"His ears are too big and he looks like an ape." Despite this pronouncement by Warner Bros.’ head of production Darryl F. Zanuck when testing for the second lead in Little Caesar, Clark Gable went on to become one of the film industry’s biggest stars and dubbed “The King of Hollywood.” After failing to connect with Zanuck and Warner’s, Gable signed with M-G-M and scored a string of smashes in the decade leading up to World War II, becoming their most bankable star. As one of the biggest male leads in Hollywood, he had the opportunity to work with several legendary actresses. This Saturday Matinee-exclusive series will highlight Gable’s pairings with five of these glittering stars: Jean Harlow, Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, Claudette Colbert, and Lana Turner.
Events in this Series
Boom Town (35mm)
Gable and His Gals Re-teaming Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, who both won Academy Awards for It Happened One Night, this brawling Western drama is the last of three times Gable would work with both Colbert and Spencer Tracy.
Idiot’s Delight (35mm)
Gable and His Gals M-G-M once again attempts to capture the magic of Grand Hotel with a group of disparate travelers trapped in a European resort, led by Clark Gable and Norma Shearer.
Dancing Lady (35mm)
Gable and His Gals In one of her most successful vehicles for M-G-M, Joan Crawford stars as a burlesque dancer who works her way up to chorus girl, then leading lady in director Clark Gable’s Broadway show.
Hold Your Man (35mm)
Gable and His Gals Clark Gable was already a huge star by the time he starred in Hold Your Man with frequent co-star Jean Harlow. The third of six collaborations, this pre-Code drama features Gable as con-man Eddie Hall who, while escaping from two policemen, busts into the apartment of Ruby Adams (Harlow) while she’s in the bath.