*Includes pictures.
*Includes Lombard and Gable's quotes about their lives and
careers.
*Comprehensively analyzes their film careers. *Includes a
bibliography for further reading.
“The only reason they come to see me is that I know that life is
great — and they know I know it.“ – Clark Gable
“Carole Lombard's tragic death means that something of gaiety
and beauty have been taken from the world at a time they are
needed most.“ – Errol Flynn
The 1930s were also a time in which Hollywood boasted an
unprecedented array of famous leading men. Gary Cooper, Cary
Grant, James Stewart, and Fred Astaire were just a handful of the
A-list stars of the decade, and it is in this context that the
achievements of Clark Gable are particularly remarkable. Best
known for his role in Gone With the Wind (1939), Gable reached
the ranks of the Hollywood elite well before the end of the
decade through acting in films such as It Happened One Night
(1934) and Mutiny on the Bounty (1935). Gable had a unique appeal
that captivated Depression-era audiences; while Cary Grant
offered a sophisticated charm and Fred Astaire was tied to the
musical genre, Gable brought an air of sophistication that was
less comical than that of Grant and appealed to both genders,
unlike Astaire. At a time when so many Americans were financially
destitute, Gable managed to appear classy without coming across
as snobbish. At the same time, his virile masculinity was not
overly macho or misogynist. For these reasons, Gable was able to
captivate male and female viewers alike, and his mass appeal was
a driving force behind the commercial success of Gone With the
Wind, possibly the most beloved Hollywood film ever made. As
iconic director John Huston once stated, “Clark Gable was the
only real he-man I've ever known, of all the actors I've met.”
Even if Gable is perhaps less widely-known than Grant or Astaire
among 21st century audiences, examining the effect he had on
viewers during the 1930s and 1940s allows a better understanding
of Hollywood during its Golden Age. In conjunction with that, his
career served as a sort of response to his upbringing and
cultural background. In fact, there was a significant gap between
his glamorous roles on the movie screen and the real-life
adversity he faced from an early age. Gable faced great
challenges throughout his entire career, from the death of his
biological mother to the death of wife Carol Lombard in 1942. As
with any famous actor, he was the recipient of great fortune, yet
it is important to recognize that his many rtunities did not
preclude him from experiencing great pain and tragedy.
On January 16, 1942, just a few weeks after Pearl Harbor brought
the United States into World War II, the nation suffered what
were considered the first civilian deaths of the war when a plane
ced into the side of a ain southwest of Las Ve.
Aboard the plane were 15 servicemen, but the plane was also
carrying one of Hollywood’s biggest stars: actress Carole
Lombard.
Although Lombard’s death and her marriage to Gone With the Wind
star Clark Gable have overshadowed her career, her untimely death
in 1942 cut short the life of one of Hollywood’s most prominent
stars at the time. In fact, Lombard’s platinum look and her
unique mannerisms had helped her become the biggest star of the
screwball genre by the end of the 1930s, and her movies were so
successful that she was the highest paid actress in Hollywood by
the start of the 1940s. As English critic Graham Greene said of
her, "Platinum blonde, with a heart-shaped face, delicate, impish
features and a figure made to be swathed in silver lamé, Lombard
wriggled expressively through such classics of hysteria as
Twentieth Century and My Man Godfrey." Indeed, despite dying at
the age of 33, the American Film Institute recognized her as one
of the biggest film icons of the 20th century.