The Silver Screen Oasis

Now, all these preceding comments emphasize to me why everyone who hasn't yet should see Gable and Loren in It Started in Naples. Gable is presented most definitely as a rather conservative man of middle age, but his interaction, at first thorny, then romantic, with the much-younger and very earthy Loren is entirely credible, and very charming. I think his performance in this romantic comedy can best be described as "wry," and certainly very sexy. He's very much a real (in the sense of believable) "man" in this one. As I said before, his most Cary Grant-like performance, but still unmistakably Gable. It's a very good example of what he was capable of with the right material and co-star.

I've only recently become acquainted with his work in the precode era, I was under the impression from various things I've read over the years that he was just a handsome hunk of a man and learned his craft as he went along. Well, he got better but he started off pretty well.

By the way, there's a documentary on Gable coming up on TCM in July: on July 27 at 6 AM (6 AM???). It's called Clark Gable: Tall, Dark & Handsome.

Hi,

Told to me around 1960 by Mae Murray:
When she was signed to do "The Merry Widow", von Stroheim wanted to have her take acting lessons and Louis B. Mayer put her in touch with Josephine Dillon, a drama coach often used by MGM, especially by Frances Marion.
Josephine Dillon was married at the time to 'Billy' Gable and she asked Mae to give him a part in the picture. You can spot him in the Embassy Ball sequence.

Several years later, Mae and Nell introduced him (now a contract player, named 'Clark' Gable) to Rhea Langham, a Texas oil millionairess, and he married her.

Larry

Social climber! Opportunist! Ingrate!

Well, wasn't everyone for the most part? If he hadn't, he would have never become The King, and the love story of Gable and Lombard would never have been told.

What a perfect way to wake up on the fourth of July - pictures of Gable.

I love those shots, particularly the one of him with Vivien. He looks like he doesn't know what to make of her. He probably didn't, she was quite high maintenence by all accounts.

I think he looks quite protective of Vivien.

"Rhett" and "Scarlett" with their creator, Margaret Mitchell, who looks a little overwhelmed...

Goddess, you never cease to amaze me.

Love the chinese checkers game, and the bottom one with the dazzling smile....

Love all the pictures. There has been a lot written about the making of GWTW especially regarding the directors, it's very nice to see the pictures of Clark and Vivien.

What a beautiful couple Clark and Carole were.