The Pez Dispenser

It Happened One Night (M-G-M, 1934)

Lone Star (M-G-M, 1952)

It Happened One Night (Columbia, 1934) won five Oscars in 1935:  Best Actor in a Leading Role, Clark Gable, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Claudette Colbert, Best Director, Frank Capra, Best Picture and Best Writing, Adaptation. 

[Trivia: The Academy allowed write-ins and while she didn’t win, Bette Davis received the most write-in votes for her role in Of Human Bondage (1934).]

Clark Gable at his home in Beverly Hills, photo by Clarence Sinclair Bull

I’ll tell you a little secret. Each year the old, simple country life, the very kind of living from which I once ran away to escape, becomes more and more attractive to me. I guess I’m still a farm boy at heart. As I grow older, it seems to be taking hold of me. When I look around at all the hectic worry and work of Hollywood, I long for the time when I can get away from it all and go back to peace and quiet, where no one knows or cares about movie stars and pictures and contracts and options.

However, I’m wondering whether, when that time finally comes, I’ll still be so crazy about it. The grass on the other side of the fence is always greener, you know. Maybe if I go back to the farm, it will turn out to be as monotonous as it was before and I’ll want to break away again. ~ Clark Gable

He arrived at a sensation – yes – he arrived at lucky strike, an unbelievable bonanza – sure – but just recently with “The Call of the Wild,” “China Seas” (and although you haven’t seen it yet, it’s safe to include “Mutiny on the Bounty”) he hooked those three picture pegs onto a ledge of solid success.

To do five years after that first hit was a much harder job than becoming a sensation, for a whole lot of reasons, believe you me.

It takes something. Clark has it.

“Whatever comes of all of this,” he said during those first heady moments of new hero worship, “it’s still okay with me. Even if I go down as fast as I’ve jumped up, it’s still a lucky break.”

He meant it. He was so sick and tired of touring the sticks in the “B” shows and in stock companies. So weary of being shunted off to dreary stands that seemed to lead to worse than nowhere, so familiar with that dreaded two-weeks notice that he said with a grateful sigh:

“I’ll be thankful if they’ll just let me stay here and work.” It might have been that gratitude, so deeply felt, which has helped Clark Gable face and survive the toughest test a man ever had put to his own conceit – public, world wide, fanatical woman worship.

Why Gable Has Stayed at the Top by Chet Greene
Photoplay Magazine, November 1935 
[link]

This power that I’m supposed to have over women was never noticed when I was a stage actor on Broadway. I don’t know when I got it. And by God, I can’t explain it. ~ Clark Gable

He’s thoughtful of other actors about him. He has the greatest respect for their work. I remember in ‘Possessed’ I had a terrific crying scene to do. I was nervous, worked up, worried over the scene, and kept to my dressing room most of the day. Suddenly I was aware that the set was strangely quiet and had been all day. Only the day before there had been all sorts of clowning and gags going on between Gable and the workmen, and now this strange silence. I opened the door of the dressing room and looked out. There in one corner alone sat Gable. Throwing forbidding glances to anyone who dared raise his voice above a whisper.

It came over me suddenly that this famous star was sitting over there alone, had been all day, out of respect to the emotional stress I was going through. There was something so sweet, so thoughtful about it; I didn’t need music to bring on that flood of tears.

And that thoughtful kindness, that respect for another’s work is also rare in Hollywood.

Joan Crawford
Why all Hollywood Adores Clark Gable by Sara Hamilton
Movie Mirror Magazine (July 1937)
[link]

William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901 – November 16, 1960), Happy Birthday!