Clark Gable: biography, filmography and best films with the participation of the actor (photo)

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Clark Gable is one of the most famous American actors of the early twentieth century. Films with his participation are still popular with viewers to this day. Despite all the difficulties, Clark became a real role model - every man tried to be at least a little like the famous actor. What can we say about the female audience - the fair sex considered him ideal. But the path to Clark's success was difficult and thorny.

Clark Gable: biography and childhood

The future world-famous actor was born on February 1, 1901 in the town of Cadiz, Ohio. His father William Henry worked as an oil driller. Adeline's mother suffered from epilepsy and died when Clark was only seven months old. The father sent the child to be raised by his grandparents.

After some time, the boy's father married again, after which he took his son home. Together with her stepmother, Jenny Clark moves to Hopedale. By the way, the boy was interested in art from early childhood. At school, he was in the orchestra and often participated in theatrical productions. Clark's father considered his hobbies a whim. However, Jenny's stepmother was supportive.the boy's aspirations to engage in theatrical art. At the age of 16, Clark Gable ran away from his parents' farm.

How did your acting career start?

Of course, the guy dreamed of a successful future. But the road to glory was extremely difficult. The young man worked as a laborer in the theater. In order to live, he worked at a sawmill, delivered newspapers, sold ties, etc.

Quite unexpectedly, luck smiled at a simple boy - in 1924 he met the famous theater actress Josephine Dillon. A romantic relationship immediately began between them, and in the same year they were married. By the way, the woman was 14 years older than Clark. The young man entered the cast of her corpse and even received small roles in silent films. For example, in 1924 he played an episodic role in the film Forbidden Paradise, and in 1995, as an extra, he participated in several films at once - The Merry Widow, Ben-Huroo, etc.

First work in Hollywood

Soon, Clark leaves his first wife and begins dating actress Rhea Langham. It was she who brought him to Broadway, taught him good manners, instilled a sense of style, provided him with participation in several productions. Here the producers noticed him, and soon the popular American company Metro Goldwyn Mayer offered the actor to sign a long-term contract.

From now on, Clark Gable regularly gets small roles in films. In 1931, he got small scenes in the films Front Page, The Secret Six, Bloodsport, Nightnurse”, “Susan Lenox”, “Obsessed”, etc. In 1932, he appears on the screens as the owner of the rubber company Dennis Carson in the melodrama “Red Dust”.

In 1933, the actor gets another prominent role in the film "Dancing Lady". Here he played producer Patch Gallagher, who is in love with one of his actresses.

By the way, in his first films, Clark, as a rule, appears in the images of scoundrels and insidious heartthrobs. But soon the situation changed, as he decided to move away from his usual role, which led to unimaginable success in the future.

The film "It Happened One Night" and the long-awaited recognition

Despite the fact that the first tests in the cinema were quite successful, Clark Gable was still considered a mediocre actor. But 1934 was a real breakthrough in his career. It was at this time that the filming of the funny romantic comedy It Happened One Night took place.

The plot of the picture is quite straightforward. The wayward daughter of a millionaire, Ellie, without the consent of her father, becomes engaged to her beloved. In order to prevent his daughter from doing stupid things, dad decides to place her under house arrest on his own yacht. Naturally, the smart girl manages to escape. Now she just needs to get to her fiancé. On the bus, Ellie meets Peter Warne, a failed journalist. And although hostility flared up between them from the very first seconds, Peter nevertheless agrees to help the girl get to New York.

The role of Peter Warne brought Clark recognition and favorAmerican viewers. It was after this film that the actor became a role model and the secret dream of every woman.

Clark Gable Filmography

After such a stunning success, the actor begins to offer the main roles in

different projects. Movies with Clark Gable are beginning to become popular, and on the set the man is called the "King of Hollywood".

In 1935, he played Captain Alan Gaskell in the melodrama China Seas. In the same year, he played the role of rebel aristocrat Christian Fletcher in the film Mutiny on the Bounty. In 1936, he also appeared in several films. In particular, he got the lead role of publisher Van Stanhope in the romantic comedy Wife vs. Secretary. The musical melodrama "San Francisco" was also popular among the audience, where Clark Gable played the cynical nightclub owner Blackie Norton, who is in love with one of his singers.

Later there were other movies like Love on the Run, Saratoga, Test Pilot, Idiot's Delight, etc.

