED WOMEN OF ANY AGE OR TYPE.WILLIAM HAIN 1926 HE BEGAN AN AFFAIR WH ANOTHER WOMAN WHO WAS 20 YEARS HIS SENR. HER NAME WAS PLE FRERICK AND SHE WAS AN ATTRACTIVE NYMPHOMANIAC. SHE WAS ALSO RICH. THROUGH HER HE GOT JOBS, BUT SHE ALSO BOUGHT HIM A R AND PAID TO GET HIS TEETH FIXED. THEN, AS HE WOULD DO WH ALL HIS MENTORS, HE DUMPED HER ONCE SHE HAD OUTLIVED HER EFULNS.CLARK & RIA LANGHAMIN 1928, ALONG ME 45 YEAR-OLD RIA LANGHAM. SHE WAS PRETTIER THAN HIS WIFE AND RICHER, SO CLARK HOOKED UP WH HER FOR A UPLE OF YEARS. BEFORE LONG HE WAS CHEATG ON BOTH OF THEM WH ANOTHER NYMPHOMANIAC, ACTRS JOAN CRAWFORD. AND ALL THE WHILE HE WAS BEDDG EVERY OTHER WOMAN HE ULD LAY HIS HANDS ON. HE AND RIA WERE SEEN DATG SO OFTEN THAT MOST PEOPLE ASSUMED THEY WERE MARRIED TO ONE ANOTHER. EVEN LB MAYER ASSUMED AS MUCH, BUT ONCE HE FOUND OUT ABOUT JO, CLARK’S MGM BOSS ORRED HIM TO DO THREE THGS IMMEDIATELY – DIVORCE JO, MARRY RIA, AND LAY OFF JOAN. HE PUBLICLY PLIED WH THE FIRST TWO, BUT SECRETLY IGNORED THE THIRD. HE AND JOAN NTUED TO MEET SECRETLY FOR YEARS.GABLE, CRAWFORD & MAYERMEANWHILE, HIS ADORG PUBLIC HAD NO IA GABLE WAS MARRIED TO JO, LIVG WH RIA AND SLEEPG WH JOAN (AND ALL THE OTHERS). NOR DID THEY KNOW THAT JOAN WAS PREGNANT WH HIS CHILD. IT HAD TO BE CLARK’S BEE SHE AND HBAND DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS JNR WERE TRANGED, AND HAD BEEN FOR SOME TIME. AN ABORTN WAS ARRANGED, AND THE PUBLIC WERE ADVISED THAT JOAN HAD TAKEN A FALL AND LOST DOUG’S BABY. ACRDG TO THE STUD, THE ‘HAPPILY MARRIED UPLE WERE VASTATED’.MR & MRS DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS JR.MAYER HAD BEEN RECEIVG REGULAR REPORTS OF GABLE AND CRAWFORD SPENDG MOST AFTERNOONS HER MOBILE DRSG ROOM ON THE MGM LOT, THE SAME ONE THAT FAIRBANKS HAD GIVEN HER AS A PRENT. IN FACT, CUCKOLD DOUG WAS STILL PAYG THE THG OFF. THE PAPERS WERE STARTG TO POST ‘BLD EMS’ ABOUT THE ROMANCE AS WELL, SO MAYER ORRED DOUG AND JOAN TO TAKE AN ‘EXTEND EUROPEAN VATN’, A SEND HONEYMOON, SO TO SPEAK.HIS LTLE DALLIANCE WH HA ASI, GABLE WAS AN UNABASHED WOMANIZER WHO WOULD SLEEP WH ANY WOMAN IF THE OPPORTUNY AROSE. A DIRECTOR IEND SAID OF HIM: ‘HE WOULD SCREW ANYTHG. SHE DIDN’T HAVE TO BE PRETTY OR CLEAN’. WH A MONTH OF SIGNG WH MGM HE HAD IMPREGNATED WRER ALA ROGERS ST. JOHN. SHE WAS SENT ON AN ‘EXTEND VATN’ TO HAVE HIS BABY, NOT THAT HE WOULD EVER OWN UP TO BEG HIS.IN 1932 HE WAS PUT TO A FILM, POLLY OF THE CIRC, WH WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST’S MISTRS MARN DAVI. HEARST WAS BY THEN 65 YEARS OLD AND HIS RELATNSHIP WH MARN HAD BEE SEXLS, SO SHE WAS SOON VOLVED WH HER LEADG MAN. HEARST AND MGM FIXER HOWARD STRICKLG KNEW CLARK AND MARN WERE SLEEPG TOGETHER. THEY QUICKLY AND QUIETLY OFFERED HIM A PAY RISE OM $650 A WEEK TO $2,000 A WEEK, BUT ONLY IF HE WOULD STOP SEEG MARN. EX MARN.MARN DAVIIN 1933, GABLE RAN DOWN A WOMAN WH HIS R WHILE HE WAS DRIVG DNK. SHE WAS ON A CROSSWALK AND DIED AT THE SCENE. MGM FIXERS MOVED QUICKLY, PAYG OFF POLICE AND THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, AS WELL AS SLIPPG THE AD GIRL’S FAY $125,000 TO KEEP QUIET. THEN, THE STUD GOT AN UN-NAMED MID-LEVEL EMPLOYEE TO TAKE THE RAP FOR THEIR SUPERSTAR. OFFERED A JOB FOR LIFE WH MGM, PL A SH SETTLEMENT, THE MAN SAID HE WAS DRIVG THE VEHICLE AND PPED 10 MONTHS AT AN HONOR FARM. HIS NAME HAS SCE BEEN QUIETLY EXPUNGED OM THE RERD, ALTHOUGH THERE IS A SCHOOL OF THOUGHT THAT BELIEVE HE WAS A ‘NOBODY’ PART-TIME DIRECTOR AT THE TIME – NAMED JOHN HTON.1934 SAW YET ANOTHER GABLE ‘ISSUE’, WHEN HE PUT GEO LORETTA YOUNG THE FAY WAY DURG THE TIME THEY MA THE CALL OF THE WILD. UNTIL HIS DYG DAY HE REFED TO ACKNOWLEDGE HER LTLE GIRL AS HIS OWN. NEHER DID LORETTA FOR THAT MATTER. SHE PRETEND THE GIRL WAS ADOPTED OUT OF THE GOODNS OF HER HEART. GABLE SIMPLY HAD NOTHG TO DO WH THE CHILD – EVER.LORETTA YOUNGWHEN GABLE MET CAROLE LOMBARD, WHOM HE WOULD EVENTUALLY MARRY, HER ‘BT GIRLIEND’ WAS NONE OTHER THAN BILLY HA. SHE TREATED HIM LIKE A BIG SISTER, NFIDG HIM REGULARLY. ON ONE OCSN SHE STRIPPED PLETELY NAKED ONT OF HIM HER TRAILER, SAYG, ‘I WOULDN’T DO THIS IF I THOUGHT YOU’D GET AROED, BILLY’. GABLE SOON TERMATED THEIR IENDSHIP WHEN SHE BEME HIS WIFE. AFTER ALL, BILLY WAS A NSTANT REMR THAT THE ‘KG’ HAD A ‘ONE-OFF’ HOMOSEXUAL ENUNTER WH HIM WAY BACK WHEN.CAROLE LOMBARDIN 1949 CLARK MARRIED SYLVIA ASHLEY, AFTER HIS MARRIAGE PROPOSAL WAS TURNED DOWN 1948 BY NANCY DAVIS, WHO LATER MARRIED RONALD REAGAN AND BEME AMERI’S FIRST LADY. SYLVIA WAS AN ENGLISH MOL AND ACTRS FORMERLY MARRIED TO DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS SENR. SHE WAS 45 WHEN SHE WED GABLE. THE UNN LASTED JT TWO AND A HALF YEARS.HIS FAL WIFE WAS KAY WILLIAMS, A 49 YEAR-OLD ACTRS WHO WAS STILL WED TO HIM WHEN HE SUFFERED HIS LIFE ENDG RONARY 1960. THEY HAD ONE CHILD, BORN AFTER GABLE’S ATH. THE STORY THAT WAS MARILYN MONROE’S BEHAVR DURG THE SHOOTG OF HIS LAST FILM THE MISFS THAT BROUGHT ON HIS FATAL HEART ATTACK IS TOTALLY UNTE. HE WAS ALREADY VERY ILL AND WAS ACTUALLY CHANGG A TIRE ON A JEEP WHEN HE LLAPSED.AND WH KAY WILLIAMSALA ROGERS ST JOHNROLE LOMBARDCLARK GABLEDOUGLAS FAIRBANKS JRJOAN CRAWFORDJOSEPHE DILLONKAY WILLIAMSLB MAYERLORETTA YOUNGMARILYN MONROENANCY DAVISPLE ERICKRIA LANGHAMRONALD REAGANSYLVIA ASHLEYTHE MISFSWILLIAM HA PREVDID YOU KNOW? POTS OF INTERT PT. 6 NEXTDID YOU KNOW? POTS OF INTERT PT. 7 13 COMMENTS AVARAGENE JANUARY 31, 2022 AT 9:00 AM THE PICTURE CLAIMG TO BE SYLVIA IS ACTUALLY KAY. KAY IS THE WOMAN THE LAST TWO PHOTOS.REPLY ALAN ROYLE JANUARY 31, 2022 AT 5:45 PM THANKYOU FOR BRGG THAT TO MY ATTENTN. I HAVE LETED THE FIRST SHOT. MUCH APPRECIATED.REPLY KATHI L. JANUARY 14, 2020 AT 8:42 AM THIS RMATN ABOUT GABLE IS A LOT OF SPECULATN, MY OPN. THE SOURCE FOR THE HA STORY? IT’S TREATED AS FACT BUT THERE IS NONE EXCEPT REVISNIST BGRAPHI OR FICTN PRETENDG TO BE FACT WRTEN BY THORS LIKE DARW PORTER OR STTY BOWERS. AND, I HAVE TO SAY, LABELG WOMEN AS “NYMPHOMANIACS” IS OUTRAGEO AND SEXIST. WHAT DID MR. GABLE EVER DO TO YOU TO SERVE SUCH A MEAN SPIRED BGRAPHIL SAY?REPLY ALAN ROYLE JANUARY 14, 2020 AT 1:10 PM THANKYOU FOR YOUR NOTE. IF YOU WISH TO ACCEPT THE STUD’S AND BGRAPHERS’ PORTRAYAL OF MOVIE STARS, YOU ARE EE TO DO SO, OF URSE. I PREFER TO REACH MY NCLNS AFTER PESAL OF ASSSMENTS OM ALL SOURC, SOME OF WHICH I REJECT OUT OF HAND, OTHERS I ACCEPT WHOLE OR PART. MY ASSSMENTS ARE NEHER ‘MEAN-SPIRED’ NOR FAWNG. AS FOR LABELLG SOME WOMEN AS ‘NYMPHOMANIACS’, MADAM, THE FACT IS THAT SOME ARE! THAT IS NO MORE ‘OUTRAGEO’ THAN SCRIBG PRINT TMP AS AN ‘EGOMANIAC’. IF THE P FS WEAR . PLEASE, DO NOT SPOUT POLIL RRECTNS AT ME! THE TERM IS GREATLY OVER-RATED.REPLY PL MAY 9, 2021 AT 12:59 PM IF YOU EVER DID REARCH YOU WOULD FD OUT THAT ’S ALL TEREPLY S. ALLEN SEPTEMBER 7, 2015 AT 11:32 AM ON GOOGLE: BALL INSULTS GABLE ABOUT NECKTIE. YOU’LL FD TWO ENTRI RIGHT AWAY, WHERE HE MENTNS HOW SULT ME ABOUT.REPLY S. ALLEN SEPTEMBER 7, 2015 AT 5:11 AM MY SOURCE FOR BALL AND GABLE’S IAL MEETG IS HER BOOK. SHE SCRIB SLIM H., “SELLG” HER ON GABLE, WHO RETURNED OM SERVICE. THE ANECDOTE ABOUT THE TIE MAY HAVE OCCURRED AT SAME TIME. CAN’T BE CERTA IF I READ ABOUT HER BOOK[WHICH I BORROWED AND RETURNED], OR SOMEWHERE ELSE.REPLY S. ALLEN SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 AT 12:55 PM I THK I FALLY GOT YOUR MENT ABOUT SYPHANTS, PECIALLY AFTER WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT CAROLE LOMBARD. MAYBE GABLE FIGURED THAT BALL WAS A “NO GO”, KNEW ABOUT BOGIE, OR JT WASN’T TERTED.REPLY ALAN ROYLE SEPTEMBER 7, 2015 AT 2:54 AM I MT HAVE EXPRSED MYSELF UNCLEARLY. MANY FAMO PEOPLE, PECIALLY THE ENTERTAMENT FIELD, ARE SURROUND BY ‘Y MEN’ WHO AGREE WH EVERYTHG THEY SAY. THAT IS WHAT I MEANT BY ‘SYPHANTS’. CONSEQUENTLY, THEY ARE OFTEN ATTRACTED TO MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE ENTIRELY OPEN WH THEM, EVEN CRIL OF THEM. I BELIEVE GABLE FELT THAT WAY ABOUT LOMBARD. AS FAR AS I KNOW GABLE AND BALL HAD NO RELATNSHIP WHATSOEVER. I DO NOT EVEN KNOW IF THEY EVER EVEN MET. QUE POSSIBLY THEY DID NOT. I RELL READG THAT HENRY FONDA HAD NEVER MET KATHARE HEPBURN UNTIL THEY MA ‘ON GOLN POND’ TOGETHER, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD BOTH BEEN INS HOLLYWOOD FOR 50 YEARS OR SO.REPLY S. ALLEN SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 AT 12:17 PM HMMM. NOT SURE I UNRSTAND MENT ABOUT SYPHANTS. DO APPLY TO ANECDOT ABOUT BALL AND GABLE?REPLY S. ALLEN SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 AT 5:58 AM TWO ANECDOT HAVG NOTHG TO DO W/ WHAT YOU’VE POSTED, BUT TERTG.IN EFFORT TO “CURE” BALL OF BOGART, SLIM HAWKS ARRANGED SOCIAL EVENT BETWEEN GABLE AND BALL, AT HAWKS HOME, WHICH MAY HAVE CLUD OTHERS. BETTY WAS NOT TERTED; GABLE TOOK HER HOME, KISSED HER GOODNIGHT, PERD. THIS NEXT VOLV GATHERG AT HAWKS HOME. BALL EXPRSED NCERN W/ HOW SHE WOULD GET HOME. HAWKS TOLD HER TO ASK A MAN TO TAKE HER, BUT SHE DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT; WAS TOLD,’TRY SULTG HIM.’ WHEN SHE SAW HAWKS, SHE SAID, ‘IT WORKED’, AND SHE SAID SHE ASKED MAN WHERE HE GOT HIS TIE. WHEN ASKED,’WHY DO YOU ASK?’ SHE REPLIED, ‘SO I N TELL PEOPLE NOT TO GO TO THAT STORE.’ THE MAN WAS CLARK GABLE! [IT’S POSSIBLE BOTH CINTS OCCURRED AT SAME TIME.][NOTE, UNLS I’M SURE OF EXACT QUOT, I E SGLE QUOTATN MARK ONLY.]TWOREPLY ALAN ROYLE SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 AT 10:56 AM INTERTG. PEOPLE POSNS OF POWER OR FAME GET FED UP WH SYPHANTS (OR SO I HAVE READ), SO THEY ARE OFTEN IMPRSED BY SOMEONE WHO CHOOS TO NOT FAWN OVER THEM. THE OLD SAYG, ‘NOBODY LIK A KISS-ASS’ IS A TE ONE. I THK LOMBARD ED A SIAR APPROACH. SHE OFTEN RIDICULED HIS ‘GREAT LOVER’ IMAGE PUBLIC, YET HE ADORED HER.REPLY S. ALLEN SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 AT 1:38 AM OH MY GOD!REPLYLEAVE A REPLY CANCEL REPLYYOUR EMAIL ADDRS WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED.COMMENTNAME *EMAIL *WEBSESAVE MY NAME, EMAIL, AND WEBSE THIS BROWSER FOR THE NEXT TIME I MENT. IF A NEW COMMENT IS POSTED:DO NOT SEND EMAIL NOTIFITNS.SEND EMAIL NOTIFITN ONLY IF SOMEONE REPLI TO MY COMMENT(S).SEND EMAIL NOTIFITN WHENEVER A NEW COMMENT IS POSTED.