Everyone seems to like Clark Gable, movie star. Even those who didn't think he could act (which I think he could, he learned his trade on stage, its just he was encouraged to stay within his star persona and was burnt when stepping outside it, eg Parnell) recognise he had potent charisma.
A real man's man, he fitted in perfectly in the macho 30s (depression era toughness) after the cashed up metrosexuality of the 1920s. While I think he would have fitted in at any studio (its easy to imagine him particularly at Warnes), he blossomed at MGM - that studio had few potent male stars when he came along but an abundance of female talent, enabling him to come up the ranks with protection (he soon outsripped them). MGM also knew how to handle talent - at least while Leo B Mayer was there. He suited being the King of Hollywood - you can imagine if there'd been some Sept 11-type tribute when he was around, he would have been the most appropriate figurehead. (Occasionally this happens - Harrison Ford had it for a while, maybe Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, Tom Hanks: real blue chip stars).
Gable the person doesn't seem to be as admirable. He gets our sympathy at first - dead mother, mostly absent affectionless father, growing up a bit wild. Once he decided to become an actor he persued it with determination - he fairly whored himself around and was very much a gigolo, marrying two elder women mostly for what they could do for him, paying for his appearance to change. He isn't very likeable around this stage - a classic gold digger.
Harris mentions the rumour that Gable got George Cukor fired from GWTW because he knew Gable once serviced William Haines - I don't think Gable had enough pull to get Cukor fired (he may have sulked enough to make the decision easy for Cukor), but I believe the servicing rumour, on this evidence Gable was capable of it.
Harris argues Gable's personality didn't even really become fixed until he was told what to do by Howard Strickling - hunt, fish, etc - but he liked that role he had to play, and played it for the rest of his life. His affection for Carole Lombard seems to have been genuine (he was unfaithful to her but never seriously which in Hollywood is pretty good; when she says he wasn't a great lay, Harris is careful to point out it wasn't a dig at the size of his equipment, but just his poor technique - after not having to try for so long, I guess he didn't pick up many new tricks).
He had decent war service (trained as a gunner he ended up making films, like most Hollywood types - but he actually went on missions, he could have been killed). He was one of those alcoholics people seem loathe to call alcoholics, but honestly reading this it seems no doubt - drinking like a fish his whole life - so when people say The Misfits killed him, I think it just brought forward the inevitable maybe a few months.
His standing became shakier after WW2 - MGM's handling of him became less sure, though they tried; he was older, less romantic, though the industry was geared for major stars (he turned down Home from the Hill towards the end of his life and was considering Diamond Head when he died, both big hits, so I think he would have remained a star through the 60s - Spencer Tracey did). His last marriage seems to have been very happy.
This is a decent bio, which covers the main affairs (Jean Harlow and Grace Kelly yes, Lana Turner no - very surprising - maybe he was too nice a guy), his illegitimate daughter with Loretta Young; no footnotes, though, which is annoying. I was surprised what made money - Homecoming did, Command Decision and Across the Missouri didn't. Not the definitive work but still pretty good.
No comments:
Post a Comment