Clark Gable

William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901-November 16, 1960) was an accomplished movie and stage star. He was born on February 1, 1901 and died on November 16, 1960 of a heart attack. He was born under the name "William Gable" but his nickname, Clark, proved to be more glamorous. When he came to Hollywood, he changed his name to Clark Gable.
==Career==
Josephine Dillon, a woman seventeen years his senior who would later become his first wife, was Clark Gable's manager. She helped him to train in acting and to look the part, by fixing his hair, teeth and naturally high-pitched voice. In the mid 1920s he began to work on silent films. Critics described him as "young and masculine" and he eventually gained more acclaim. His first feature film was The Painted Desert, where he played the villain.
Later on, he starred in Red Dust in 1932 and his brash lovemaking scene with Jean Harlow made him even more famous . He also got the lead role in the film It Happened One Night in 1934. In 1935, he starred in the award-winning Mutiny on the Bounty.
He played Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind, a role he was reluctant to play. However, his deliver of the line, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn" has become one of the most famous lines in the movie industry.
In the 1940s he enlisted in the US Army to fight in World War II along with his friend, cinematographer Andrew McIntyre. Strangely enough, Adolf Hitler loved Clark Gable, and offered a generous reward to anyone who could capture Gable and bring him to Hitler, unscathed.
Later movies included Run Silent, Run Deep, a submarine war film, and his final film, The Misfits (1961), which paired Gable with Marilyn Monroe, also in her last screen appearance. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Gable seventh among the greatest male stars of all time.
Gable appeared opposite some of the most popular actresses of the time. Joan Crawford, who was his favorite actress to work with, 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. In the mid-1930s, Gable was often named the top male movie star, and second only to the top box-office draw of all, Shirley Temple.
==References==
Category:Actors