moirafinnie wrote:
I prefer his appearance before the mustache became a standard part of his equipment. There is something open and vulnerable about his face then that inevitably faded as he became a big star.
I never used to care much for him sans the brush, but now I appreciate both looks and you're right, he does
look more open-faced and vulnerable. Good description.
A question for you guys. Spencer Tracy once said that one of the best things that ever happened to his career was leaving MGM, after which he felt that much better parts came his way. Why was Gable unable to find better contemporary parts after MGM? One of the very best, imho, was his last film, The Misfits, in which he gave a fine performance as an aging cowboy. Do you think that Tracy just had better luck or was he perceived as a character lead, while Gable was merely a leading man? And an expensive one, at that.
According to what I've read, especially in his personal manager's biography, it seems to me
CG didn't always have the best judgement when it came to choosing projects. I think he
tended to go for what sounded like sure bets, box office wise, instead of taking chances
or seeking artistic challenge. Many actors and actresses often fared better when the studios
made choices for them, a few functioned better on their own. I think Gable was stuck though,
between a rock and a hard place because Dore Schary was not interested in furthering the careers
of MGM's aging stars so staying with MGM would have meant more and more duds like Key to the City.
I think Tracy had more confidence in his abiilties and he could do parts that were borderline character
type roles, though still leads. Gable seemed to feel locked in but I suspect The Misfits (and the
little seen But Not for Me) would have been a turning point for him into more character-type work.
John Huston had a few projects he had Gable in mind for, most notably The Man Who Would be King (to
costar Bogart) but then Clark died before they could be realized.