Clark Gable Biography: The Life & Career of Hollywood’s King

William Clark Gable, born on February 1, 1901, in Ohio, faced early hardship, losing his mother at just seven months old. Raised by his aunt until age two, Clark was never a keen student and left school at 16, working various odd jobs. It was after attending a play called “The Bird of Paradise” that he decided his future lay in acting. He joined a theater company, though without much initial success.

It was within this company that he met Josephine Dillon, a coach who was instrumental in crafting the virile, masculine image that would later define his career. In gratitude, he married Dillon, who was 17 years his senior. Their marriage lasted until he secured a contract with MGM. After several uncredited extra roles, his breakthrough came with the 1931 Western “The Painted Desert.” His second marriage, to Maria Langham, 15 years his senior, also didn’t last long before he married actress Carole Lombard, who would become the great love of his life.

Gable’s talent was formally recognized with an Academy Award for Best Actor for his charming performance in the 1934 romantic comedy “It Happened One Night.” However, his most unforgettable role remains Rhett Butler in the timeless 1939 epic “Gone With the Wind,” where he starred opposite Vivien Leigh.

The tragic death of Carole Lombard in a plane crash deeply affected Gable. Following her passing, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces, serving during World War II. Though he returned to acting some years later, he was never quite the same after her loss.

After a brief marriage to socialite Sylvia Ashley, he married Kathleen Williams Spreckels, who would give birth to his only son. However, Clark Gable would never meet his child; he died of a heart attack in 1960, shortly after completing filming for his final movie, “The Misfits.” He was laid to rest beside his beloved Carole Lombard and his mother.

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Carla Marinho Leal

Writer, traveler and above all, curious about many subjects. She has studied cinema since 2002 and is a Specialist in Cinematographic Studies from UNICAP. Founder of the blog Purviance and the website Cinemaclássico. She loves Charles Chaplin, Raj Kapoor and constantly browses films from all over the world.

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