Today is the 111th birthday of one of my top 20-favorite actors and one of the most iconic actors ever...the legendary Clark Gable. (February 1, 1901-November 16, 1960)
This dashing Academy Award-winning actor could do it all and was as capable with drama as he was with comedy and adventure; his three decade career found him paired with a lovely assortment of leading ladies---Joan Crawford, Myrna Loy, Jean Harlow, and Lana Turner to name a few. He seemed to have great chemistry with all of them...at least from the films I've seen.
My all-time favorite Clark Gable film is the brilliant masterpiece, Gone with the Wind. One of the most fabulous films ever made, that epic is easily near the top on my all-time favorite movie list. Truly, I find GWTW to be an absolutely sensational film, and I positively adore Gable's Rhett Butler. While Butler is somewhat of a rogue, there is something completely charming about him as well. Actually, Rhett, in my mind, is exactly the same kind of man I imagine Gable himself to be...a bit of a scoundrel, but one whom you love and can't help rooting for. (Just have to say that it astounds me that Mr. Gable did not receive the Best Actor Award for his work in GWTW...he was beyond brilliant in his role.)
Rounding out my list of five favorite Clark Gable films are:
2. It Happened One Night (the film for which he won the Best Actor Academy Award, with Claudette Colbert---reviewed HERE)
3. Manhattan Melodrama (with William Powell and Myrna Loy---reviewed HERE)
4. Homecoming (with Lana Turner and Anne Baxter---reviewed HERE)
5. Never Let Me Go (with Gene Tierney)
For me, Clark Gable is a man on the move; the more of his works I've seen, the more I like him. Therefore, in recent weeks, he has been moving up on my favorite actor list. I would not be at all surprised if he makes it close to my top 10 at some point in the near future.
So, Mr. Clark Gable, here's to you on your 111th birthday. You were an amazing actor, and the way you portrayed Rhett Butler has made him an unforgettable character to me. I can never hear his name without your name and face coming to mind. Thanks for making not only Gone with the Wind but so many other wonderful movies!!