Clark Gable - The Signature Collection (Dancing Lady / China Seas / San Francisco / Wife vs. Secretary / Boom Town / Mogambo)
Clark Gable was "The King" of Hollywood in his heyday, and why not? He carried himself in his movies as though entitled by royal birthright, erect and cocky, not especially curious about the rest of the world because he already owned it. Sure, Gable's characters frequently had to be humbled, but that's not what you remember about him; what you remember is the utter self-confidence, the brash American energy, and--sure--the jug ears.Clark Gable: The Signature Collectionis not just a topnotch collection of the King in his court, it's also a look at just how good the Hollywood studio system (in this case, MGM) was in its glory years.Except for late entryMogambofrom 1953, these titles are from Gable's peak run--1933 to 1940. First up chronologically isDancing Lady, which pairs Gable with Joan Crawford; he's a gruff Broadway director, she's a plucky young dancer who moves up from burlesque to the legit theater thanks to wealthy suitor Franchot Tone. It's not a great movie, but the formula is pleasing, and there's a young fellow named Fred Astaire (his film debut) in a couple of scenes. Some surreal comedy is provided by Ted Healy and His Stooges (whose names happen to be Moe, Larry and Curly).Tay Garnett'sChina Seas, from 1935, was a reunion with Jean Harlow, with whom Gable had struck gold inRed Dust. The script by James Kevin McGuinness and the gifted Jules Furthman might have a preposterous plot--cribbed fromRed Dust--but the dialogue is deliciously vulgar and the actors perfectly cast. Gable is the captain of a boat on the Hong Kong-Singapore run, carrying secret gold and fending off pirates and a typhoon. His real problem, however is that the classy woman (Rosalind Russell) he has long pined for has come aboard at the exact moment his bawdy mistress (Harlow) has also tagged along. Clarence Brown'sWife vs. Secretary(1936) brings Harlow back, this time as the executive assistant to Gable's wealthy tycoon. Their relationship is strictly professional, although wife Myrna Loy eventually has suspicions. Gable and Loy are cute together, and the film is a reminder of how playful he could be outside the manly-man world of many of his films.The blockbusterSan Francisco, also 1936, gives a pretty good blueprint of what audiences craved at the time. Gable is the rakish owner of a wild Barbary Coast club, Jeannette MacDonald the opera-ready songbird who performs for him, Spencer Tracy the no-nonsense priest and childhood friend who would love to reform Gable. Director W.S. Van Dyke keeps it all cracking along (well, except when MacDonald sings and Cultcha comes in) and the special effects for the San Francisco earthquake are really rather awesome.Boom Town(1940) was another box-office smash, with Gable and Tracy as Texas oil wildcatters who team up, split, team up, split, etc. Claudette Colbert is the woman loved by both, although the male bonding is the most engaging thing about this entertaining spectacle.Mogambois an official remake ofRed Dust, with Gable returning, this time as an African safari leader. Even with gray hair, his masculinity is enough to entice good-time girl Ava Gardner and ladylike Grace Kelly. John Ford directed, which means the location exteriors and studio interiors alike are alive with Ford's expressive compositional eye. Included on theSan Franciscodisc is a TNT documentary profile of Gable. But these titles give a pretty good profile all by themselves.--Robert Horton