ΔTHIS SE AKISMET TO RCE SPAM. LEARN HOW YOUR MENT DATA IS PROCSED.LOOKG FOR SOMETHG? SEARCH FOR: RECENT POSTS MOVIE TRIVIA – PT202 SEPTEMBER 19, 2022 0 KAY KENDALL, SUZY KENDALL, PATSY KENSIT SEPTEMBER 16, 2022 2 ‘THE ST. VALENTINE’S DAY MASSACRE’ (1967) SEPTEMBER 13, 2022 4 RANDOM QUOTES – PT64 SEPTEMBER 10, 2022 0 TV WESTERNS – PT35 SEPTEMBER 7, 2022 7ARCHIV ARCHIV SELECT MONTH OCTOBER 2022 (7) SEPTEMBER 2022 (10) AUGT 2022 (11) JULY 2022 (10) JUNE 2022 (10) MAY 2022 (10) APRIL 2022 (9) MARCH 2022 (11) FEBARY 2022 (9) JANUARY 2022 (10) DECEMBER 2021 (10) NOVEMBER 2021 (10) OCTOBER 2021 (10) SEPTEMBER 2021 (10) AUGT 2021 (10) JULY 2021 (11) JUNE 2021 (9) MAY 2021 (9) APRIL 2021 (11) MARCH 2021 (10) FEBARY 2021 (9) JANUARY 2021 (12) DECEMBER 2020 (10) NOVEMBER 2020 (10) OCTOBER 2020 (9) SEPTEMBER 2020 (10) AUGT 2020 (12) JULY 2020 (10) JUNE 2020 (11) MAY 2020 (10) APRIL 2020 (10) MARCH 2020 (11) FEBARY 2020 (9) JANUARY 2020 (10) DECEMBER 2019 (11) NOVEMBER 2019 (10) OCTOBER 2019 (10) SEPTEMBER 2019 (10) AUGT 2019 (11) JULY 2019 (11) JUNE 2019 (10) MAY 2019 (10) APRIL 2019 (11) MARCH 2019 (15) FEBARY 2019 (14) JANUARY 2019 (15) DECEMBER 2018 (15) NOVEMBER 2018 (15) OCTOBER 2018 (16) SEPTEMBER 2018 (15) AUGT 2018 (15) JULY 2018 (16) JUNE 2018 (16) MAY 2018 (15) APRIL 2018 (15) MARCH 2018 (16) FEBARY 2018 (14) JANUARY 2018 (13) DECEMBER 2017 (16) NOVEMBER 2017 (15) OCTOBER 2017 (15) SEPTEMBER 2017 (15) AUGT 2017 (16) JULY 2017 (15) JUNE 2017 (15) MAY 2017 (16) APRIL 2017 (15) MARCH 2017 (15) FEBARY 2017 (15) JANUARY 2017 (16) DECEMBER 2016 (15) NOVEMBER 2016 (16) OCTOBER 2016 (17) SEPTEMBER 2016 (16) AUGT 2016 (16) JULY 2016 (17) JUNE 2016 (16) MAY 2016 (15) APRIL 2016 (15) MARCH 2016 (15) FEBARY 2016 (13) JANUARY 2016 (17) DECEMBER 2015 (16) NOVEMBER 2015 (15) OCTOBER 2015 (15) SEPTEMBER 2015 (16) AUGT 2015 (15) JULY 2015 (13) JUNE 2015 (14) MAY 2015 (16) APRIL 2015 (23) MARCH 2015 (31) FEBARY 2015 (40) RSS FEEDSCHARACTER ACTORS (9)DID YOU KNOW? (607)GREAT MOVIE QUOT (21)HOLLYWOOD & WW2 (73)MISC (68)MOVI (392)MY BOOKS (9)SOCIAL ISSU (7)STOLEN OSRS? (4)TRAGIC HOLLYWOOD (45)TV SHOWS (85)UNTEGORIZED (110)WESTERN WOMEN (1)WHAT HAPPENED TO? (1) ALL TOPICSTAGSDREY HEPBURN (32) AVA GARDNER (35) BARBARA STANWYCK (27) BETTE DAVIS (42) BG CROSBY (28) BURT LANSTER (32) RY GRANT (44) CHARLTON HTON (27) CLARK GABLE (61) ELIZABETH TAYLOR (33) ELVIS PRLEY (33) ERROL FLYNN (45) ANK SATRA (56) GARY OPER (43) GONE WH THE WD (28) GRACE KELLY (38) GREGORY PECK (30) HOWARD HUGH (33) HUMPHREY BOGART (28) GRID BERGMAN (30) JAM STEWART (40) JOAN CRAWFORD (47) JOHN WAYNE (47) JUDY GARLAND (31) LANA TURNER (38) LRENCE OLIVIER (30) MARILYN MONROE (64) MARLON BRANDO (40) MICHAEL E (27) MICKEY ROONEY (32) NATALIE WOOD (27) PL NEWMAN (29) PETER LAWFORD (26) RICHARD BURTON (29) RA HAYWORTH (25) ROBERT MCHUM (40) ROBERT TAYLOR (26) ROCK HUDSON (32) RONALD REAGAN (30) SEAN NNERY (40) SHIRLEY TEMPLE (31) SPENCER TRACY (39) TONY CURTIS (29) TYRONE POWER (26) WILLIAM HOLN (28)RECENT COMMENTSALAN ROYLE ON TV WESTERNS – PT 38MIKE POWERS ON TV WESTERNS – PT 38ALAN ROYLE ON WILLIAM HOLN – HIS LIFE AND HIS LOVAISHA ON THE MANY LOV OF RA HAYWORTHMARTHA CLARK ON MOVIE TRIVIA – PT203.MARTHA CLARK ON WILLIAM HOLN – HIS LIFE AND HIS LOVALAN ROYLE ON TV WESTERNS – PT37ALAN ROYLE ON MOVIE TRIVIA – PT204MIKE POWERS ON RANDOM QUOTES – PT66MIKE POWERS ON MOVIE TRIVIA – PT204MIKE POWERS ON TV WESTERNS – PT37ALAN ROYLE ON MOVIE TRIVIA – PT204ALAN ROYLE ON LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES – ‘PETER PAN’, ‘MEDICINE MAN’.CATMAC ON MOVIE TRIVIA – PT204CRAIG ON LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES – ‘PETER PAN’, ‘MEDICINE MAN’.REVISG THE SERI “APPALACHIANS MOVG PICTUR” – APPALACHIA BARE ON WAMPAS BABY STARS OF 1929ALAN ROYLE ON LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES – ‘PETER PAN’, ‘MEDICINE MAN’.CATMAC ON LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES – ‘PETER PAN’, ‘MEDICINE MAN’.ALAN ROYLE ON LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES – ‘PETER PAN’, ‘MEDICINE MAN’.CATMAC ON LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES – ‘PETER PAN’, ‘MEDICINE MAN’.COPYRIGHT &PY; 2022 | WORDPRS THEME BY MH THEM INSERT/ED LK
MA FOR EACH OTHER: CLARK GABLE AND CAROLE LOMBARD’S REAL ROMANCEA PAIR OF BGRAPHIL BOOKS PAT A FULL PICTURE OF THE LEGENDARY UPLE’S SWEEPG, TRAGILLY SHORT-LIVED MARRIAGE.BY HADLEY HALL MEARMAY 13, 2022FACEBOOKTWTEREMAILSAVE STORYCLARK GABLE WH HIS FUTURE WIFE CAROLE LOMBARD 1932. BY JOHN KOBAL FOUNDATN/GETTY IMAG.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEFOR FIVE BRIEF YEARS, CLARK GABLE AND CAROLE LOMBARD WERE THE MOST DASHG, GLAMORO UPLE ON THE PLA. HE WAS A MANLY HEARTTHROB, THE STAR OF GONE WH THE WD AND IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT. SHE WAS THE SCREWBALL EDIENNE AND LEADG LADY WHO L UP CLASSICS LIKE MY MAN GODEY AND TWENTIETH CENTURY.THEIRS IS A TALE SO HEART-WRENCHG THAT WARREN G. HARRIS’S SEMAL 1974 GABLE & LOMBARD OFTEN READS MORE LIKE A MA-FOR-TV MOVIE THAN A TE STORY. (IN FACT, WAS MA TO A MOVIE 1976, STARRG JAM BROL AND JILL CLAYBURGH.) BUT EVEN IF ’S FILLED WH VAGUE NJECTURE, SPECT NVERSATNS, AND PAT PREMONNS, THIS SLIGHT BGRAPHY SUCKS THE REAR TO THE ROMANCE OF THE TWO STARS, WHILE HTG AT THE VERY REAL TENSNS BOILG BENEATH THE FAIRYTALE.A MORE RECENT EXPLORATN OF THE UPLE, 2013’S FIREBALL: CAROLE LOMBARD AND THE MYSTERY OF FLIGHT 3 BY ROBERT MATZEN, OFTEN READS LIKE ONE OF LOMBARD’S MADP MOVI. BUT ALSO OFFERS A HIGHLY TAILED ACUNT OF THE CRASH THAT TOOK LOMBARD’S LIFE, AND A MORE GROUND VIEW OF THE SATED STAR AND HER HARDSCRABBLE HBAND. “THEY WERE ALWAYS WAY UP THE AIR OR WAY DOWN,” LORETTA YOUNG ONCE SAID. “THEY WERE REAL PEOPLE.”MADP MEETGTHE NIGHT OF THE GLAMORO “WHE MAYFAIR” BALL BEVERLY HILLS IS PART OF HOLLYWOOD LORE. HOSTED BY CAROLE LOMBARD ON A JANUARY EVENG 1936, FEATURED A WHO’S-WHO OF THE ENTERTAMENT DTRY, CLUDG THE UNDISPUTED KG HIMSELF: CLARK GABLE.THAT NIGHT, LOMBARD WAS RETRODUCED TO GABLE—AND SOED SPARKS FLEW. THE TWO HAD -STARRED 1932’S NO MAN OF HER OWN, BUT ACRDG TO HARRIS, THEY DISLIKED EACH OTHER ON SET. THE LM, UNFLAPPABLE GABLE WAS ANNOYED BY LOMBARD’S BOISTERO BEHAVR, WHILE RAPID-FIRE LOMBARD WAS IRRATED BY GABLE’S STOIC RERVE. BUT FOUR YEARS LATER, OPPOS ATTRACTED. HARRIS PATS THIS ENUNTER WAY TOO CEMATILLY —LIKE A MEET-CUTE ONE OF LOMBARD’S SCREWBALL ROMANC. GABLE ASKED LOMBARD TO DANCE, AND WAS ALLEGEDLY SO AROED (THE BASIS FOR HARRIS’S CLAIM HERE IS UNCLEAR, AN ISSUE THROUGHOUT THE BOOK) THAT AN AMED LOMBARD STOPPED DANCG WH HIM SO HE ULD OL DOWN.THE NIGHT QUICKLY SCEND TO NFED CHAOS, WH GABLE DRIVG LOMBARD TO HIS HOTEL AND PROPOSNG HER. THIS LED LOMBARD TO QUIP, “WHO DO YOU THK YOU ARE, CLARK GABLE?” AN ANGERED GABLE QUICKLY DROVE LOMBARD BACK TO THE BALL, WHERE HE ALMOST GOT TO A FIGHT WH ACTOR LYLE TALBOT AND SHE ALMOST ME TO BLOWS WH NORMA SHEARER, WHO HAD DARED TO WEAR RED TO THE ALL-WHE SOIREE.ACRDG TO HARRIS, GABLE EVENTUALLY DROVE LOMBARD HOME. WHEN HE REALIZED THAT SHE HAD NO TERT A SEXUAL ENUNTER, HE CLAIMED HE HAD AN APPOMENT AND NEED TO LEAVE. LOMABRD ACIDLY ASKED IF HE HAD A DATE WH LORETTA YOUNG (WH WHOM HE HAD RECENTLY FATHERED A SECRET CHILD), AND GABLE LEFT A HUFF.THE NEXT MORNG, A HUNER GABLE AWOKE TO STRANGE OG SOUNDS. HARRIS WR:[LOMBARD] CID SHE'D BEEN TOO HARD ON HIM, SO SHE LLED UP A PET SHOP AND HAD THEM SEND OVER A PAIR OF DOV AS A PEACE OFFERG. SHE THEN BRIBED ONE OF THE HOTEL CLERKS TO RELEASE THE DOV GABLE'S APARTMENT WHILE HE WAS STILL ASLEEP. THEN HE FOUND A RD ATTACHED TO THE LEG OF ONE OF THE BIRDS, WH THE WORDS “HOW ABOUT ? CAROLE.”THE LEGEND OF LOMBARDALTHOUGH HE WAS STILL MARRIED TO HIS SEND WIFE, RIA, THE KG WAS SOON FALLG LOVE WH LOMBARD—JT LIKE ALMOST EVERYONE ELSE WHO MET HER. “SHE WAS A LTY, ROWDY, TWO-FISTED, TERRIFIC DAME, WHO KNEW ALL THERE WAS TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE AND LOVE AND TEMPTATN. HER PHILOSOPHY WAS LGHTER,” ONE IEND RELLED, PER HARRIS.BOTH HARRIS AND MATZEN SEEM BOTTED WH LOMBARD. IN EACH BOOK, THE TENAC, BIG-HEARTED, UNPRETENT LOMBARD OVERSHADOWS HER MORE FAMO PARAMOUR. AS MATZEN NOT, LOMBARD WAS ALSO AN CREDIBLY SAVVY BSWOMAN, NSCLY BUILDG A BRAND AS “AMERI'S MADP PLAYGIRL NUMBER 1.” LOMBARD’S ROWDY PARTI AND ZANY ON-SET ANTICS WERE LEGENDARY, AND SHE WAS SOON ON THE CHARM OFFENSIVE WH GABLE.MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHZENDAYA PAYS TRIBUTE TO “BROTHER” ANG CLOUD: “I’LL CHERISH EVERY MOMENT”BY SAVANNAH WALSHSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYAFTER GABLE SUFFERED A RARE FLOP THE PERD DRAMA PARNELL, LOMBARD HAD LEAFLETS DISTRIBUTED ON THE MGM LOT READG, “IF YOU THK GABLE IS THE WORLD'S GREATT ACTOR, SEE HIM ‘PARNELL.’” SHE PLAYED JUDY GARLAND’S FAWNG “DEAR MR. GABLE” SO MUCH THAT, PER HARRIS, GABLE LATER TOLD GARLAND, “HONEY, I LOVE YOU MADLY, BUT PLEASE DON'T DO ‘OUR SONG’ ANYMORE.”BUT AS MATZEN EXPLAS, LOMBARD’S TE GIFT WAS HER GENERO NATURE. “CAROLE’S CS” CLUD UNTLS CREW MEMBERS, A BROKE ANTHONY QUN, THE ACTOR TURNED SIGNER WILLIAM HA (BLACKLISTED FOR BEG GAY), EX-HBAND WILLIAM POWELL, A YOUNG ROBERT STACK, TUBERCULOSIS-STRICKEN TENNIS STAR ALICE MARBLE, A SKIDDG JOHN BARRYMORE, AND A FLOUNRG LUCILLE BALL. ACRDG TO MATZEN, LOMBARD NEVER WANTED ATTENTN DRAWN TO HER GOOD EDS OR DONATNS, QUIPPG, “OH SH, FET ABOUT !’” WHEN SOMEONE ATTEMPTED TO THANK HER.ONE GETS THE SENSE THAT LOMBARD’S GIVG SPIR WAS A TONIC TO THE MOTHERLS GABLE, WHOSE HARDSCRABBLE CHILDHOOD HAD LEFT HIM TIGHT-FISTED AND EMOTNALLY VULNERABLE. AS HE ONCE SAID, PER HARRIS, “YOU N TST THAT LTLE SCREWBALL WH YOUR LIFE.”MA AND PASO, WHAT EXACTLY DID LOMBARD SEE GABLE? ACRDG TO HARRIS, SHE SAW A CHARMG, SOLARY, EQUALLY UNPRETENT, GENTLE MAN WHO LOVED TO LGH AND LMED HER DOWN. “[CLARK] HAD MY NUMBER SO FAST, WAS TERRIFYG,” LOMBARD TOLD A IEND, PER HARRIS. “HE TOLD ME WHAT I WAS—A SCREWY, NROTIC, MISERABLE FOOL—AND HE WAS RIGHT. I'VE NEVER BEEN ANYTHG ELSE… I JT FOOLED PEOPLE. BUT I ULDN'T FOOL HIM, AND I KNEW .”BUT AS MATZEN, NOT QUE AS STARRY-EYED AS HARRIS ABOUT LOMBARD, NOT, THE HIGHLY PETIVE ACTRS ALSO SAW GABLE AS A PRIZE TO BE WON. THE FACT THAT AN ANGRY RIA GABLE REFED TO DIVORCE CLARK FURIATED LOMBARD, AND ONE NIGHT SHE SHOCKGLY BROKE TO HER RIVAL’S HOME. “LOMBARD PADD QUIETLY TO THE DOORWAY, CLEARED HER THROAT AND YELLED AT THE STARTLED MRS. GABLE, ‘HI, YOU OLD WCH. IF YOU WANT TO LL ME A HOME-BREAKER NOW, 'S YOUR FUCKG PRIVILEGE,’” HARRIS WR.FOR FEMIST REARS, THE LENGTHS LOMBARD WENT TO MAKE GABLE HAPPY—HER “CLARK FIRST” ATTU- ARE HEARTBREAKGLY EAGER AND REGRSIVE. THE THOROUGHLY SMOPOLAN EDIENNE TRANSFORMED HERSELF TO AN OUTDOORS WOMAN, PRACTICG FLY FISHG WH CLTTE COLBERT, LEARNG TO HUNT, SKEET SHOOT, AND BRAVG UNTLS MPG TRIPS WH GABLE WHILE NTLED A SLEEPG BAG LED WH HER BELOVED FUR ATS.SHE BOUGHT A RANCH ENCO, DUBBED “THE HOE OF TWO GABL,” WHERE THE TWO STARS LIVED NTENTED SECLN, SPLAYG AS STIC RANCHERS—RIDG TRACTORS, RAISG CHICKENS, AND LLG EACH OTHER “MA” AND “PA.”IN A PARTICULARLY AFFECTG PASSAGE (SPE THE FACT THAT SEEMS A B TOO PCH-PERFECT TO BE TE), HARRIS SCRIB A PARTICULARLY HAPPY NIGHT ON THE CK AT THE RANCH:“GABLE SAID, ’MA, WE'RE LUCKY PEOPLE. WE'VE GOT THIS RANCH… … WE'VE BOTH GOT GOOD JOBS, IENDS, MONEY THE BANK AND OUR HEALTH. GOD'S BEEN GOOD TO . CAN YOU THK OF ANYTHG YOU REALLY WANT THAT YOU HAVEN'T GOT?’ LOMBARD SIPPED ON HER CO-COLA BEFORE SHE ANSWERED. ’PA, TO TELL YOU THE TTH, I ULD E A UPLE OF LOADS OF MANURE IF WE'RE GOG TO DO ANY GOOD WH THOSE U TRE.’”ENTER THE SWEATER GIRLDPE LOMBARD’S HERCULEAN EFFORTS, THERE WERE SOME THGS HER LOVE AND RE ULD NOT FIX. THROUGHOUT GABLE & LOMBARD, HARRIS SUBTLY POTS OUT THAT THE UPLE HAD VERY REAL PROBLEMS, EVEN AFTER THEY FALLY MARRIED 1939. ACRDG TO HARRIS, LOMBARD WAS PARTICULARLY BOTHERED BY GABLE’S MISERLS. HIS SELFISH NATURE WAS ALSO EXHIBED THE BEDROOM, LEADG LOMBARD TO QUIP, “MY GOD, YOU KNOW HOW I LOVE PA, BUT I N'T SAY HE'S A HELLUVA GOOD LAY.”MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHZENDAYA PAYS TRIBUTE TO “BROTHER” ANG CLOUD: “I’LL CHERISH EVERY MOMENT”BY SAVANNAH WALSHSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYTHIS FICIENCY DIDN’T STOP GABLE OM STRAYG—PRODIGLY. ACRDG TO BOTH HARRIS AND MATZEN, GABLE CHEATED ON LOMBARD EQUENTLY, SOMETHG THE PRACTIL LOMBARD PUT UP WH BEE SHE FELT HIS STAT AS “THE KG OF HOLLYWOOD” MA FILY EVABLE.BUT LOMBARD’S REAL FEELGS ME OUT HER EQUENT VISS TO HIS SETS. SHE WAS PARTICULARLY WARY OF THE FAMO LANA TURNER, WHO CLAIMED TO HAVE HAD A “A WONRFUL CHEMIL RAPPORT” WH GABLE. ACRDG TO MATZEN, THE ACERBIC LOMBARD SHOWED UP ON SET SO MUCH DURG THE FILMG OF THE 1941 FILM HONKY TONK THAT TURNER ONCE FLED TO HER TRAILER.AS THE UNED STAT ENTERED WORLD WAR II, THE GABL WERE CREASGLY UNR STRA. LOMBARD, SPERATE FOR A CHILD, WAS UNABLE TO NCEIVE; HARRIS IS AT HIS MOST DATED WRG OF HER ABILY TO “GIVE” GABLE A CHILD. THE PROGRSIVE, PATRTIC LOMBARD WAS ALSO OBSSED WH HELPG THE WAR EFFORT AND ENURAGED A RELUCTANT GABLE TO SET AN EXAMPLE BY JOG THE ARMY.TO MAKE LOMBARD HAPPY, HE BEME HEAD OF THE HOLLYWOOD VICTORY COMMTEE. WHEN TOLD THAT THE ERNMENT WAS LOOKG FOR A STAR TO SELL WAR BONDS INDIANA, HE OFFERED UP HIS WIFE, A NATIVE OF FORT WAYNE. ACRDG TO HARRIS, LOMBARD BEGGED GABLE TO GO WH HER. BUT HE WAS SET TO START SHOOTG *SOMEWHERE I’LL FD YOU—*WH LANA TURNER.WHAT HAPPENED NEXT IS MUDDLED, AND ONE WISH THAT THE SIGHTFUL LOMBARD HAD LIVED LONG ENOUGH TO WRE HER OWN VERSN OF THE STORY. ACRDG TO HARRIS, ON JANUARY 12, 1942, THE GABL HAD A VIC FIGHT OVER HIS FILI BEFORE SHE LEFT FOR THE TOUR. WHEN SHE ARRIVED AT THE TRA STATN, GABLE WAS NOT THERE. AS A GAG, LOMBARD HAD LEFT A NAKED MANNEQU HIS BED TO KEEP HIM PANY.THE CO TOSSLOMBARD’S TOUR OF INDIANA WAS A ROG SUCCS. WH HER BELOVED MOTHER, BS, AND MGM PUBLICIST OTTO WKLER ACPANYG HER, SHE STORMED THE STATE, RAISG OVER $2 LN U.S. DEFENSE BONDS.BUT ACRDG TO MATZEN, LOMBARD WAS OBSSED WH GETTG HOME TO GABLE BY NIGHTFALL. ALTHOUGH THE GROUP WAS SUPPOSED TO TRAVEL HOME BY TRA, LOMBARD PHED TO TAKE A PLANE. HER MOTHER, A VOUT BAHAI AND BELIEVER NUMEROLOGY, SENSED SIGNS OF DOOM, AND WAS OVERHEARD TELLG HER DGHTER, “CAROLE, DON’T TAKE THAT PLANE.”WKLER WAS ALSO RELUCTANT. LOMBARD FALLY SUGGTED A TOSS TO CI—AND AS ALWAYS, SHE WON. ON JANUARY 16TH, THE TENSE THREOME BOARD TWA FLIGHT 3.IN A HNTG PASSAGE, MATZEN SCRIB SILENT FILM STAR CLARA BOW, NOW LIVG ON A RANCH NEVADA, WATCHG A FIRE BURNG ON NEARBY MOUNT POTOSI WH HER YOUNG SON. THEY DIDN’T KNOW WAS THE WRECKAGE OF FLIGHT 3, WHICH HAD SLAMMED TO THE MOUNTA AT AROUND 7PM DUE TO PILOT ERROR.UPON HEARG THE NEWS, GABLE SHED TO NEVADA, DRKG HIMSELF TO A STUPOR. FRIENDS SOON GATHERED AROUND HIM, CLUDG SPENCER TRACY, WAG TO HEAR IF THERE WERE SURVIVORS. IN HOLLYWOOD, LOMBARD’S RECENT -STAR JACK BENNY WAS SUCH A STATE HE JUMPED HIS R TO AID THE RCUE EFFORT, DRIVG BEFORE HE REALIZED HIS MISSN WAS FUTILE. A TRATED GABLE FALLY ATTEMPTED TO MAKE HIS WAY UP THE TREACHERO MOUNTA, ONLY TO BE LED BACK DOWN, PANTG AND BROKEN, BY AN MGM HANDLER.MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHZENDAYA PAYS TRIBUTE TO “BROTHER” ANG CLOUD: “I’LL CHERISH EVERY MOMENT”BY SAVANNAH WALSHSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYMGM FIXER EDDIE MANNIX WAS ONE OF THE FIRST AT THE CRASH SE TO SEE LOMBARD’S MANGLED BODY. ON HER TORSO HE FOUND A BY, ALL THAT WAS LEFT OF A SET OF BY AND DIAMOND CLIPS GABLE HAD GIVEN TO HER. HOURS LATER, HE GAVE THE BY BACK TO S RIGHTFUL OWNER.TWILIGHT OF THE KGIF GABLE & LOMBARD READS MORE LIKE AN ELEGY FOR CAROLE LOMBARD THAN AN IDYLLIC LOVE STORY, IS ALSO A WAKE FOR THE LIFE CLARK GABLE ULD HAVE HAD. “THE MOST WONRFUL AND THE MOST BETIFUL AND THE GREATT THG—THE ONLY REAL HAPPS HE EVER HAD HIS LIFE—WAS GONE,” MGM HEAD OF PUBLICY HOWARD STRICKLG SAID.A JOT FUNERAL FOR 33-YEAR-OLD LOMBARD AND HER MOTHER WAS HELD ON JANUARY 21, 1942. ALTHOUGH THE ERNMENT OFFERED A ARY FUNERAL, GABLE CLED; LOMBARD WOULD HAVE NEVER STOOD FOR SUCH POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE.AN UNDONE GABLE LEANED HEAVILY ON HIS EX-LOVER JOAN CRAWFORD, DRKG NIGHTLY AT HER HOME, POURG OUT HIS MEMORI OF HIS “MA.” IN HER HONOR, HE JOED THE ARMY, AND MANY WAYS BEME THE PERSON LOMBARD HAD WANTED HIM TO BE. ACRDG TO MATZEN, HE BEME A MORE RG, GENERO AND TROSPECTIVE PERSON, SOMEONE ORSON WELL LATER LLED “A NICE BIG HUNK OF MAN.”HE ALSO SEARCHED FOR LOMBARD’S REPLACEMENT BY TAKG UP WH A STRG OF WTY BLONS, CLUDG FOURTH WIFE LADY SYLVIA ASHLEY, GRACE KELLY, AND FIFTH WIFE KAY. “SOMETIM I ULD CLOSE MY EY AND LISTEN TO CLARK AND KAY…EXCHANGE QUIPS AND SULTS, AND I THOUGHT I WAS LISTENG TO A ROAD VERSN OF THE GABLE-LOMBARD MARRIAGE,” ONE IEND RELLED.GABLE DIED ON NOVEMBER 16, 1960, AND WAS BURIED AT FORT LAWN. AS HE ONCE TOLD HIS SECRETARY, “YOU KNOW, I HAVE EVERYTHG THE WORLD ANYONE ULD WANT BUT ONE THG. ALL I REALLY NEED AND WANT IS MA.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRHOW GREY’S ANATOMY WRER ELISABETH FCH USED LI TO CREATE MT-SEE TVTHE NORTHMAN: LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT BONKERS NILE KIDMAN SCENELRA DERN, SAM NEILL, AND JEFF GOLDBLUM’S JURASSIC PARK RNNREMEMBERG MARGARET CAMPBELL, THE “HOT MS” DUCHS AT THE CENTER OF ’60S SEX SNDALMELANIE LYNSKEY ON YELLOWJACKETS, CANDY, AND AN INCREDIBLE YEAREXCLIVE: OZARK’S ENDG, EXPLAEDWEWORK’S ADAM AND REBEKAH NMANN: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?WHY STREAMERS ARE PULLG BACK FROM EDGY CONTENTJOHNNY DEPP’S TARNISHED CAREER ENTERS THE AMBER HEARD DEFAMATN TRIALFROM THE ARCHIVE: THE TWS WHO FROLICKED WH JOHN PL GETTY IIISIGN UP FOR THE “HWD DAILY” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE—PL A SPECIAL WEEKLY EDN OF “AWARDS INSIR.”HADLEY HALL MEAR
WAS CLARK GABLE ‘GAY FOR PAY”?
CLARK GABLE: GAY LANGLAND
CLARK GABLE – GAY INFLUENCE
MA FOR EACH OTHER: CLARK GABLE AND CAROLE LOMBARD’S REAL ROMANCEA PAIR OF BGRAPHIL BOOKS PAT A FULL PICTURE OF THE LEGENDARY UPLE’S SWEEPG, TRAGILLY SHORT-LIVED MARRIAGE.BY HADLEY HALL MEARMAY 13, 2022FACEBOOKTWTEREMAILSAVE STORYCLARK GABLE WH HIS FUTURE WIFE CAROLE LOMBARD 1932. BY JOHN KOBAL FOUNDATN/GETTY IMAG.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEFOR FIVE BRIEF YEARS, CLARK GABLE AND CAROLE LOMBARD WERE THE MOST DASHG, GLAMORO UPLE ON THE PLA. HE WAS A MANLY HEARTTHROB, THE STAR OF GONE WH THE WD AND IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT. SHE WAS THE SCREWBALL EDIENNE AND LEADG LADY WHO L UP CLASSICS LIKE MY MAN GODEY AND TWENTIETH CENTURY.THEIRS IS A TALE SO HEART-WRENCHG THAT WARREN G. HARRIS’S SEMAL 1974 GABLE & LOMBARD OFTEN READS MORE LIKE A MA-FOR-TV MOVIE THAN A TE STORY. (IN FACT, WAS MA TO A MOVIE 1976, STARRG JAM BROL AND JILL CLAYBURGH.) BUT EVEN IF ’S FILLED WH VAGUE NJECTURE, SPECT NVERSATNS, AND PAT PREMONNS, THIS SLIGHT BGRAPHY SUCKS THE REAR TO THE ROMANCE OF THE TWO STARS, WHILE HTG AT THE VERY REAL TENSNS BOILG BENEATH THE FAIRYTALE.A MORE RECENT EXPLORATN OF THE UPLE, 2013’S FIREBALL: CAROLE LOMBARD AND THE MYSTERY OF FLIGHT 3 BY ROBERT MATZEN, OFTEN READS LIKE ONE OF LOMBARD’S MADP MOVI. BUT ALSO OFFERS A HIGHLY TAILED ACUNT OF THE CRASH THAT TOOK LOMBARD’S LIFE, AND A MORE GROUND VIEW OF THE SATED STAR AND HER HARDSCRABBLE HBAND. “THEY WERE ALWAYS WAY UP THE AIR OR WAY DOWN,” LORETTA YOUNG ONCE SAID. “THEY WERE REAL PEOPLE.”MADP MEETGTHE NIGHT OF THE GLAMORO “WHE MAYFAIR” BALL BEVERLY HILLS IS PART OF HOLLYWOOD LORE. HOSTED BY CAROLE LOMBARD ON A JANUARY EVENG 1936, FEATURED A WHO’S-WHO OF THE ENTERTAMENT DTRY, CLUDG THE UNDISPUTED KG HIMSELF: CLARK GABLE.THAT NIGHT, LOMBARD WAS RETRODUCED TO GABLE—AND SOED SPARKS FLEW. THE TWO HAD -STARRED 1932’S NO MAN OF HER OWN, BUT ACRDG TO HARRIS, THEY DISLIKED EACH OTHER ON SET. THE LM, UNFLAPPABLE GABLE WAS ANNOYED BY LOMBARD’S BOISTERO BEHAVR, WHILE RAPID-FIRE LOMBARD WAS IRRATED BY GABLE’S STOIC RERVE. BUT FOUR YEARS LATER, OPPOS ATTRACTED. HARRIS PATS THIS ENUNTER WAY TOO CEMATILLY —LIKE A MEET-CUTE ONE OF LOMBARD’S SCREWBALL ROMANC. GABLE ASKED LOMBARD TO DANCE, AND WAS ALLEGEDLY SO AROED (THE BASIS FOR HARRIS’S CLAIM HERE IS UNCLEAR, AN ISSUE THROUGHOUT THE BOOK) THAT AN AMED LOMBARD STOPPED DANCG WH HIM SO HE ULD OL DOWN.THE NIGHT QUICKLY SCEND TO NFED CHAOS, WH GABLE DRIVG LOMBARD TO HIS HOTEL AND PROPOSNG HER. THIS LED LOMBARD TO QUIP, “WHO DO YOU THK YOU ARE, CLARK GABLE?” AN ANGERED GABLE QUICKLY DROVE LOMBARD BACK TO THE BALL, WHERE HE ALMOST GOT TO A FIGHT WH ACTOR LYLE TALBOT AND SHE ALMOST ME TO BLOWS WH NORMA SHEARER, WHO HAD DARED TO WEAR RED TO THE ALL-WHE SOIREE.ACRDG TO HARRIS, GABLE EVENTUALLY DROVE LOMBARD HOME. WHEN HE REALIZED THAT SHE HAD NO TERT A SEXUAL ENUNTER, HE CLAIMED HE HAD AN APPOMENT AND NEED TO LEAVE. LOMABRD ACIDLY ASKED IF HE HAD A DATE WH LORETTA YOUNG (WH WHOM HE HAD RECENTLY FATHERED A SECRET CHILD), AND GABLE LEFT A HUFF.THE NEXT MORNG, A HUNER GABLE AWOKE TO STRANGE OG SOUNDS. HARRIS WR:[LOMBARD] CID SHE'D BEEN TOO HARD ON