The ultimate ladies man. classicmoviefavorites
The phrase “stranger than fiction” can apply to many larger-than-life figures but Clark Gable, the “King of Hollywood,” utterly eclipses any and all comers. The debonair, much envied leading man engaged in more affairs than all the soap operas, suffered endless personal losses, fought in WWII, and still managed to become the toast of Tinseltown!
Researching his tumultuous life resembles putting together a puzzle on LSD. You finally feel like you’ve figured it out and then a wave of revelations completely distorts the entire picture. From a bisexual playboy living off of multiple sugar mommas to fighting segregation in Hollywood and suffering from incredibly bad breath, Gable lived a truly unique life. His ludicrous behavior perfectly mirrors his most famous line, “Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.”
Very few Gable costars were able to resist his charms.
Lottery Ticket Odds
When it comes to long odds, Gable’s chances of becoming an iconic actor defy implausibility. His mother tragically passed away before his first birthday and his incredibly constructive stepmother also died when he was just a teenager. He worked the oil fields with his father before striking out to the Pacific Northwest. The one constant that kept his hopes up for a better life? His overpowering charisma and dashing good looks.
Ladies lined up to pay his bills. Ranker
Sugar Momma Magnet
Still, many people are charismatic and good-looking. So how irresistible and charming was Gable? His powers of irresistible seduction landed the famous actor multiple rich heiresses. Not only would wealthy women like Josephine Dillon and Maria Langham pay his bills but they would completely orient their lives to drive him to success. Here’s a cliff notes breakdown of outlandish acts women did in the pursuit of Gable:
Move to Los Angeles to start a production company in order to further his career.
Fund acting classes to help with his overly “feminine voice.”
Ignore literally non-stop affairs with seemingly every costar, including him actually falling in love with women. One such tryst was described as “the affair that nearly burned Hollywood down.”
Look past a gum infection that left him with extreme halitosis.
Buy him cars, cast him in a play.
Seriously, if the infectious charm was a superpower, Gable had it in spades.
Gable would do whatever it took to make it big.
Immeasurable Influence
His powers of enhancement also went far beyond just women. Reportedly men, even in the early 20th century, would also fawn over him. And Gable wasn’t afraid to dabble with whoever could further his career. A dalliance with star William Haines was likely one of many that pushed him to another level.
The inspiration for Bugs Bunny's carrot fetish. zimbio
A Power For Good
Thankfully, Gable also used his impressive powers for good. While on the set of “Gone With The Wind”, he learned that segregation existed even on set. One phone call to the director put an end to racially segregated bathrooms. He attempted to do the same when the movie’s premiere was set in an “all-white” theater in Atlanta. Unfortunately, even Gable couldn’t persuade the powers to be on that one. Co-star Hattie McDaniel had to convince him not to boycott the premiere.
The man single-handedly sunk undershirt sales.
Pop Culture Effect
Such was Gable’s aura that even small actions could have lasting effects. For instance, while filming “It Happened One Night”, Gable struggled to remove his undershirt without the scene losing its momentum. Therefore, they removed the undershirt altogether. Back then undershirts for men functioned similarly to our cell phones today: you never left home without one on. However, after Gable eschewed it, all men followed suit like it was a directive from God himself. Undershirt sales almost immediately plummeted.
Also while filming that same movie, Gable influenced another titan of pop culture: Bugs Bunny. Apparently, one of the creators of the iconic rabbit saw the actor munching on a carrot and decided ole Bugs needed to mimic him. That led essentially all future generations to believe that bunnies regularly eat carrots. Spoiler: they don’t.
Gable volunteered after losing his beloved wife.
True Love
Despite all his philandering, Gable did find true love. He met Carole Lombard on the set of “No Man of Her Own” and for once, he didn’t immediately start sleeping with her. As she said, “We did all kinds of hot love scenes, and I never got any kind of tremble out of him at all.”
However, a few years later at a ball, he couldn’t help himself and instantly asked if she’d like to go back to his hotel room. Her perfect response epitomized their connection, “Who do you think you are, Clark Gable?”
Gable's life was one for the ages.
War Effort
Sadly, in a depressing pattern, that love was tragically taken away from him. While on a tour to support WWII efforts, Lombard’s plane crashed. There were no survivors. Lovesick, Gable joined the military at age 40 despite the objections of President Roosevelt. He flew five flight missions as a gunner, which earned him the Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Even from afar Gable’s charisma touched the worst person on Earth, Adolf Hitler. The Fuhrer put a $5,000 reward to any soldier who could bring him Gable unharmed. Likely Gable’s laudable feelings on segregation would have sullied their relationship.
Incredibly, there are roughly 25 other nearly unbelievable stories about Gable, which we left out for brevity’s sake. Suffice to say no one has ever lived a life quite like Clarke Gable.
