Frankly, my dear, Clark Gable still sets hearts a-flutter. But how did the
"King of Hollywood's" off-screen struggles with alcohol, divorce,
and personal tragedy lead to his early demise? Grab a hanky and hang on. All will be revealed.
The very definition of tall, dark, and handsome, Clark Gable's star glowed
brightly in nearly every one of his films. With an impressive career spanning several decades,
he is considered one of Hollywood's most enduring stars. Known for his charm,
the charismatic actor's popularity rose steadily beginning with the 1931 film, "A Free Soul",
which led to being cast in Frank Capra's "It Happened One Night" a role that won him the
Oscar in 1934. The next year, he followed up with an Academy Award-nominated performance
for his role as Fletcher Christian in the 1935 film, "'Mutiny on the Bounty". But it was his
iconic performance as the debonair rogue, Rhett Butler in the 1939 blockbuster "Gone With the
Wind" that won him the hearts of generations of moviegoers and secured his third Oscar nomination.
"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."
If Gable was indeed the "King of Hollywood" he was a hard-working monarch, and if not
all his movies were critically acclaimed, he was always a box-office favorite. His
sudden death at the age of 59 following the wrap of his final film, "The Misfits" left
fans wondering what great performances he might have given if he'd had more time.
In his personal life, however, Gable seemed to have more than his share of troubles. He had
two failed marriages early on. His first wife, Josephine Dillon, was his acting coach and she
helped him hone his acting abilities on his way up. But it was his second union, with socialite
"Ria" Franklin Langham, that made the gossip columns because of his repeated infidelities.
"Has the war started yet?"
The marriage only lasted from 1931 to 1935 when the pair separated. They didn't divorce until
1939, however, around the same time Gable met the love of his life actress, Carole Lombard.
Sadly, the Gable and Lombard love story proved to be a short one. She died in
an airplane crash in 1942, only a few years after they tied the knot. Lost in his grief,
Gable drank heavily for a time and even gave up acting to enlist in the military during World
War II. At 41 years old, he signed on with the Army Air Corps serving as a tail-gunner,
an extremely dangerous position with a very short life expectancy. In spite of
his obvious death wish, Gable survived to go on to earn the rank of major.
After the war he took up acting again, but haunted by the loss of Lombard,
he continued to flounder personally. In 1949, in a desperate bid for happiness,
he married Lady Sylvia Ashley. A former British actress, model, and chorus girl Ashley was the
widow of swashbuckling actor Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and the divorced spouse of two different
British noblemen. Unfortunately, Lady Ashley proved to be a less than satisfactory choice.
Gable later confided to friends that he must have been drunk when he proposed to her.
In the final years of his life, however, Gable's personal story seemed to be on the
upswing. He married actress Kay Williams in 1955. She had two children from an earlier
marriage and the couple seemed to finally have found some measure of domestic bliss. In 1960,
the pair learned Kay was expecting their first child together, and Gable planned to
take a break from work when their little one arrived. He had just one more film project to
finish up first. Sadly, it was this movie that may have actually hastened his death.
"The Misfits" was a high-profile film with a slew of Hollywood and literary heavyweights
associated with the project. A complex, dramatic, contemporary western it was to be directed by John
Huston, with a script penned by playwright Arthur Miller. Miller's wife, actress Marilyn Monroe,
was to co-star with both Gable and legendary actor Montgomery Clift.
But, by this time Gable was in poor health, and working on this kind of film took a lot out of
him. He had suffered one heart attack earlier in his life, and he was known for his heavy drinking
and smoking habit. These problems were compounded by the drastic measures Gable used to get into
shape. In preparation for his portrayal of Gay Langland, an aging cowboy, he dropped more than 30
pounds quickly with the help of amphetamines. And if this wasn't hard enough on Gable's aging body,
making the film proved even more difficult. Shot on location in Nevada, its stars had to
cope with the area's brutal heat which probably proved too much for Gable's heart in the end.
"Don't worry, we're not through here. Not by a longshot. We're only getting started."
"The Misfits" required some reshoots, and Gable had to work an extra three weeks on the film.
After the project wrapped in early November 1960, he and his wife went back to their home in Encino,
California. Soon after arriving home, however, Gable suffered a heart attack on November 6. The
star was taken to Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital for treatment and seemed to be doing okay,
but only 10 days later Gable died suddenly in his bed, only hours after having dinner with
Kay in his room. The nurse with him at the time reported Gable was sitting up one moment and gone
the next. The doctors suspected yet another heart attack. Gable was only 59 years old.
Gable's death made newspaper headlines around the world, as fans mourned the passing of one
of everyone's favorite film stars. It is ironic that "The Misfits," which was released in 1961,
also proved to be the final performance of his co-star Marilyn Monroe,
another screen legend who died from an overdose of barbiturates in 1962.
In a final personal tragedy for Gable, he never got the opportunity to see his son.
The child he was so eager to welcome into the world, John Clark Gable,
was born four months after his father's passing. In the end, Gable was laid to
rest beside his third wife, Carole Lombard, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles.
Clark Gable may be gone, but like the consummate performer he was,
he left his fans wanting more. Goodbye, Clark… The King is dead. Long live the King!
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues,
help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and mental Health Services Administration
website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).