HIM, SO SHE LLED UP A PET SHOP AND HAD THEM SEND OVER A PAIR OF DOV AS A PEACE OFFERG. SHE THEN BRIBED ONE OF THE HOTEL CLERKS TO RELEASE THE DOV GABLE'S APARTMENT WHILE HE WAS STILL ASLEEP. THEN HE FOUND A RD ATTACHED TO THE LEG OF ONE OF THE BIRDS, WH THE WORDS “HOW ABOUT ? CAROLE.”THE LEGEND OF LOMBARDALTHOUGH HE WAS STILL MARRIED TO HIS SEND WIFE, RIA, THE KG WAS SOON FALLG LOVE WH LOMBARD—JT LIKE ALMOST EVERYONE ELSE WHO MET HER. “SHE WAS A LTY, ROWDY, TWO-FISTED, TERRIFIC DAME, WHO KNEW ALL THERE WAS TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE AND LOVE AND TEMPTATN. HER PHILOSOPHY WAS LGHTER,” ONE IEND RELLED, PER HARRIS.BOTH HARRIS AND MATZEN SEEM BOTTED WH LOMBARD. IN EACH BOOK, THE TENAC, BIG-HEARTED, UNPRETENT LOMBARD OVERSHADOWS HER MORE FAMO PARAMOUR. AS MATZEN NOT, LOMBARD WAS ALSO AN CREDIBLY SAVVY BSWOMAN, NSCLY BUILDG A BRAND AS “AMERI'S MADP PLAYGIRL NUMBER 1.” LOMBARD’S ROWDY PARTI AND ZANY ON-SET ANTICS WERE LEGENDARY, AND SHE WAS SOON ON THE CHARM OFFENSIVE WH GABLE.MOST POPULARTHE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWBY TARA ARIANOWELE TO SALTBURN’S TWISTED GOTHIC TALEBY REBEC FORD25 PERFECT TV EPISOS FROM THE LAST 25 YEARSBY HILLARY BISAFTER GABLE SUFFERED A RARE FLOP THE PERD DRAMA PARNELL, LOMBARD HAD LEAFLETS DISTRIBUTED ON THE MGM LOT READG, “IF YOU THK GABLE IS THE WORLD'S GREATT ACTOR, SEE HIM ‘PARNELL.’” SHE PLAYED JUDY GARLAND’S FAWNG “DEAR MR. GABLE” SO MUCH THAT, PER HARRIS, GABLE LATER TOLD GARLAND, “HONEY, I LOVE YOU MADLY, BUT PLEASE DON'T DO ‘OUR SONG’ ANYMORE.”BUT AS MATZEN EXPLAS, LOMBARD’S TE GIFT WAS HER GENERO NATURE. “CAROLE’S CS” CLUD UNTLS CREW MEMBERS, A BROKE ANTHONY QUN, THE ACTOR TURNED SIGNER WILLIAM HA (BLACKLISTED FOR BEG GAY), EX-HBAND WILLIAM POWELL, A YOUNG ROBERT STACK, TUBERCULOSIS-STRICKEN TENNIS STAR ALICE MARBLE, A SKIDDG JOHN BARRYMORE, AND A FLOUNRG LUCILLE BALL. ACRDG TO MATZEN, LOMBARD NEVER WANTED ATTENTN DRAWN TO HER GOOD EDS OR DONATNS, QUIPPG, “OH SH, FET ABOUT !’” WHEN SOMEONE ATTEMPTED TO THANK HER.ONE GETS THE SENSE THAT LOMBARD’S GIVG SPIR WAS A TONIC TO THE MOTHERLS GABLE, WHOSE HARDSCRABBLE CHILDHOOD HAD LEFT HIM TIGHT-FISTED AND EMOTNALLY VULNERABLE. AS HE ONCE SAID, PER HARRIS, “YOU N TST THAT LTLE SCREWBALL WH YOUR LIFE.”MA AND PASO, WHAT EXACTLY DID LOMBARD SEE GABLE? ACRDG TO HARRIS, SHE SAW A CHARMG, SOLARY, EQUALLY UNPRETENT, GENTLE MAN WHO LOVED TO LGH AND LMED HER DOWN. “[CLARK] HAD MY NUMBER SO FAST, WAS TERRIFYG,” LOMBARD TOLD A IEND, PER HARRIS. “HE TOLD ME WHAT I WAS—A SCREWY, NROTIC, MISERABLE FOOL—AND HE WAS RIGHT. I'VE NEVER BEEN ANYTHG ELSE… I JT FOOLED PEOPLE. BUT I ULDN'T FOOL HIM, AND I KNEW .”BUT AS MATZEN, NOT QUE AS STARRY-EYED AS HARRIS ABOUT LOMBARD, NOT, THE HIGHLY PETIVE ACTRS ALSO SAW GABLE AS A PRIZE TO BE WON. THE FACT THAT AN ANGRY RIA GABLE REFED TO DIVORCE CLARK FURIATED LOMBARD, AND ONE NIGHT SHE SHOCKGLY BROKE TO HER RIVAL’S HOME. “LOMBARD PADD QUIETLY TO THE DOORWAY, CLEARED HER THROAT AND YELLED AT THE STARTLED MRS. GABLE, ‘HI, YOU OLD WCH. IF YOU WANT TO LL ME A HOME-BREAKER NOW, 'S YOUR FUCKG PRIVILEGE,’” HARRIS WR.FOR FEMIST REARS, THE LENGTHS LOMBARD WENT TO MAKE GABLE HAPPY—HER “CLARK FIRST” ATTU- ARE HEARTBREAKGLY EAGER AND REGRSIVE. THE THOROUGHLY SMOPOLAN EDIENNE TRANSFORMED HERSELF TO AN OUTDOORS WOMAN, PRACTICG FLY FISHG WH CLTTE COLBERT, LEARNG TO HUNT, SKEET SHOOT, AND BRAVG UNTLS MPG TRIPS WH GABLE WHILE NTLED A SLEEPG BAG LED WH HER BELOVED FUR ATS.SHE BOUGHT A RANCH ENCO, DUBBED “THE HOE OF TWO GABL,” WHERE THE TWO STARS LIVED NTENTED SECLN, SPLAYG AS STIC RANCHERS—RIDG TRACTORS, RAISG CHICKENS, AND LLG EACH OTHER “MA” AND “PA.”IN A PARTICULARLY AFFECTG PASSAGE (SPE THE FACT THAT SEEMS A B TOO PCH-PERFECT TO BE TE), HARRIS SCRIB A PARTICULARLY HAPPY NIGHT ON THE CK AT THE RANCH:“GABLE SAID, ’MA, WE'RE LUCKY PEOPLE. WE'VE GOT THIS RANCH… … WE'VE BOTH GOT GOOD JOBS, IENDS, MONEY THE BANK AND OUR HEALTH. GOD'S BEEN GOOD TO . CAN YOU THK OF ANYTHG YOU REALLY WANT THAT YOU HAVEN'T GOT?’ LOMBARD SIPPED ON HER CO-COLA BEFORE SHE ANSWERED. ’PA, TO TELL YOU THE TTH, I ULD E A UPLE OF LOADS OF MANURE IF WE'RE GOG TO DO ANY GOOD WH THOSE U TRE.’”ENTER THE SWEATER GIRLDPE LOMBARD’S HERCULEAN EFFORTS, THERE WERE SOME THGS HER LOVE AND RE ULD NOT FIX. THROUGHOUT GABLE & LOMBARD, HARRIS SUBTLY POTS OUT THAT THE UPLE HAD VERY REAL PROBLEMS, EVEN AFTER THEY FALLY MARRIED 1939. ACRDG TO HARRIS, LOMBARD WAS PARTICULARLY BOTHERED BY GABLE’S MISERLS. HIS SELFISH NATURE WAS ALSO EXHIBED THE BEDROOM, LEADG LOMBARD TO QUIP, “MY GOD, YOU KNOW HOW I LOVE PA, BUT I N'T SAY HE'S A HELLUVA GOOD LAY.”MOST POPULARTHE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWBY TARA ARIANOWELE TO SALTBURN’S TWISTED GOTHIC TALEBY REBEC FORD25 PERFECT TV EPISOS FROM THE LAST 25 YEARSBY HILLARY BISTHIS FICIENCY DIDN’T STOP GABLE OM STRAYG—PRODIGLY. ACRDG TO BOTH HARRIS AND MATZEN, GABLE CHEATED ON LOMBARD EQUENTLY, SOMETHG THE PRACTIL LOMBARD PUT UP WH BEE SHE FELT HIS STAT AS “THE KG OF HOLLYWOOD” MA FILY EVABLE.BUT LOMBARD’S REAL FEELGS ME OUT HER EQUENT VISS TO HIS SETS. SHE WAS PARTICULARLY WARY OF THE FAMO LANA TURNER, WHO CLAIMED TO HAVE HAD A “A WONRFUL CHEMIL RAPPORT” WH GABLE. ACRDG TO MATZEN, THE ACERBIC LOMBARD SHOWED UP ON SET SO MUCH DURG THE FILMG OF THE 1941 FILM HONKY TONK THAT TURNER ONCE FLED TO HER TRAILER.AS THE UNED STAT ENTERED WORLD WAR II, THE GABL WERE CREASGLY UNR STRA. LOMBARD, SPERATE FOR A CHILD, WAS UNABLE TO NCEIVE; HARRIS IS AT HIS MOST DATED WRG OF HER ABILY TO “GIVE” GABLE A CHILD. THE PROGRSIVE, PATRTIC LOMBARD WAS ALSO OBSSED WH HELPG THE WAR EFFORT AND ENURAGED A RELUCTANT GABLE TO SET AN EXAMPLE BY JOG THE ARMY.TO MAKE LOMBARD HAPPY, HE BEME HEAD OF THE HOLLYWOOD VICTORY COMMTEE. WHEN TOLD THAT THE ERNMENT WAS LOOKG FOR A STAR TO SELL WAR BONDS INDIANA, HE OFFERED UP HIS WIFE, A NATIVE OF FORT WAYNE. ACRDG TO HARRIS, LOMBARD BEGGED GABLE TO GO WH HER. BUT HE WAS SET TO START SHOOTG *SOMEWHERE I’LL FD YOU—*WH LANA TURNER.WHAT HAPPENED NEXT IS MUDDLED, AND ONE WISH THAT THE SIGHTFUL LOMBARD HAD LIVED LONG ENOUGH TO WRE HER OWN VERSN OF THE STORY. ACRDG TO HARRIS, ON JANUARY 12, 1942, THE GABL HAD A VIC FIGHT OVER HIS FILI BEFORE SHE LEFT FOR THE TOUR. WHEN SHE ARRIVED AT THE TRA STATN, GABLE WAS NOT THERE. AS A GAG, LOMBARD HAD LEFT A NAKED MANNEQU HIS BED TO KEEP HIM PANY.THE CO TOSSLOMBARD’S TOUR OF INDIANA WAS A ROG SUCCS. WH HER BELOVED MOTHER, BS, AND MGM PUBLICIST OTTO WKLER ACPANYG HER, SHE STORMED THE STATE, RAISG OVER $2 LN U.S. DEFENSE BONDS.BUT ACRDG TO MATZEN, LOMBARD WAS OBSSED WH GETTG HOME TO GABLE BY NIGHTFALL. ALTHOUGH THE GROUP WAS SUPPOSED TO TRAVEL HOME BY TRA, LOMBARD PHED TO TAKE A PLANE. HER MOTHER, A VOUT BAHAI AND BELIEVER NUMEROLOGY, SENSED SIGNS OF DOOM, AND WAS OVERHEARD TELLG HER DGHTER, “CAROLE, DON’T TAKE THAT PLANE.”WKLER WAS ALSO RELUCTANT. LOMBARD FALLY SUGGTED A TOSS TO CI—AND AS ALWAYS, SHE WON. ON JANUARY 16TH, THE TENSE THREOME BOARD TWA FLIGHT 3.IN A HNTG PASSAGE, MATZEN SCRIB SILENT FILM STAR CLARA BOW, NOW LIVG ON A RANCH NEVADA, WATCHG A FIRE BURNG ON NEARBY MOUNT POTOSI WH HER YOUNG SON. THEY DIDN’T KNOW WAS THE WRECKAGE OF FLIGHT 3, WHICH HAD SLAMMED TO THE MOUNTA AT AROUND 7PM DUE TO PILOT ERROR.UPON HEARG THE NEWS, GABLE SHED TO NEVADA, DRKG HIMSELF TO A STUPOR. FRIENDS SOON GATHERED AROUND HIM, CLUDG SPENCER TRACY, WAG TO HEAR IF THERE WERE SURVIVORS. IN HOLLYWOOD, LOMBARD’S RECENT -STAR JACK BENNY WAS SUCH A STATE HE JUMPED HIS R TO AID THE RCUE EFFORT, DRIVG BEFORE HE REALIZED HIS MISSN WAS FUTILE. A TRATED GABLE FALLY ATTEMPTED TO MAKE HIS WAY UP THE TREACHERO MOUNTA, ONLY TO BE LED BACK DOWN, PANTG AND BROKEN, BY AN MGM HANDLER.MOST POPULARTHE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWBY TARA ARIANOWELE TO SALTBURN’S TWISTED GOTHIC TALEBY REBEC FORD25 PERFECT TV EPISOS FROM THE LAST 25 YEARSBY HILLARY BISMGM FIXER EDDIE MANNIX WAS ONE OF THE FIRST AT THE CRASH SE TO SEE LOMBARD’S MANGLED BODY. ON HER TORSO HE FOUND A BY, ALL THAT WAS LEFT OF A SET OF BY AND DIAMOND CLIPS GABLE HAD GIVEN TO HER. HOURS LATER, HE GAVE THE BY BACK TO S RIGHTFUL OWNER.TWILIGHT OF THE KGIF GABLE & LOMBARD READS MORE LIKE AN ELEGY FOR CAROLE LOMBARD THAN AN IDYLLIC LOVE STORY, IS ALSO A WAKE FOR THE LIFE CLARK GABLE ULD HAVE HAD. “THE MOST WONRFUL AND THE MOST BETIFUL AND THE GREATT THG—THE ONLY REAL HAPPS HE EVER HAD HIS LIFE—WAS GONE,” MGM HEAD OF PUBLICY HOWARD STRICKLG SAID.A JOT FUNERAL FOR 33-YEAR-OLD LOMBARD AND HER MOTHER WAS HELD ON JANUARY 21, 1942. ALTHOUGH THE ERNMENT OFFERED A ARY FUNERAL, GABLE CLED; LOMBARD WOULD HAVE NEVER STOOD FOR SUCH POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE.AN UNDONE GABLE LEANED HEAVILY ON HIS EX-LOVER JOAN CRAWFORD, DRKG NIGHTLY AT HER HOME, POURG OUT HIS MEMORI OF HIS “MA.” IN HER HONOR, HE JOED THE ARMY, AND MANY WAYS BEME THE PERSON LOMBARD HAD WANTED HIM TO BE. ACRDG TO MATZEN, HE BEME A MORE RG, GENERO AND TROSPECTIVE PERSON, SOMEONE ORSON WELL LATER LLED “A NICE BIG HUNK OF MAN.”HE ALSO SEARCHED FOR LOMBARD’S REPLACEMENT BY TAKG UP WH A STRG OF WTY BLONS, CLUDG FOURTH WIFE LADY SYLVIA ASHLEY, GRACE KELLY, AND FIFTH WIFE KAY. “SOMETIM I ULD CLOSE MY EY AND LISTEN TO CLARK AND KAY…EXCHANGE QUIPS AND SULTS, AND I THOUGHT I WAS LISTENG TO A ROAD VERSN OF THE GABLE-LOMBARD MARRIAGE,” ONE IEND RELLED.GABLE DIED ON NOVEMBER 16, 1960, AND WAS BURIED AT FORT LAWN. AS HE ONCE TOLD HIS SECRETARY, “YOU KNOW, I HAVE EVERYTHG THE WORLD ANYONE ULD WANT BUT ONE THG. ALL I REALLY NEED AND WANT IS MA.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRHOW GREY’S ANATOMY WRER ELISABETH FCH USED LI TO CREATE MT-SEE TVTHE NORTHMAN: LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT BONKERS NILE KIDMAN SCENELRA DERN, SAM NEILL, AND JEFF GOLDBLUM’S JURASSIC PARK RNNREMEMBERG MARGARET CAMPBELL, THE “HOT MS” DUCHS AT THE CENTER OF ’60S SEX SNDALMELANIE LYNSKEY ON YELLOWJACKETS, CANDY, AND AN INCREDIBLE YEAREXCLIVE: OZARK’S ENDG, EXPLAEDWEWORK’S ADAM AND REBEKAH NMANN: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?WHY STREAMERS ARE PULLG BACK FROM EDGY CONTENTJOHNNY DEPP’S TARNISHED CAREER ENTERS THE AMBER HEARD DEFAMATN TRIALFROM THE ARCHIVE: THE TWS WHO FROLICKED WH JOHN PL GETTY IIISIGN UP FOR THE “HWD DAILY” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE—PL A SPECIAL WEEKLY EDN OF “AWARDS INSIR.”HADLEY HALL MEAR