Gone with the Wind and peak career

In 1939, the actor was offered a role in the film "Gone with the Wind", the script of which was created based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell. At first, Clark refused to participate in the film, as he considered the role too difficult. In addition, at that time

Gable was already a famous Oscar-winning actor and did not want to play with Vivien Leigh, who was then still little knownBritish actress. Nevertheless, during the work, the actors managed to become friends. There were even rumors that romantic feelings arose between them, but Vivien, like Clark, always claimed that they had nothing but friendship.

The role of the cynical, impudent and tough rich man Rhett Butler brought the actor worldwide recognition - now they are talking about him in all corners of the world. The love-hate story of a spoiled girl and an adult selfish man against the backdrop of the Civil War quickly turned into a real romantic fairy tale. The film received as many as eight Oscar statuettes and became the most profitable in the history of American cinema. Without a doubt, this picture tops the list of "Best Movies with Clark Gable".

Other films featuring the famous actor

After the success of Gone with the Wind, films starring Clark Gable followed one another. In 1941, he appeared before the audience as the swindler Gerald Meldrick in the crime melodrama They Met in Bombay.

The film "Somewhere I'll Find You" also became popular, where the actor played Jonat Davis, one of the brothers vying for the girl's love. In 1953, a remake of the film "Red Dust" called "Mogambo" appeared, where Clark also played the main character. In 1958, he got the role of Captain Rich Richardson in the military drama Go Quiet, Go Deep. And in 1960, the actor worked on the romantic comedy It Started in Naples.

The film "The Misfits", released on screens in 1961, was the last workfamous actor.

Clark Gable's personal life

As mentioned, the famous actor has been married several times. In 1924, he married Josephine Dillon, and after divorcing her in 1931, he remarried Ria Langham, who, by the way, was also 17 years older than the actor. Their couple broke up in 1939. At that time, the actor was already seriously interested in Carole Lombard.

In 1939, the star partners got married. Marriage Carol and Clark could be called really happy. The actor-womanizer remained faithful and devotion to his wife. Unfortunately, Carol's life was tragically cut short - she died in a car accident. The death of his wife greatly influenced the famous actor, who, contrary to the prohibitions of his employers, enlisted in the army, became a pilot and desperately sought death in battle. Nevertheless, in 1945 he returned home as an aviation major and began acting in films again.

After returning, Clark threw himself into work, and his new passions succeeded each other at lightning speed. In 1949 he married Sylvia Ashley, who was known as a spoiled, greedy and vulgar girl. Their marriage broke up three years later, and in 1955 the actor remarried a young fashion model, Kay Williams.

By the way, at the time of the death of the actor, his wife was pregnant. Clark Gable's son John was born on March 20, 1961. He never saw his father again. By the way, if you are interested in all the children of Clark Gable, then there is information that he also had a daughter, Mary-Julie, who appeared after a short relationship with actress Loretta Young.

Nominations and awards for the actor

As mentioned earlier, the world recognition came to the actor in 1935. It was then that he was awarded the coveted Oscar statuette for the best male role in the film It Happened One Night. By the way, Clark became a kind of champion - he delivered the shortest speech in the history of the award. After the announcement, the actor went on stage, took the figurine, said "Thank you" and returned to the hall to his seat.

Clark has also received several nominations during his career. In 1936 he was nominated for the Best Actor Award for Mutiny on the Bounty. And in 1940, he again becomes a nominee, but now for the image of Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind.

Clark Gable also received two Golden Globe nominations in 1959 (Best Actor for The Teacher's Favorite) and 1960 (for his performance in But Not for Me).

Tragic death

Famous actor Clark Gable died unexpectedly on November 16, 1960 on the set. At that time, he was just working on the film The Misfits. By the way, his partner in the picture was Marilyn Monroe.

By the way, the widow of the famous actor repeatedly blamed his partner for his death. After all, Marilyn was known not only for her acting skills, but also for her complex character. She regularly missed shooting days, constantly made ugly scandals right on the set, and once even got drunk on pills, after which she was rushed to the hospital. By the way, Miss Monroe herself later, at psychoanalysis sessions,called her behavior "bad" and unacceptable. At one time, the actress was sure that Clark was her real father, and this fixed idea caused a lot of misunderstandings and constant quarrels.