Claim: Clark Gable was a stage actor.

William Clark Gable -LRB- February 1 , 1901 -- November 16 , 1960 -RRB- was an American film actor , often referred to as `` The King of Hollywood '' or just simply as `` The King '' . Gable began his career as a stage actor and appeared as an extra in silent films between 1924 and 1926 , and progressed to supporting roles with a few films for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1931 . The next year , he landed his first leading Hollywood role and over the next three decades he became a leading man in more than 60 motion pictures .   Gable won an Academy Award for Best Actor for It Happened One Night -LRB- 1934 -RRB- , and was nominated for leading roles in Mutiny on the Bounty -LRB- 1935 -RRB- and for his arguably best-known role as Rhett Butler in the epic Civil War drama Gone with the Wind -LRB- 1939 -RRB- .   Gable also found success commercially and critically with films such as Red Dust -LRB- 1932 -RRB- , Manhattan Melodrama -LRB- 1934 -RRB- , San Francisco -LRB- 1936 -RRB- , Saratoga -LRB- 1937 -RRB- Boom Town -LRB- 1940 -RRB- , The Hucksters -LRB- 1947 -RRB- , Homecoming -LRB- 1948 -RRB- , and The Misfits -LRB- 1961 -RRB- , which was his final screen appearance .   Gable appeared opposite some of the most popular actresses of the time . Joan Crawford was his favorite actress to work with , and she was partnered with Gable in eight films . Myrna Loy worked with him seven times , and he was paired with Jean Harlow in six productions . He also starred with Lana Turner in four features , and with Norma Shearer and Ava Gardner in three each . Gable 's final film , The Misfits -LRB- 1961 -RRB- , united him with Marilyn Monroe -LRB- also in her last screen appearance -RRB- . Gable is considered one of the most consistent box-office performers in history , appearing on Quigley Publishing 's annual Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll 16 times . He was named the seventh-greatest male star of classic American cinema by the American Film Institute .