CLARK GABLE – SKELETONS THE CLOSET. SEPTEMBER 5, 2015 ADM DID YOU KNOW? 13 A LADY NAMED FRANZ DORFLER WAS RPONSIBLE FOR GETTG CLARK GABLE HIS FIRST ACTG JOB, BUT HE SOON DCHED HER FOR ACTG TEACHER JOSEPHE DILLON. JO WAS 41, PLA AND MATRONLY, BUT SHE TOOK THE 23 YEAR-OLD ASPIRG YOUNG ACTOR TO HOLLYWOOD, AND 1924 THEY MARRIED. IT WAS JO WHO CHANGED HIS FIRST NAME OM WILLIAM TO CLARK.JOSEPHE DILLONIN 1925, WHEN CLARK WAS A STGGLG YOUNG ACTOR TRYG TO GA A TOEHOLD THE DTRY, HE PARTICIPATED A BRIEF SEXUAL RELATNSHIP WH HOLLYWOOD STAR AND NOTOR GAY WILLIAM HA. SEVERAL PEOPLE WNSED THEM TOGETHER AT THE STUD, AND ALSO AT A PARTY AT THE BEVERLY WILSHIRE HOTEL WHERE THEY ENGAGED A VARIETY OF SEXUAL ACTS. IT WAS ALL PART OF GABLE’S RELENTLS TERMATN TO MAKE AS A FAMO MOVIE STAR. EVEN HIS FUTURE LOVER JOAN CRAWFORD READILY ADMTED THAT HE AND HA HAD SEX. CLARK TOLD HER SO YEARS LATER, BUT SHE WAS ALSO A CLOSE IEND OF HA AS WELL, SO SHE ALREADY KNEW. EVERYONE DID. IT WAS SIMPLY A MEANS TO AN END, NOTHG MORE. HE WAS CERTALY NOT HOMOSEXUAL. NOR WAS HE BISEXUAL. ON THE NTRARY, FACT. HE ADORED WOMEN OF ANY AGE OR TYPE.WILLIAM HAIN 1926 HE BEGAN AN AFFAIR WH ANOTHER WOMAN WHO WAS 20 YEARS HIS SENR. HER NAME WAS PLE FRERICK AND SHE WAS AN ATTRACTIVE NYMPHOMANIAC. SHE WAS ALSO RICH. THROUGH HER HE GOT JOBS, BUT SHE ALSO BOUGHT HIM A R AND PAID TO GET HIS TEETH FIXED. THEN, AS HE WOULD DO WH ALL HIS MENTORS, HE DUMPED HER ONCE SHE HAD OUTLIVED HER EFULNS.CLARK & RIA LANGHAMIN 1928, ALONG ME 45 YEAR-OLD RIA LANGHAM. SHE WAS PRETTIER THAN HIS WIFE AND RICHER, SO CLARK HOOKED UP WH HER FOR A UPLE OF YEARS. BEFORE LONG HE WAS CHEATG ON BOTH OF THEM WH ANOTHER NYMPHOMANIAC, ACTRS JOAN CRAWFORD. AND ALL THE WHILE HE WAS BEDDG EVERY OTHER WOMAN HE ULD LAY HIS HANDS ON. HE AND RIA WERE SEEN DATG SO OFTEN THAT MOST PEOPLE ASSUMED THEY WERE MARRIED TO ONE ANOTHER. EVEN LB MAYER ASSUMED AS MUCH, BUT ONCE HE FOUND OUT ABOUT JO, CLARK’S MGM BOSS ORRED HIM TO DO THREE THGS IMMEDIATELY – DIVORCE JO, MARRY RIA, AND LAY OFF JOAN. HE PUBLICLY PLIED WH THE FIRST TWO, BUT SECRETLY IGNORED THE THIRD. HE AND JOAN NTUED TO MEET SECRETLY FOR YEARS.GABLE, CRAWFORD & MAYERMEANWHILE, HIS ADORG PUBLIC HAD NO IA GABLE WAS MARRIED TO JO, LIVG WH RIA AND SLEEPG WH JOAN (AND ALL THE OTHERS). NOR DID THEY KNOW THAT JOAN WAS PREGNANT WH HIS CHILD. IT HAD TO BE CLARK’S BEE SHE AND HBAND DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS JNR WERE TRANGED, AND HAD BEEN FOR SOME TIME. AN ABORTN WAS ARRANGED, AND THE PUBLIC WERE ADVISED THAT JOAN HAD TAKEN A FALL AND LOST DOUG’S BABY. ACRDG TO THE STUD, THE ‘HAPPILY MARRIED UPLE WERE VASTATED’.MR & MRS DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS JR.MAYER HAD BEEN RECEIVG REGULAR REPORTS OF GABLE AND CRAWFORD SPENDG MOST AFTERNOONS HER MOBILE DRSG ROOM ON THE MGM LOT, THE SAME ONE THAT FAIRBANKS HAD GIVEN HER AS A PRENT. IN FACT, CUCKOLD DOUG WAS STILL PAYG THE THG OFF. THE PAPERS WERE STARTG TO POST ‘BLD EMS’ ABOUT THE ROMANCE AS WELL, SO MAYER ORRED DOUG AND JOAN TO TAKE AN ‘EXTEND EUROPEAN VATN’, A SEND HONEYMOON, SO TO SPEAK.HIS LTLE DALLIANCE WH HA ASI, GABLE WAS AN UNABASHED WOMANIZER WHO WOULD SLEEP WH ANY WOMAN IF THE OPPORTUNY AROSE. A DIRECTOR IEND SAID OF HIM: ‘HE WOULD SCREW ANYTHG. SHE DIDN’T HAVE TO BE PRETTY OR CLEAN’. WH A MONTH OF SIGNG WH MGM HE HAD IMPREGNATED WRER ALA ROGERS ST. JOHN. SHE WAS SENT ON AN ‘EXTEND VATN’ TO HAVE HIS BABY, NOT THAT HE WOULD EVER OWN UP TO BEG HIS.IN 1932 HE WAS PUT TO A FILM, POLLY OF THE CIRC, WH WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST’S MISTRS MARN DAVI. HEARST WAS BY THEN 65 YEARS OLD AND HIS RELATNSHIP WH MARN HAD BEE SEXLS, SO SHE WAS SOON VOLVED WH HER LEADG MAN. HEARST AND MGM FIXER HOWARD STRICKLG KNEW CLARK AND MARN WERE SLEEPG TOGETHER. THEY QUICKLY AND QUIETLY OFFERED HIM A PAY RISE OM $650 A WEEK TO $2,000 A WEEK, BUT ONLY IF HE WOULD STOP SEEG MARN. EX MARN.MARN DAVIIN 1933, GABLE RAN DOWN A WOMAN WH HIS R WHILE HE WAS DRIVG DNK. SHE WAS ON A CROSSWALK AND DIED AT THE SCENE. MGM FIXERS MOVED QUICKLY, PAYG OFF POLICE AND THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, AS WELL AS SLIPPG THE AD GIRL’S FAY $125,000 TO KEEP QUIET. THEN, THE STUD GOT AN UN-NAMED MID-LEVEL EMPLOYEE TO TAKE THE RAP FOR THEIR SUPERSTAR. OFFERED A JOB FOR LIFE WH MGM, PL A SH SETTLEMENT, THE MAN SAID HE WAS DRIVG THE VEHICLE AND PPED 10 MONTHS AT AN HONOR FARM. HIS NAME HAS SCE BEEN QUIETLY EXPUNGED OM THE RERD, ALTHOUGH THERE IS A SCHOOL OF THOUGHT THAT BELIEVE HE WAS A ‘NOBODY’ PART-TIME DIRECTOR AT THE TIME – NAMED JOHN HTON.1934 SAW YET ANOTHER GABLE ‘ISSUE’, WHEN HE PUT GEO LORETTA YOUNG THE FAY WAY DURG THE TIME THEY MA THE CALL OF THE WILD. UNTIL HIS DYG DAY HE REFED TO ACKNOWLEDGE HER LTLE GIRL AS HIS OWN. NEHER DID LORETTA FOR THAT MATTER. SHE PRETEND THE GIRL WAS ADOPTED OUT OF THE GOODNS OF HER HEART. GABLE SIMPLY HAD NOTHG TO DO WH THE CHILD – EVER.LORETTA YOUNGWHEN GABLE MET CAROLE LOMBARD, WHOM HE WOULD EVENTUALLY MARRY, HER ‘BT GIRLIEND’ WAS NONE OTHER THAN BILLY HA. SHE TREATED HIM LIKE A BIG SISTER, NFIDG HIM REGULARLY. ON ONE OCSN SHE STRIPPED PLETELY NAKED ONT OF HIM HER TRAILER, SAYG, ‘I WOULDN’T DO THIS IF I THOUGHT YOU’D GET AROED, BILLY’. GABLE SOON TERMATED THEIR IENDSHIP WHEN SHE BEME HIS WIFE. AFTER ALL, BILLY WAS A NSTANT REMR THAT THE ‘KG’ HAD A ‘ONE-OFF’ HOMOSEXUAL ENUNTER WH HIM WAY BACK WHEN.CAROLE LOMBARDIN 1949 CLARK MARRIED SYLVIA ASHLEY, AFTER HIS MARRIAGE PROPOSAL WAS TURNED DOWN 1948 BY NANCY DAVIS, WHO LATER MARRIED RONALD REAGAN AND BEME AMERI’S FIRST LADY. SYLVIA WAS AN ENGLISH MOL AND ACTRS FORMERLY MARRIED TO DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS SENR. SHE WAS 45 WHEN SHE WED GABLE. THE UNN LASTED JT TWO AND A HALF YEARS.HIS FAL WIFE WAS KAY WILLIAMS, A 49 YEAR-OLD ACTRS WHO WAS STILL WED TO HIM WHEN HE SUFFERED HIS LIFE ENDG RONARY 1960. THEY HAD ONE CHILD, BORN AFTER GABLE’S ATH. THE STORY THAT WAS MARILYN MONROE’S BEHAVR DURG THE SHOOTG OF HIS LAST FILM THE MISFS THAT BROUGHT ON HIS FATAL HEART ATTACK IS TOTALLY UNTE. HE WAS ALREADY VERY ILL AND WAS ACTUALLY CHANGG A TIRE ON A JEEP WHEN HE LLAPSED.AND WH KAY WILLIAMSALA ROGERS ST JOHNROLE LOMBARDCLARK GABLEDOUGLAS FAIRBANKS JRJOAN CRAWFORDJOSEPHE DILLONKAY WILLIAMSLB MAYERLORETTA YOUNGMARILYN MONROENANCY DAVISPLE ERICKRIA LANGHAMRONALD REAGANSYLVIA ASHLEYTHE MISFSWILLIAM HA PREVDID YOU KNOW? POTS OF INTERT PT. 6 NEXTDID YOU KNOW? POTS OF INTERT PT. 7 13 COMMENTS AVARAGENE JANUARY 31, 2022 AT 9:00 AM THE PICTURE CLAIMG TO BE SYLVIA IS ACTUALLY KAY. KAY IS THE WOMAN THE LAST TWO PHOTOS.REPLY ALAN ROYLE JANUARY 31, 2022 AT 5:45 PM THANKYOU FOR BRGG THAT TO MY ATTENTN. I HAVE LETED THE FIRST SHOT. MUCH APPRECIATED.REPLY KATHI L. JANUARY 14, 2020 AT 8:42 AM THIS RMATN ABOUT GABLE IS A LOT OF SPECULATN, MY OPN. THE SOURCE FOR THE HA STORY? IT’S TREATED AS FACT BUT THERE IS NONE EXCEPT REVISNIST BGRAPHI OR FICTN PRETENDG TO BE FACT WRTEN BY THORS LIKE DARW PORTER OR STTY BOWERS. AND, I HAVE TO SAY, LABELG WOMEN AS “NYMPHOMANIACS” IS OUTRAGEO AND SEXIST. WHAT DID MR. GABLE EVER DO TO YOU TO SERVE SUCH A MEAN SPIRED BGRAPHIL SAY?REPLY ALAN ROYLE JANUARY 14, 2020 AT 1:10 PM THANKYOU FOR YOUR NOTE. IF YOU WISH TO ACCEPT THE STUD’S AND BGRAPHERS’ PORTRAYAL OF MOVIE STARS, YOU ARE EE TO DO SO, OF URSE. I PREFER TO REACH MY NCLNS AFTER PESAL OF ASSSMENTS OM ALL SOURC, SOME OF WHICH I REJECT OUT OF HAND, OTHERS I ACCEPT WHOLE OR PART. MY ASSSMENTS ARE NEHER ‘MEAN-SPIRED’ NOR FAWNG. AS FOR LABELLG SOME WOMEN AS ‘NYMPHOMANIACS’, MADAM, THE FACT IS THAT SOME ARE! THAT IS NO MORE ‘OUTRAGEO’ THAN SCRIBG PRINT TMP AS AN ‘EGOMANIAC’. IF THE P FS WEAR . PLEASE, DO NOT SPOUT POLIL RRECTNS AT ME! THE TERM IS GREATLY OVER-RATED.REPLY PL MAY 9, 2021 AT 12:59 PM IF YOU EVER DID REARCH YOU WOULD FD OUT THAT ’S ALL TEREPLY S. ALLEN SEPTEMBER 7, 2015 AT 11:32 AM ON GOOGLE: BALL INSULTS GABLE ABOUT NECKTIE. YOU’LL FD TWO ENTRI RIGHT AWAY, WHERE HE MENTNS HOW SULT ME ABOUT.REPLY S. ALLEN SEPTEMBER 7, 2015 AT 5:11 AM MY SOURCE FOR BALL AND GABLE’S IAL MEETG IS HER BOOK. SHE SCRIB SLIM H., “SELLG” HER ON GABLE, WHO RETURNED OM SERVICE. THE ANECDOTE ABOUT THE TIE MAY HAVE OCCURRED AT SAME TIME. CAN’T BE CERTA IF I READ ABOUT HER BOOK[WHICH I BORROWED AND RETURNED], OR SOMEWHERE ELSE.REPLY S. ALLEN SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 AT 12:55 PM I THK I FALLY GOT YOUR MENT ABOUT SYPHANTS, PECIALLY AFTER WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT CAROLE LOMBARD. MAYBE GABLE FIGURED THAT BALL WAS A “NO GO”, KNEW ABOUT BOGIE, OR JT WASN’T TERTED.REPLY ALAN ROYLE SEPTEMBER 7, 2015 AT 2:54 AM I MT HAVE EXPRSED MYSELF UNCLEARLY. MANY FAMO PEOPLE, PECIALLY THE ENTERTAMENT FIELD, ARE SURROUND BY ‘Y MEN’ WHO AGREE WH EVERYTHG THEY SAY. THAT IS WHAT I MEANT BY ‘SYPHANTS’. CONSEQUENTLY, THEY ARE OFTEN ATTRACTED TO MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE ENTIRELY OPEN WH THEM, EVEN CRIL OF THEM. I BELIEVE GABLE FELT THAT WAY ABOUT LOMBARD. AS FAR AS I KNOW GABLE AND BALL HAD NO RELATNSHIP WHATSOEVER. I DO NOT EVEN KNOW IF THEY EVER EVEN MET. QUE POSSIBLY THEY DID NOT. I RELL READG THAT HENRY FONDA HAD NEVER MET KATHARE HEPBURN UNTIL THEY MA ‘ON GOLN POND’ TOGETHER, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD BOTH BEEN INS HOLLYWOOD FOR 50 YEARS OR SO.REPLY S. ALLEN SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 AT 12:17 PM HMMM. NOT SURE I UNRSTAND MENT ABOUT SYPHANTS. DO APPLY TO ANECDOT ABOUT BALL AND GABLE?REPLY S. ALLEN SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 AT 5:58 AM TWO ANECDOT HAVG NOTHG TO DO W/ WHAT YOU’VE POSTED, BUT TERTG.IN EFFORT TO “CURE” BALL OF BOGART, SLIM HAWKS ARRANGED SOCIAL EVENT BETWEEN GABLE AND BALL, AT HAWKS HOME, WHICH MAY HAVE CLUD OTHERS. BETTY WAS NOT TERTED; GABLE TOOK HER HOME, KISSED HER GOODNIGHT, PERD. THIS NEXT VOLV GATHERG AT HAWKS HOME. BALL EXPRSED NCERN W/ HOW SHE WOULD GET HOME. HAWKS TOLD HER TO ASK A MAN TO TAKE HER, BUT SHE DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT; WAS TOLD,’TRY SULTG HIM.’ WHEN SHE SAW HAWKS, SHE SAID, ‘IT WORKED’, AND SHE SAID SHE ASKED MAN WHERE HE GOT HIS TIE. WHEN ASKED,’WHY DO YOU ASK?’ SHE REPLIED, ‘SO I N TELL PEOPLE NOT TO GO TO THAT STORE.’ THE MAN WAS CLARK GABLE! [IT’S POSSIBLE BOTH CINTS OCCURRED AT SAME TIME.][NOTE, UNLS I’M SURE OF EXACT QUOT, I E SGLE QUOTATN MARK ONLY.]TWOREPLY ALAN ROYLE SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 AT 10:56 AM INTERTG. PEOPLE POSNS OF POWER OR FAME GET FED UP WH SYPHANTS (OR SO I HAVE READ), SO THEY ARE OFTEN IMPRSED BY SOMEONE WHO CHOOS TO NOT FAWN OVER THEM. THE OLD SAYG, ‘NOBODY LIK A KISS-ASS’ IS A TE ONE. I THK LOMBARD ED A SIAR APPROACH. SHE OFTEN RIDICULED HIS ‘GREAT LOVER’ IMAGE PUBLIC, YET HE ADORED HER.REPLY S. ALLEN SEPTEMBER 6, 2015 AT 1:38 AM OH MY GOD!REPLYLEAVE A REPLY CANCEL REPLYYOUR EMAIL ADDRS WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED.COMMENTNAME EMAIL WEBSESAVE MY NAME, EMAIL, AND WEBSE THIS BROWSER FOR THE NEXT TIME I MENT. IF A NEW COMMENT IS POSTED:DO NOT SEND EMAIL NOTIFITNS.SEND EMAIL NOTIFITN ONLY IF SOMEONE REPLI TO MY COMMENT(S).SEND EMAIL NOTIFITN WHENEVER A NEW COMMENT IS POSTED.ΔTHIS SE AKISMET TO RCE SPAM. LEARN HOW YOUR MENT DATA IS PROCSED.LOOKG FOR SOMETHG? SEARCH FOR: RECENT POSTS MOVIE TRIVIA – PT202 SEPTEMBER 19, 2022 0 KAY KENDALL, SUZY KENDALL, PATSY KENSIT SEPTEMBER 16, 2022 2 ‘THE ST. VALENTINE’S DAY MASSACRE’ (1967) SEPTEMBER 13, 2022 4 RANDOM QUOTES – PT64 SEPTEMBER 10, 2022 0 TV WESTERNS – PT35 SEPTEMBER 7, 2022 7ARCHIV ARCHIV SELECT MONTH OCTOBER 2022 (7) SEPTEMBER 2022 (10) AUGT 2022 (11) JULY 2022 (10) JUNE 2022 (10) MAY 2022 (10) APRIL 2022 (9) MARCH 2022 (11) FEBARY 2022 (9) JANUARY 2022 (10) DECEMBER 2021 (10) NOVEMBER 2021 (10) OCTOBER 2021 (10) SEPTEMBER 2021 (10) AUGT 2021 (10) JULY 2021 (11) JUNE 2021 (9) MAY 2021 (9) APRIL 2021 (11) MARCH 2021 (10) FEBARY 2021 (9) JANUARY 2021 (12) DECEMBER 2020 (10) NOVEMBER 2020 (10) OCTOBER 2020 (9) SEPTEMBER 2020 (10) AUGT 2020 (12) JULY 2020 (10) JUNE 2020 (11) MAY 2020 (10) APRIL 2020 (10) MARCH 2020 (11) FEBARY 2020 (9) JANUARY 2020 (10) DECEMBER 2019 (11) NOVEMBER 2019 (10) OCTOBER 2019 (10) SEPTEMBER 2019 (10) AUGT 2019 (11) JULY 2019 (11) JUNE 2019 (10) MAY 2019 (10) APRIL 2019 (11) MARCH 2019 (15) FEBARY 2019 (14) JANUARY 2019 (15) DECEMBER 2018 (15) NOVEMBER 2018 (15) OCTOBER 2018 (16) SEPTEMBER 2018 (15) AUGT 2018 (15) JULY 2018 (16) JUNE 2018 (16) MAY 2018 (15) APRIL 2018 (15) MARCH 2018 (16) FEBARY 2018 (14) JANUARY 2018 (13) DECEMBER 2017 (16) NOVEMBER 2017 (15) OCTOBER 2017 (15) SEPTEMBER 2017 (15) AUGT 2017 (16) JULY 2017 (15) JUNE 2017 (15) MAY 2017 (16) APRIL 2017 (15) MARCH 2017 (15) FEBARY 2017 (15) JANUARY 2017 (16) DECEMBER 2016 (15) NOVEMBER 2016 (16) OCTOBER 2016 (17) SEPTEMBER 2016 (16) AUGT 2016 (16) JULY 2016 (17) JUNE 2016 (16) MAY 2016 (15) APRIL 2016 (15) MARCH 2016 (15) FEBARY 2016 (13) JANUARY 2016 (17) DECEMBER 2015 (16) NOVEMBER 2015 (15) OCTOBER 2015 (15) SEPTEMBER 2015 (16) AUGT 2015 (15) JULY 2015 (13) JUNE 2015 (14) MAY 2015 (16) APRIL 2015 (23) MARCH 2015 (31) FEBARY 2015 (40) RSS FEEDSCHARACTER ACTORS (9)DID YOU KNOW? 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(1) ALL TOPICSTAGSDREY HEPBURN (32) AVA GARDNER (35) BARBARA STANWYCK (27) BETTE DAVIS (42) BG CROSBY (28) BURT LANSTER (32) RY GRANT (44) CHARLTON HTON (27) CLARK GABLE (61) ELIZABETH TAYLOR (33) ELVIS PRLEY (33) ERROL FLYNN (45) ANK SATRA (56) GARY OPER (43) GONE WH THE WD (28) GRACE KELLY (38) GREGORY PECK (30) HOWARD HUGH (33) HUMPHREY BOGART (28) GRID BERGMAN (30) JAM STEWART (40) JOAN CRAWFORD (47) JOHN WAYNE (47) JUDY GARLAND (31) LANA TURNER (38) LRENCE OLIVIER (30) MARILYN MONROE (64) MARLON BRANDO (40) MICHAEL E (27) MICKEY ROONEY (32) NATALIE WOOD (27) PL NEWMAN (29) PETER LAWFORD (26) RICHARD BURTON (29) RA HAYWORTH (25) ROBERT MCHUM (40) ROBERT TAYLOR (26) ROCK HUDSON (32) RONALD REAGAN (30) SEAN NNERY (40) SHIRLEY TEMPLE (31) SPENCER TRACY (39) TONY CURTIS (29) TYRONE POWER (26) WILLIAM HOLN (28)RECENT COMMENTSALAN ROYLE ON TV WESTERNS – PT 38MIKE POWERS ON TV WESTERNS – PT 38ALAN ROYLE ON WILLIAM HOLN – HIS LIFE AND HIS LOVAISHA ON THE MANY LOV OF RA HAYWORTHMARTHA CLARK ON MOVIE TRIVIA – PT203.MARTHA CLARK ON WILLIAM HOLN – HIS LIFE AND HIS LOVALAN ROYLE ON TV WESTERNS – PT37ALAN ROYLE ON MOVIE TRIVIA – PT204MIKE POWERS ON RANDOM QUOTES – PT66MIKE POWERS ON MOVIE TRIVIA – PT204MIKE POWERS ON TV WESTERNS – PT37ALAN ROYLE ON MOVIE TRIVIA – PT204ALAN ROYLE ON LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES – ‘PETER PAN’, ‘MEDICINE MAN’.CATMAC ON MOVIE TRIVIA – PT204CRAIG ON LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES – ‘PETER PAN’, ‘MEDICINE MAN’.REVISG THE SERI “APPALACHIANS MOVG PICTUR” – APPALACHIA BARE ON WAMPAS BABY STARS OF 1929ALAN ROYLE ON LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES – ‘PETER PAN’, ‘MEDICINE MAN’.CATMAC ON LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES – ‘PETER PAN’, ‘MEDICINE MAN’.ALAN ROYLE ON LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES – ‘PETER PAN’, ‘MEDICINE MAN’.CATMAC ON LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES – ‘PETER PAN’, ‘MEDICINE MAN’.COPYRIGHT &PY; 2022 | WORDPRS THEME BY MH THEM INSERT/ED LK

” The young Gable rpond by fashng a macho-stud meanor and projectg dad’s disgt onto the many homosexuals he met and worked wh.

And thor David Bret (“Joan Crawford: Hollywood Martyr”) mak clear that que a few gays and lbians populated Hollywood’s soundstag and swimmg thor tags virtually everyone who shows up here as straight, gay or bisexual, the majory fallg to the latter two tegori. Like prev acunts, this one alleg that early his reer Gable was “gay for pay” and for reer squired olr women, some of them perhaps closet lbians, and had close personal, possibly sexual relatnships wh a number of openly gay men.

30, 2008David Bret’s angle on Clark Gable is this: Gable was “gay for pay” and “rough tra, ” and he enjoyed havg sex “for bucks. Wh clear disgt, he also lls Gable a hypocre for matag a macho sex-symbol image and for engagg “homophobic rantgs, ” even though he’d slept wh men.

MA FOR EACH OTHER: CLARK GABLE AND CAROLE LOMBARD’S REAL ROMANCEA PAIR OF BGRAPHIL BOOKS PAT A FULL PICTURE OF THE LEGENDARY UPLE’S SWEEPG, TRAGILLY SHORT-LIVED MARRIAGE.BY HADLEY HALL MEARMAY 13, 2022FACEBOOKTWTEREMAILSAVE STORYCLARK GABLE WH HIS FUTURE WIFE CAROLE LOMBARD 1932. BY JOHN KOBAL FOUNDATN/GETTY IMAG.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEFOR FIVE BRIEF YEARS, CLARK GABLE AND CAROLE LOMBARD WERE THE MOST DASHG, GLAMORO UPLE ON THE PLA. HE WAS A MANLY HEARTTHROB, THE STAR OF GONE WH THE WD AND IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT. SHE WAS THE SCREWBALL EDIENNE AND LEADG LADY WHO L UP CLASSICS LIKE MY MAN GODEY AND TWENTIETH CENTURY.THEIRS IS A TALE SO HEART-WRENCHG THAT WARREN G. HARRIS’S SEMAL 1974 GABLE & LOMBARD OFTEN READS MORE LIKE A MA-FOR-TV MOVIE THAN A TE STORY. (IN FACT, WAS MA TO A MOVIE 1976, STARRG JAM BROL AND JILL CLAYBURGH.) BUT EVEN IF ’S FILLED WH VAGUE NJECTURE, SPECT NVERSATNS, AND PAT PREMONNS, THIS SLIGHT BGRAPHY SUCKS THE REAR TO THE ROMANCE OF THE TWO STARS, WHILE HTG AT THE VERY REAL TENSNS BOILG BENEATH THE FAIRYTALE.A MORE RECENT EXPLORATN OF THE UPLE, 2013’S FIREBALL: CAROLE LOMBARD AND THE MYSTERY OF FLIGHT 3 BY ROBERT MATZEN, OFTEN READS LIKE ONE OF LOMBARD’S MADP MOVI. BUT ALSO OFFERS A HIGHLY TAILED ACUNT OF THE CRASH THAT TOOK LOMBARD’S LIFE, AND A MORE GROUND VIEW OF THE SATED STAR AND HER HARDSCRABBLE HBAND. “THEY WERE ALWAYS WAY UP THE AIR OR WAY DOWN,” LORETTA YOUNG ONCE SAID. “THEY WERE REAL PEOPLE.”MADP MEETGTHE NIGHT OF THE GLAMORO “WHE MAYFAIR” BALL BEVERLY HILLS IS PART OF HOLLYWOOD LORE. HOSTED BY CAROLE LOMBARD ON A JANUARY EVENG 1936, FEATURED A WHO’S-WHO OF THE ENTERTAMENT DTRY, CLUDG THE UNDISPUTED KG HIMSELF: CLARK GABLE.THAT NIGHT, LOMBARD WAS RETRODUCED TO GABLE—AND SOED SPARKS FLEW. THE TWO HAD -STARRED 1932’S NO MAN OF HER OWN, BUT ACRDG TO HARRIS, THEY DISLIKED EACH OTHER ON SET. THE LM, UNFLAPPABLE GABLE WAS ANNOYED BY LOMBARD’S BOISTERO BEHAVR, WHILE RAPID-FIRE LOMBARD WAS IRRATED BY GABLE’S STOIC RERVE. BUT FOUR YEARS LATER, OPPOS ATTRACTED. HARRIS PATS THIS ENUNTER WAY TOO CEMATILLY —LIKE A MEET-CUTE ONE OF LOMBARD’S SCREWBALL ROMANC. GABLE ASKED LOMBARD TO DANCE, AND WAS ALLEGEDLY SO AROED (THE BASIS FOR HARRIS’S CLAIM HERE IS UNCLEAR, AN ISSUE THROUGHOUT THE BOOK) THAT AN AMED LOMBARD STOPPED DANCG WH HIM SO HE ULD OL DOWN.THE NIGHT QUICKLY SCEND TO NFED CHAOS, WH GABLE DRIVG LOMBARD TO HIS HOTEL AND PROPOSNG HER. THIS LED LOMBARD TO QUIP, “WHO DO YOU THK YOU ARE, CLARK GABLE?” AN ANGERED GABLE QUICKLY DROVE LOMBARD BACK TO THE BALL, WHERE HE ALMOST GOT TO A FIGHT WH ACTOR LYLE TALBOT AND SHE ALMOST ME TO BLOWS WH NORMA SHEARER, WHO HAD DARED TO WEAR RED TO THE ALL-WHE SOIREE.ACRDG TO HARRIS, GABLE EVENTUALLY DROVE LOMBARD HOME. WHEN HE REALIZED THAT SHE HAD NO TERT A SEXUAL ENUNTER, HE CLAIMED HE HAD AN APPOMENT AND NEED TO LEAVE. LOMABRD ACIDLY ASKED IF HE HAD A DATE WH LORETTA YOUNG (WH WHOM HE HAD RECENTLY FATHERED A SECRET CHILD), AND GABLE LEFT A HUFF.THE NEXT MORNG, A HUNER GABLE AWOKE TO STRANGE OG SOUNDS. HARRIS WR:[LOMBARD] CID SHE'D BEEN TOO HARD ON HIM, SO SHE LLED UP A PET SHOP AND HAD THEM SEND OVER A PAIR OF DOV AS A PEACE OFFERG. SHE THEN BRIBED ONE OF THE HOTEL CLERKS TO RELEASE THE DOV GABLE'S APARTMENT WHILE HE WAS STILL ASLEEP. THEN HE FOUND A RD ATTACHED TO THE LEG OF ONE OF THE BIRDS, WH THE WORDS “HOW ABOUT ? CAROLE.”THE LEGEND OF LOMBARDALTHOUGH HE WAS STILL MARRIED TO HIS SEND WIFE, RIA, THE KG WAS SOON FALLG LOVE WH LOMBARD—JT LIKE ALMOST EVERYONE ELSE WHO MET HER. “SHE WAS A LTY, ROWDY, TWO-FISTED, TERRIFIC DAME, WHO KNEW ALL THERE WAS TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE AND LOVE AND TEMPTATN. HER PHILOSOPHY WAS LGHTER,” ONE IEND RELLED, PER HARRIS.BOTH HARRIS AND MATZEN SEEM BOTTED WH LOMBARD. IN EACH BOOK, THE TENAC, BIG-HEARTED, UNPRETENT LOMBARD OVERSHADOWS HER MORE FAMO PARAMOUR. AS MATZEN NOT, LOMBARD WAS ALSO AN CREDIBLY SAVVY BSWOMAN, NSCLY BUILDG A BRAND AS “AMERI'S MADP PLAYGIRL NUMBER 1.” LOMBARD’S ROWDY PARTI AND ZANY ON-SET ANTICS WERE LEGENDARY, AND SHE WAS SOON ON THE CHARM OFFENSIVE WH GABLE.MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHZENDAYA PAYS TRIBUTE TO “BROTHER” ANG CLOUD: “I’LL CHERISH EVERY MOMENT”BY SAVANNAH WALSHSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYAFTER GABLE SUFFERED A RARE FLOP THE PERD DRAMA PARNELL, LOMBARD HAD LEAFLETS DISTRIBUTED ON THE MGM LOT READG, “IF YOU THK GABLE IS THE WORLD'S GREATT ACTOR, SEE HIM ‘PARNELL.’” SHE PLAYED JUDY GARLAND’S FAWNG “DEAR MR. GABLE” SO MUCH THAT, PER HARRIS, GABLE LATER TOLD GARLAND, “HONEY, I LOVE YOU MADLY, BUT PLEASE DON'T DO ‘OUR SONG’ ANYMORE.”BUT AS MATZEN EXPLAS, LOMBARD’S TE GIFT WAS HER GENERO NATURE. “CAROLE’S CS” CLUD UNTLS CREW MEMBERS, A BROKE ANTHONY QUN, THE ACTOR TURNED SIGNER WILLIAM HA (BLACKLISTED FOR BEG GAY), EX-HBAND WILLIAM POWELL, A YOUNG ROBERT STACK, TUBERCULOSIS-STRICKEN TENNIS STAR ALICE MARBLE, A SKIDDG JOHN BARRYMORE, AND A FLOUNRG LUCILLE BALL. ACRDG TO MATZEN, LOMBARD NEVER WANTED ATTENTN DRAWN TO HER GOOD EDS OR DONATNS, QUIPPG, “OH SH, FET ABOUT !’” WHEN SOMEONE ATTEMPTED TO THANK HER.ONE GETS THE SENSE THAT LOMBARD’S GIVG SPIR WAS A TONIC TO THE MOTHERLS GABLE, WHOSE HARDSCRABBLE CHILDHOOD HAD LEFT HIM TIGHT-FISTED AND EMOTNALLY VULNERABLE. AS HE ONCE SAID, PER HARRIS, “YOU N TST THAT LTLE SCREWBALL WH YOUR LIFE.”MA AND PASO, WHAT EXACTLY DID LOMBARD SEE GABLE? ACRDG TO HARRIS, SHE SAW A CHARMG, SOLARY, EQUALLY UNPRETENT, GENTLE MAN WHO LOVED TO LGH AND LMED HER DOWN. “[CLARK] HAD MY NUMBER SO FAST, WAS TERRIFYG,” LOMBARD TOLD A IEND, PER HARRIS. “HE TOLD ME WHAT I WAS—A SCREWY, NROTIC, MISERABLE FOOL—AND HE WAS RIGHT. I'VE NEVER BEEN ANYTHG ELSE… I JT FOOLED PEOPLE. BUT I ULDN'T FOOL HIM, AND I KNEW .”BUT AS MATZEN, NOT QUE AS STARRY-EYED AS HARRIS ABOUT LOMBARD, NOT, THE HIGHLY PETIVE ACTRS ALSO SAW GABLE AS A PRIZE TO BE WON. THE FACT THAT AN ANGRY RIA GABLE REFED TO DIVORCE CLARK FURIATED LOMBARD, AND ONE NIGHT SHE SHOCKGLY BROKE TO HER RIVAL’S HOME. “LOMBARD PADD QUIETLY TO THE DOORWAY, CLEARED HER THROAT AND YELLED AT THE STARTLED MRS. GABLE, ‘HI, YOU OLD WCH. IF YOU WANT TO LL ME A HOME-BREAKER NOW, 'S YOUR FUCKG PRIVILEGE,’” HARRIS WR.FOR FEMIST REARS, THE LENGTHS LOMBARD WENT TO MAKE GABLE HAPPY—HER “CLARK FIRST” ATTU- ARE HEARTBREAKGLY EAGER AND REGRSIVE. THE THOROUGHLY SMOPOLAN EDIENNE TRANSFORMED HERSELF TO AN OUTDOORS WOMAN, PRACTICG FLY FISHG WH CLTTE COLBERT, LEARNG TO HUNT, SKEET SHOOT, AND BRAVG UNTLS MPG TRIPS WH GABLE WHILE NTLED A SLEEPG BAG LED WH HER BELOVED FUR ATS.SHE BOUGHT A RANCH ENCO, DUBBED “THE HOE OF TWO GABL,” WHERE THE TWO STARS LIVED NTENTED SECLN, SPLAYG AS STIC RANCHERS—RIDG TRACTORS, RAISG CHICKENS, AND LLG EACH OTHER “MA” AND “PA.”IN A PARTICULARLY AFFECTG PASSAGE (SPE THE FACT THAT SEEMS A B TOO PCH-PERFECT TO BE TE), HARRIS SCRIB A PARTICULARLY HAPPY NIGHT ON THE CK AT THE RANCH:“GABLE SAID, ’MA, WE'RE LUCKY PEOPLE. WE'VE GOT THIS RANCH… … WE'VE BOTH GOT GOOD JOBS, IENDS, MONEY THE BANK AND OUR HEALTH. GOD'S BEEN GOOD TO . CAN YOU THK OF ANYTHG YOU REALLY WANT THAT YOU HAVEN'T GOT?’ LOMBARD SIPPED ON HER CO-COLA BEFORE SHE ANSWERED. ’PA, TO TELL YOU THE TTH, I ULD E A UPLE OF LOADS OF MANURE IF WE'RE GOG TO DO ANY GOOD WH THOSE U TRE.’”ENTER THE SWEATER GIRLDPE LOMBARD’S HERCULEAN EFFORTS, THERE WERE SOME THGS HER LOVE AND RE ULD NOT FIX. THROUGHOUT GABLE & LOMBARD, HARRIS SUBTLY POTS OUT THAT THE UPLE HAD VERY REAL PROBLEMS, EVEN AFTER THEY FALLY MARRIED 1939. ACRDG TO HARRIS, LOMBARD WAS PARTICULARLY BOTHERED BY GABLE’S MISERLS. HIS SELFISH NATURE WAS ALSO EXHIBED THE BEDROOM, LEADG LOMBARD TO QUIP, “MY GOD, YOU KNOW HOW I LOVE PA, BUT I N'T SAY HE'S A HELLUVA GOOD LAY.”MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHZENDAYA PAYS TRIBUTE TO “BROTHER” ANG CLOUD: “I’LL CHERISH EVERY MOMENT”BY SAVANNAH WALSHSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYTHIS FICIENCY DIDN’T STOP GABLE OM STRAYG—PRODIGLY. ACRDG TO BOTH HARRIS AND MATZEN, GABLE CHEATED ON LOMBARD EQUENTLY, SOMETHG THE PRACTIL LOMBARD PUT UP WH BEE SHE FELT HIS STAT AS “THE KG OF HOLLYWOOD” MA FILY EVABLE.BUT LOMBARD’S REAL FEELGS ME OUT HER EQUENT VISS TO HIS SETS. SHE WAS PARTICULARLY WARY OF THE FAMO LANA TURNER, WHO CLAIMED TO HAVE HAD A “A WONRFUL CHEMIL RAPPORT” WH GABLE. ACRDG TO MATZEN, THE ACERBIC LOMBARD SHOWED UP ON SET SO MUCH DURG THE FILMG OF THE 1941 FILM HONKY TONK THAT TURNER ONCE FLED TO HER TRAILER.AS THE UNED STAT ENTERED WORLD WAR II, THE GABL WERE CREASGLY UNR STRA. LOMBARD, SPERATE FOR A CHILD, WAS UNABLE TO NCEIVE; HARRIS IS AT HIS MOST DATED WRG OF HER ABILY TO “GIVE” GABLE A CHILD. THE PROGRSIVE, PATRTIC LOMBARD WAS ALSO OBSSED WH HELPG THE WAR EFFORT AND ENURAGED A RELUCTANT GABLE TO SET AN EXAMPLE BY JOG THE ARMY.TO MAKE LOMBARD HAPPY, HE BEME HEAD OF THE HOLLYWOOD VICTORY COMMTEE. WHEN TOLD THAT THE ERNMENT WAS LOOKG FOR A STAR TO SELL WAR BONDS INDIANA, HE OFFERED UP HIS WIFE, A NATIVE OF FORT WAYNE. ACRDG TO HARRIS, LOMBARD BEGGED GABLE TO GO WH HER. BUT HE WAS SET TO START SHOOTG SOMEWHERE I’LL FD YOU—WH LANA TURNER.WHAT HAPPENED NEXT IS MUDDLED, AND ONE WISH THAT THE SIGHTFUL LOMBARD HAD LIVED LONG ENOUGH TO WRE HER OWN VERSN OF THE STORY. ACRDG TO HARRIS, ON JANUARY 12, 1942, THE GABL HAD A VIC FIGHT OVER HIS FILI BEFORE SHE LEFT FOR THE TOUR. WHEN SHE ARRIVED AT THE TRA STATN, GABLE WAS NOT THERE. AS A GAG, LOMBARD HAD LEFT A NAKED MANNEQU HIS BED TO KEEP HIM PANY.THE CO TOSSLOMBARD’S TOUR OF INDIANA WAS A ROG SUCCS. WH HER BELOVED MOTHER, BS, AND MGM PUBLICIST OTTO WKLER ACPANYG HER, SHE STORMED THE STATE, RAISG OVER $2 LN U.S. DEFENSE BONDS.BUT ACRDG TO MATZEN, LOMBARD WAS OBSSED WH GETTG HOME TO GABLE BY NIGHTFALL. ALTHOUGH THE GROUP WAS SUPPOSED TO TRAVEL HOME BY TRA, LOMBARD PHED TO TAKE A PLANE. HER MOTHER, A VOUT BAHAI AND BELIEVER NUMEROLOGY, SENSED SIGNS OF DOOM, AND WAS OVERHEARD TELLG HER DGHTER, “CAROLE, DON’T TAKE THAT PLANE.”WKLER WAS ALSO RELUCTANT. LOMBARD FALLY SUGGTED A TOSS TO CI—AND AS ALWAYS, SHE WON. ON JANUARY 16TH, THE TENSE THREOME BOARD TWA FLIGHT 3.IN A HNTG PASSAGE, MATZEN SCRIB SILENT FILM STAR CLARA BOW, NOW LIVG ON A RANCH NEVADA, WATCHG A FIRE BURNG ON NEARBY MOUNT POTOSI WH HER YOUNG SON. THEY DIDN’T KNOW WAS THE WRECKAGE OF FLIGHT 3, WHICH HAD SLAMMED TO THE MOUNTA AT AROUND 7PM DUE TO PILOT ERROR.UPON HEARG THE NEWS, GABLE SHED TO NEVADA, DRKG HIMSELF TO A STUPOR. FRIENDS SOON GATHERED AROUND HIM, CLUDG SPENCER TRACY, WAG TO HEAR IF THERE WERE SURVIVORS. IN HOLLYWOOD, LOMBARD’S RECENT -STAR JACK BENNY WAS SUCH A STATE HE JUMPED HIS R TO AID THE RCUE EFFORT, DRIVG BEFORE HE REALIZED HIS MISSN WAS FUTILE. A TRATED GABLE FALLY ATTEMPTED TO MAKE HIS WAY UP THE TREACHERO MOUNTA, ONLY TO BE LED BACK DOWN, PANTG AND BROKEN, BY AN MGM HANDLER.MOST POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHZENDAYA PAYS TRIBUTE TO “BROTHER” ANG CLOUD: “I’LL CHERISH EVERY MOMENT”BY SAVANNAH WALSHSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYMGM FIXER EDDIE MANNIX WAS ONE OF THE FIRST AT THE CRASH SE TO SEE LOMBARD’S MANGLED BODY. ON HER TORSO HE FOUND A BY, ALL THAT WAS LEFT OF A SET OF BY AND DIAMOND CLIPS GABLE HAD GIVEN TO HER. HOURS LATER, HE GAVE THE BY BACK TO S RIGHTFUL OWNER.TWILIGHT OF THE KGIF GABLE & LOMBARD READS MORE LIKE AN ELEGY FOR CAROLE LOMBARD THAN AN IDYLLIC LOVE STORY, IS ALSO A WAKE FOR THE LIFE CLARK GABLE ULD HAVE HAD. “THE MOST WONRFUL AND THE MOST BETIFUL AND THE GREATT THG—THE ONLY REAL HAPPS HE EVER HAD HIS LIFE—WAS GONE,” MGM HEAD OF PUBLICY HOWARD STRICKLG SAID.A JOT FUNERAL FOR 33-YEAR-OLD LOMBARD AND HER MOTHER WAS HELD ON JANUARY 21, 1942. ALTHOUGH THE ERNMENT OFFERED A ARY FUNERAL, GABLE CLED; LOMBARD WOULD HAVE NEVER STOOD FOR SUCH POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE.AN UNDONE GABLE LEANED HEAVILY ON HIS EX-LOVER JOAN CRAWFORD, DRKG NIGHTLY AT HER HOME, POURG OUT HIS MEMORI OF HIS “MA.” IN HER HONOR, HE JOED THE ARMY, AND MANY WAYS BEME THE PERSON LOMBARD HAD WANTED HIM TO BE. ACRDG TO MATZEN, HE BEME A MORE RG, GENERO AND TROSPECTIVE PERSON, SOMEONE ORSON WELL LATER LLED “A NICE BIG HUNK OF MAN.”HE ALSO SEARCHED FOR LOMBARD’S REPLACEMENT BY TAKG UP WH A STRG OF WTY BLONS, CLUDG FOURTH WIFE LADY SYLVIA ASHLEY, GRACE KELLY, AND FIFTH WIFE KAY. “SOMETIM I ULD CLOSE MY EY AND LISTEN TO CLARK AND KAY…EXCHANGE QUIPS AND SULTS, AND I THOUGHT I WAS LISTENG TO A ROAD VERSN OF THE GABLE-LOMBARD MARRIAGE,” ONE IEND RELLED.GABLE DIED ON NOVEMBER 16, 1960, AND WAS BURIED AT FORT LAWN. AS HE ONCE TOLD HIS SECRETARY, “YOU KNOW, I HAVE EVERYTHG THE WORLD ANYONE ULD WANT BUT ONE THG. ALL I REALLY NEED AND WANT IS MA.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRHOW GREY’S ANATOMY WRER ELISABETH FCH USED LI TO CREATE MT-SEE TVTHE NORTHMAN: LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT BONKERS NILE KIDMAN SCENELRA DERN, SAM NEILL, AND JEFF GOLDBLUM’S JURASSIC PARK RNNREMEMBERG MARGARET CAMPBELL, THE “HOT MS” DUCHS AT THE CENTER OF ’60S SEX SNDALMELANIE LYNSKEY ON YELLOWJACKETS, CANDY, AND AN INCREDIBLE YEAREXCLIVE: OZARK’S ENDG, EXPLAEDWEWORK’S ADAM AND REBEKAH NMANN: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?WHY STREAMERS ARE PULLG BACK FROM EDGY CONTENTJOHNNY DEPP’S TARNISHED CAREER ENTERS THE AMBER HEARD DEFAMATN TRIALFROM THE ARCHIVE: THE TWS WHO FROLICKED WH JOHN PL GETTY IIISIGN UP FOR THE “HWD DAILY” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE—PL A SPECIAL WEEKLY EDN OF “AWARDS INSIR.”HADLEY HALL MEAR

Why would Gable have been “tormented” by his bisexual past if Hollywood were as overn by gay stars as the book impli?

WAS CLARK GABLE ‘GAY FOR PAY”?

If Gable ed gay sex for reer advancement, why would he have bedd men like the aspirg actor Earle Larimore, who had no more than an nt on Broadway to his cred, and the “slab of beefke” Rod La Rocque, hardly a stud bigwig? Josephe DillonIn 1925, when Clark was a stgglg young actor tryg to ga a toehold the dtry, he participated a brief sexual relatnship wh Hollywood star and notor gay William Ha.

He was certaly not homosexual. After all, Billy was a nstant remr that the ‘Kg’ had a ‘one-off’ homosexual enunter wh him way back LombardIn 1949 Clark married Sylvia Ashley, after his marriage proposal was turned down 1948 by Nancy Davis, who later married Ronald Reagan and beme Ameri’s First Lady. " The young Gable rpond by fashng a macho-stud meanor and projectg dad's disgt onto the many homosexuals he met and worked wh.

CLARK GABLE: GAY LANGLAND

And thor David Bret (Joan Crawford: Hollywood Martyr) mak clear that que a few gays and lbians populated Hollywood's soundstag and swimmg pools. The thor tags virtually everyone who shows up here as straight, gay or bisexual, the majory fallg to the latter two tegori. Like prev acunts, this one alleg that early his reer Gable was "gay for pay" and for reer advancement.

CLARK GABLE – GAY INFLUENCE

He squired olr women, some of them perhaps closet lbians, and had close personal, possibly sexual relatnships wh a number of openly gay men.

William Ha is an openly gay actor that Gable allegedly had an affair wh when Clark was a stgglg young actor. Gable was certaly not gay or bisexual but this affair was part of his relentls termatn to make big Hollywood. Through all he was more or ls openly gay, at the st of his movie reer, and married for 50 years to the same sailor he picked up on a publicy trip to New York 1926.

A morn gay romance, a morn gay relatnship, lastg succsfully for 47 years.

MA FOR EACH OTHER: CLARK GABLE AND CAROLE LOMBARD’S REAL ROMANCEA PAIR OF BGRAPHIL BOOKS PAT A FULL PICTURE OF THE LEGENDARY UPLE’S SWEEPG, TRAGILLY SHORT-LIVED MARRIAGE.BY HADLEY HALL MEARMAY 13, 2022FACEBOOKTWTEREMAILSAVE STORYCLARK GABLE WH HIS FUTURE WIFE CAROLE LOMBARD 1932. BY JOHN KOBAL FOUNDATN/GETTY IMAG.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEFOR FIVE BRIEF YEARS, CLARK GABLE AND CAROLE LOMBARD WERE THE MOST DASHG, GLAMORO UPLE ON THE PLA. HE WAS A MANLY HEARTTHROB, THE STAR OF GONE WH THE WD AND IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT. SHE WAS THE SCREWBALL EDIENNE AND LEADG LADY WHO L UP CLASSICS LIKE MY MAN GODEY AND TWENTIETH CENTURY.THEIRS IS A TALE SO HEART-WRENCHG THAT WARREN G. HARRIS’S SEMAL 1974 GABLE & LOMBARD OFTEN READS MORE LIKE A MA-FOR-TV MOVIE THAN A TE STORY. (IN FACT, WAS MA TO A MOVIE 1976, STARRG JAM BROL AND JILL CLAYBURGH.) BUT EVEN IF ’S FILLED WH VAGUE NJECTURE, SPECT NVERSATNS, AND PAT PREMONNS, THIS SLIGHT BGRAPHY SUCKS THE REAR TO THE ROMANCE OF THE TWO STARS, WHILE HTG AT THE VERY REAL TENSNS BOILG BENEATH THE FAIRYTALE.A MORE RECENT EXPLORATN OF THE UPLE, 2013’S FIREBALL: CAROLE LOMBARD AND THE MYSTERY OF FLIGHT 3 BY ROBERT MATZEN, OFTEN READS LIKE ONE OF LOMBARD’S MADP MOVI. BUT ALSO OFFERS A HIGHLY TAILED ACUNT OF THE CRASH THAT TOOK LOMBARD’S LIFE, AND A MORE GROUND VIEW OF THE SATED STAR AND HER HARDSCRABBLE HBAND. “THEY WERE ALWAYS WAY UP THE AIR OR WAY DOWN,” LORETTA YOUNG ONCE SAID. “THEY WERE REAL PEOPLE.”MADP MEETGTHE NIGHT OF THE GLAMORO “WHE MAYFAIR” BALL BEVERLY HILLS IS PART OF HOLLYWOOD LORE. HOSTED BY CAROLE LOMBARD ON A JANUARY EVENG 1936, FEATURED A WHO’S-WHO OF THE ENTERTAMENT DTRY, CLUDG THE UNDISPUTED KG HIMSELF: CLARK GABLE.THAT NIGHT, LOMBARD WAS RETRODUCED TO GABLE—AND SOED SPARKS FLEW. THE TWO HAD -STARRED 1932’S NO MAN OF HER OWN, BUT ACRDG TO HARRIS, THEY DISLIKED EACH OTHER ON SET. THE LM, UNFLAPPABLE GABLE WAS ANNOYED BY LOMBARD’S BOISTERO BEHAVR, WHILE RAPID-FIRE LOMBARD WAS IRRATED BY GABLE’S STOIC RERVE. BUT FOUR YEARS LATER, OPPOS ATTRACTED. HARRIS PATS THIS ENUNTER WAY TOO CEMATILLY —LIKE A MEET-CUTE ONE OF LOMBARD’S SCREWBALL ROMANC. GABLE ASKED LOMBARD TO DANCE, AND WAS ALLEGEDLY SO AROED (THE BASIS FOR HARRIS’S CLAIM HERE IS UNCLEAR, AN ISSUE THROUGHOUT THE BOOK) THAT AN AMED LOMBARD STOPPED DANCG WH HIM SO HE ULD OL DOWN.THE NIGHT QUICKLY SCEND TO NFED CHAOS, WH GABLE DRIVG LOMBARD TO HIS HOTEL AND PROPOSNG HER. THIS LED LOMBARD TO QUIP, “WHO DO YOU THK YOU ARE, CLARK GABLE?” AN ANGERED GABLE QUICKLY DROVE LOMBARD BACK TO THE BALL, WHERE HE ALMOST GOT TO A FIGHT WH ACTOR LYLE TALBOT AND SHE ALMOST ME TO BLOWS WH NORMA SHEARER, WHO HAD DARED TO WEAR RED TO THE ALL-WHE SOIREE.ACRDG TO HARRIS, GABLE EVENTUALLY DROVE LOMBARD HOME. WHEN HE REALIZED THAT SHE HAD NO TERT A SEXUAL ENUNTER, HE CLAIMED HE HAD AN APPOMENT AND NEED TO LEAVE. LOMABRD ACIDLY ASKED IF HE HAD A DATE WH LORETTA YOUNG (WH WHOM HE HAD RECENTLY FATHERED A SECRET CHILD), AND GABLE LEFT A HUFF.THE NEXT MORNG, A HUNER GABLE AWOKE TO STRANGE OG SOUNDS. HARRIS WR:[LOMBARD] CID SHE'D BEEN TOO HARD ON HIM, SO SHE LLED UP A PET SHOP AND HAD THEM SEND OVER A PAIR OF DOV AS A PEACE OFFERG. SHE THEN BRIBED ONE OF THE HOTEL CLERKS TO RELEASE THE DOV GABLE'S APARTMENT WHILE HE WAS STILL ASLEEP. THEN HE FOUND A RD ATTACHED TO THE LEG OF ONE OF THE BIRDS, WH THE WORDS “HOW ABOUT ? CAROLE.”THE LEGEND OF LOMBARDALTHOUGH HE WAS STILL MARRIED TO HIS SEND WIFE, RIA, THE KG WAS SOON FALLG LOVE WH LOMBARD—JT LIKE ALMOST EVERYONE ELSE WHO MET HER. “SHE WAS A LTY, ROWDY, TWO-FISTED, TERRIFIC DAME, WHO KNEW ALL THERE WAS TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE AND LOVE AND TEMPTATN. HER PHILOSOPHY WAS LGHTER,” ONE IEND RELLED, PER HARRIS.BOTH HARRIS AND MATZEN SEEM BOTTED WH LOMBARD. IN EACH BOOK, THE TENAC, BIG-HEARTED, UNPRETENT LOMBARD OVERSHADOWS HER MORE FAMO PARAMOUR. AS MATZEN NOT, LOMBARD WAS ALSO AN CREDIBLY SAVVY BSWOMAN, NSCLY BUILDG A BRAND AS “AMERI'S MADP PLAYGIRL NUMBER 1.” LOMBARD’S ROWDY PARTI AND ZANY ON-SET ANTICS WERE LEGENDARY, AND SHE WAS SOON ON THE CHARM OFFENSIVE WH GABLE.MOST POPULARTHE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWBY TARA ARIANOWELE TO SALTBURN’S TWISTED GOTHIC TALEBY REBEC FORD25 PERFECT TV EPISOS FROM THE LAST 25 YEARSBY HILLARY BISAFTER GABLE SUFFERED A RARE FLOP THE PERD DRAMA PARNELL, LOMBARD HAD LEAFLETS DISTRIBUTED ON THE MGM LOT READG, “IF YOU THK GABLE IS THE WORLD'S GREATT ACTOR, SEE HIM ‘PARNELL.’” SHE PLAYED JUDY GARLAND’S FAWNG “DEAR MR. GABLE” SO MUCH THAT, PER HARRIS, GABLE LATER TOLD GARLAND, “HONEY, I LOVE YOU MADLY, BUT PLEASE DON'T DO ‘OUR SONG’ ANYMORE.”BUT AS MATZEN EXPLAS, LOMBARD’S TE GIFT WAS HER GENERO NATURE. “CAROLE’S CS” CLUD UNTLS CREW MEMBERS, A BROKE ANTHONY QUN, THE ACTOR TURNED SIGNER WILLIAM HA (BLACKLISTED FOR BEG GAY), EX-HBAND WILLIAM POWELL, A YOUNG ROBERT STACK, TUBERCULOSIS-STRICKEN TENNIS STAR ALICE MARBLE, A SKIDDG JOHN BARRYMORE, AND A FLOUNRG LUCILLE BALL. ACRDG TO MATZEN, LOMBARD NEVER WANTED ATTENTN DRAWN TO HER GOOD EDS OR DONATNS, QUIPPG, “OH SH, FET ABOUT !’” WHEN SOMEONE ATTEMPTED TO THANK HER.ONE GETS THE SENSE THAT LOMBARD’S GIVG SPIR WAS A TONIC TO THE MOTHERLS GABLE, WHOSE HARDSCRABBLE CHILDHOOD HAD LEFT HIM TIGHT-FISTED AND EMOTNALLY VULNERABLE. AS HE ONCE SAID, PER HARRIS, “YOU N TST THAT LTLE SCREWBALL WH YOUR LIFE.”MA AND PASO, WHAT EXACTLY DID LOMBARD SEE GABLE? ACRDG TO HARRIS, SHE SAW A CHARMG, SOLARY, EQUALLY UNPRETENT, GENTLE MAN WHO LOVED TO LGH AND LMED HER DOWN. “[CLARK] HAD MY NUMBER SO FAST, WAS TERRIFYG,” LOMBARD TOLD A IEND, PER HARRIS. “HE TOLD ME WHAT I WAS—A SCREWY, NROTIC, MISERABLE FOOL—AND HE WAS RIGHT. I'VE NEVER BEEN ANYTHG ELSE… I JT FOOLED PEOPLE. BUT I ULDN'T FOOL HIM, AND I KNEW .”BUT AS MATZEN, NOT QUE AS STARRY-EYED AS HARRIS ABOUT LOMBARD, NOT, THE HIGHLY PETIVE ACTRS ALSO SAW GABLE AS A PRIZE TO BE WON. THE FACT THAT AN ANGRY RIA GABLE REFED TO DIVORCE CLARK FURIATED LOMBARD, AND ONE NIGHT SHE SHOCKGLY BROKE TO HER RIVAL’S HOME. “LOMBARD PADD QUIETLY TO THE DOORWAY, CLEARED HER THROAT AND YELLED AT THE STARTLED MRS. GABLE, ‘HI, YOU OLD WCH. IF YOU WANT TO LL ME A HOME-BREAKER NOW, 'S YOUR FUCKG PRIVILEGE,’” HARRIS WR.FOR FEMIST REARS, THE LENGTHS LOMBARD WENT TO MAKE GABLE HAPPY—HER “CLARK FIRST” ATTU- ARE HEARTBREAKGLY EAGER AND REGRSIVE. THE THOROUGHLY SMOPOLAN EDIENNE TRANSFORMED HERSELF TO AN OUTDOORS WOMAN, PRACTICG FLY FISHG WH CLTTE COLBERT, LEARNG TO HUNT, SKEET SHOOT, AND BRAVG UNTLS MPG TRIPS WH GABLE WHILE NTLED A SLEEPG BAG LED WH HER BELOVED FUR ATS.SHE BOUGHT A RANCH ENCO, DUBBED “THE HOE OF TWO GABL,” WHERE THE TWO STARS LIVED NTENTED SECLN, SPLAYG AS STIC RANCHERS—RIDG TRACTORS, RAISG CHICKENS, AND LLG EACH OTHER “MA” AND “PA.”IN A PARTICULARLY AFFECTG PASSAGE (SPE THE FACT THAT SEEMS A B TOO PCH-PERFECT TO BE TE), HARRIS SCRIB A PARTICULARLY HAPPY NIGHT ON THE CK AT THE RANCH:“GABLE SAID, ’MA, WE'RE LUCKY PEOPLE. WE'VE GOT THIS RANCH… … WE'VE BOTH GOT GOOD JOBS, IENDS, MONEY THE BANK AND OUR HEALTH. GOD'S BEEN GOOD TO . CAN YOU THK OF ANYTHG YOU REALLY WANT THAT YOU HAVEN'T GOT?’ LOMBARD SIPPED ON HER CO-COLA BEFORE SHE ANSWERED. ’PA, TO TELL YOU THE TTH, I ULD E A UPLE OF LOADS OF MANURE IF WE'RE GOG TO DO ANY GOOD WH THOSE U TRE.’”ENTER THE SWEATER GIRLDPE LOMBARD’S HERCULEAN EFFORTS, THERE WERE SOME THGS HER LOVE AND RE ULD NOT FIX. THROUGHOUT GABLE & LOMBARD, HARRIS SUBTLY POTS OUT THAT THE UPLE HAD VERY REAL PROBLEMS, EVEN AFTER THEY FALLY MARRIED 1939. ACRDG TO HARRIS, LOMBARD WAS PARTICULARLY BOTHERED BY GABLE’S MISERLS. HIS SELFISH NATURE WAS ALSO EXHIBED THE BEDROOM, LEADG LOMBARD TO QUIP, “MY GOD, YOU KNOW HOW I LOVE PA, BUT I N'T SAY HE'S A HELLUVA GOOD LAY.”MOST POPULARTHE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWBY TARA ARIANOWELE TO SALTBURN’S TWISTED GOTHIC TALEBY REBEC FORD25 PERFECT TV EPISOS FROM THE LAST 25 YEARSBY HILLARY BISTHIS FICIENCY DIDN’T STOP GABLE OM STRAYG—PRODIGLY. ACRDG TO BOTH HARRIS AND MATZEN, GABLE CHEATED ON LOMBARD EQUENTLY, SOMETHG THE PRACTIL LOMBARD PUT UP WH BEE SHE FELT HIS STAT AS “THE KG OF HOLLYWOOD” MA FILY EVABLE.BUT LOMBARD’S REAL FEELGS ME OUT HER EQUENT VISS TO HIS SETS. SHE WAS PARTICULARLY WARY OF THE FAMO LANA TURNER, WHO CLAIMED TO HAVE HAD A “A WONRFUL CHEMIL RAPPORT” WH GABLE. ACRDG TO MATZEN, THE ACERBIC LOMBARD SHOWED UP ON SET SO MUCH DURG THE FILMG OF THE 1941 FILM HONKY TONK THAT TURNER ONCE FLED TO HER TRAILER.AS THE UNED STAT ENTERED WORLD WAR II, THE GABL WERE CREASGLY UNR STRA. LOMBARD, SPERATE FOR A CHILD, WAS UNABLE TO NCEIVE; HARRIS IS AT HIS MOST DATED WRG OF HER ABILY TO “GIVE” GABLE A CHILD. THE PROGRSIVE, PATRTIC LOMBARD WAS ALSO OBSSED WH HELPG THE WAR EFFORT AND ENURAGED A RELUCTANT GABLE TO SET AN EXAMPLE BY JOG THE ARMY.TO MAKE LOMBARD HAPPY, HE BEME HEAD OF THE HOLLYWOOD VICTORY COMMTEE. WHEN TOLD THAT THE ERNMENT WAS LOOKG FOR A STAR TO SELL WAR BONDS INDIANA, HE OFFERED UP HIS WIFE, A NATIVE OF FORT WAYNE. ACRDG TO HARRIS, LOMBARD BEGGED GABLE TO GO WH HER. BUT HE WAS SET TO START SHOOTG SOMEWHERE I’LL FD YOU—WH LANA TURNER.WHAT HAPPENED NEXT IS MUDDLED, AND ONE WISH THAT THE SIGHTFUL LOMBARD HAD LIVED LONG ENOUGH TO WRE HER OWN VERSN OF THE STORY. ACRDG TO HARRIS, ON JANUARY 12, 1942, THE GABL HAD A VIC FIGHT OVER HIS FILI BEFORE SHE LEFT FOR THE TOUR. WHEN SHE ARRIVED AT THE TRA STATN, GABLE WAS NOT THERE. AS A GAG, LOMBARD HAD LEFT A NAKED MANNEQU HIS BED TO KEEP HIM PANY.THE CO TOSSLOMBARD’S TOUR OF INDIANA WAS A ROG SUCCS. WH HER BELOVED MOTHER, BS, AND MGM PUBLICIST OTTO WKLER ACPANYG HER, SHE STORMED THE STATE, RAISG OVER $2 LN U.S. DEFENSE BONDS.BUT ACRDG TO MATZEN, LOMBARD WAS OBSSED WH GETTG HOME TO GABLE BY NIGHTFALL. ALTHOUGH THE GROUP WAS SUPPOSED TO TRAVEL HOME BY TRA, LOMBARD PHED TO TAKE A PLANE. HER MOTHER, A VOUT BAHAI AND BELIEVER NUMEROLOGY, SENSED SIGNS OF DOOM, AND WAS OVERHEARD TELLG HER DGHTER, “CAROLE, DON’T TAKE THAT PLANE.”WKLER WAS ALSO RELUCTANT. LOMBARD FALLY SUGGTED A TOSS TO CI—AND AS ALWAYS, SHE WON. ON JANUARY 16TH, THE TENSE THREOME BOARD TWA FLIGHT 3.IN A HNTG PASSAGE, MATZEN SCRIB SILENT FILM STAR CLARA BOW, NOW LIVG ON A RANCH NEVADA, WATCHG A FIRE BURNG ON NEARBY MOUNT POTOSI WH HER YOUNG SON. THEY DIDN’T KNOW WAS THE WRECKAGE OF FLIGHT 3, WHICH HAD SLAMMED TO THE MOUNTA AT AROUND 7PM DUE TO PILOT ERROR.UPON HEARG THE NEWS, GABLE SHED TO NEVADA, DRKG HIMSELF TO A STUPOR. FRIENDS SOON GATHERED AROUND HIM, CLUDG SPENCER TRACY, WAG TO HEAR IF THERE WERE SURVIVORS. IN HOLLYWOOD, LOMBARD’S RECENT -STAR JACK BENNY WAS SUCH A STATE HE JUMPED HIS R TO AID THE RCUE EFFORT, DRIVG BEFORE HE REALIZED HIS MISSN WAS FUTILE. A TRATED GABLE FALLY ATTEMPTED TO MAKE HIS WAY UP THE TREACHERO MOUNTA, ONLY TO BE LED BACK DOWN, PANTG AND BROKEN, BY AN MGM HANDLER.MOST POPULARTHE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWBY TARA ARIANOWELE TO SALTBURN’S TWISTED GOTHIC TALEBY REBEC FORD25 PERFECT TV EPISOS FROM THE LAST 25 YEARSBY HILLARY BISMGM FIXER EDDIE MANNIX WAS ONE OF THE FIRST AT THE CRASH SE TO SEE LOMBARD’S MANGLED BODY. ON HER TORSO HE FOUND A BY, ALL THAT WAS LEFT OF A SET OF BY AND DIAMOND CLIPS GABLE HAD GIVEN TO HER. HOURS LATER, HE GAVE THE BY BACK TO S RIGHTFUL OWNER.TWILIGHT OF THE KGIF GABLE & LOMBARD READS MORE LIKE AN ELEGY FOR CAROLE LOMBARD THAN AN IDYLLIC LOVE STORY, IS ALSO A WAKE FOR THE LIFE CLARK GABLE ULD HAVE HAD. “THE MOST WONRFUL AND THE MOST BETIFUL AND THE GREATT THG—THE ONLY REAL HAPPS HE EVER HAD HIS LIFE—WAS GONE,” MGM HEAD OF PUBLICY HOWARD STRICKLG SAID.A JOT FUNERAL FOR 33-YEAR-OLD LOMBARD AND HER MOTHER WAS HELD ON JANUARY 21, 1942. ALTHOUGH THE ERNMENT OFFERED A ARY FUNERAL, GABLE CLED; LOMBARD WOULD HAVE NEVER STOOD FOR SUCH POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE.AN UNDONE GABLE LEANED HEAVILY ON HIS EX-LOVER JOAN CRAWFORD, DRKG NIGHTLY AT HER HOME, POURG OUT HIS MEMORI OF HIS “MA.” IN HER HONOR, HE JOED THE ARMY, AND MANY WAYS BEME THE PERSON LOMBARD HAD WANTED HIM TO BE. ACRDG TO MATZEN, HE BEME A MORE RG, GENERO AND TROSPECTIVE PERSON, SOMEONE ORSON WELL LATER LLED “A NICE BIG HUNK OF MAN.”HE ALSO SEARCHED FOR LOMBARD’S REPLACEMENT BY TAKG UP WH A STRG OF WTY BLONS, CLUDG FOURTH WIFE LADY SYLVIA ASHLEY, GRACE KELLY, AND FIFTH WIFE KAY. “SOMETIM I ULD CLOSE MY EY AND LISTEN TO CLARK AND KAY…EXCHANGE QUIPS AND SULTS, AND I THOUGHT I WAS LISTENG TO A ROAD VERSN OF THE GABLE-LOMBARD MARRIAGE,” ONE IEND RELLED.GABLE DIED ON NOVEMBER 16, 1960, AND WAS BURIED AT FORT LAWN. AS HE ONCE TOLD HIS SECRETARY, “YOU KNOW, I HAVE EVERYTHG THE WORLD ANYONE ULD WANT BUT ONE THG. ALL I REALLY NEED AND WANT IS MA.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRHOW GREY’S ANATOMY WRER ELISABETH FCH USED LI TO CREATE MT-SEE TVTHE NORTHMAN: LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT BONKERS NILE KIDMAN SCENELRA DERN, SAM NEILL, AND JEFF GOLDBLUM’S JURASSIC PARK RNNREMEMBERG MARGARET CAMPBELL, THE “HOT MS” DUCHS AT THE CENTER OF ’60S SEX SNDALMELANIE LYNSKEY ON YELLOWJACKETS, CANDY, AND AN INCREDIBLE YEAREXCLIVE: OZARK’S ENDG, EXPLAEDWEWORK’S ADAM AND REBEKAH NMANN: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?WHY STREAMERS ARE PULLG BACK FROM EDGY CONTENTJOHNNY DEPP’S TARNISHED CAREER ENTERS THE AMBER HEARD DEFAMATN TRIALFROM THE ARCHIVE: THE TWS WHO FROLICKED WH JOHN PL GETTY IIISIGN UP FOR THE “HWD DAILY” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE—PL A SPECIAL WEEKLY EDN OF “AWARDS INSIR.”HADLEY HALL MEAR

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WAS CLARK GABLE ‘GAY FOR PAY”?

CLARK GABLE: GAY LANGLAND

CLARK GABLE – GAY INFLUENCE

BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM CLARK GABLE GAY

Recent Posts

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Contents:

WAS CLARK GABLE ‘GAY FOR PAY”?

CLARK GABLE: GAY LANGLAND

CLARK GABLE – GAY INFLUENCE

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* CLARK GABLE GAY

BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM CLARK GABLE GAY