History Creator / ClarkGable

According to rumor, he's had another lasting imprint on pop culture: WesternAnimation/BugsBunny. There's a scene in ''It Happened One Night'' where his character is talking while chewing on a carrot. The ''Looney Tunes'' creators, being fans of the film, [[AffectionateParody affectionately parodied]] this, and it became Bugs's trademark.

According to rumor, he's had another lasting imprint on pop culture: WesternAnimation/BugsBunny. There's a scene in ''It Happened One Night'' where his character is talking while chewing on a carrot. The ''Looney Tunes'' creators, being fans of the film, [[AffectionateParody affectionately parodied]] this, and it became Bugs's famous "What's up, Doc?"

According to rumor, he's had another lasting imprint on pop culture: ''WesternAnimation/BugsBunny.'' There's a scene in ''It Happened One Night'' where his character is talking while chewing on a carrot. The ''Looney Tunes'' creators, being fans of the film, [[AffectionateParody affectionately parodied]] this, and it became Bugs's famous "What's up, Doc?"

Ironically, for all the confident leading men roles he played on screen, Gable was noted in private to be somewhat shy and insecure as a person and he outright abhorred unplanned public speaking, often relying on his much more confident long-term girlfriend and later wife, actress Creator/CaroleLombard to guide him through red carpet appearances. Lombard's sudden death in a plane crash in 1942, was also noted as the event that took much of the wind out of Gable for the later part of his career, [[TheMourningAfter and left him in a depressive funk for years]], during which he enlisted in the US Army to join the war effort in Europe and was absent from the screen for three years. And even though he later returned to active acting, and even remarried twice, to actress Sylvia Ashley in 1949 and actress Kay Williams in 1955, many of his friends and colleagues noticed [[TheLostLenore how the loss of Lombard always hung over him like a shadow for the rest of his life]].

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William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901 – November 16, 1960) was an actor in UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood. His three most famous roles are Peter Warne in ''Film/ItHappenedOneNight'', Fletcher Christian in ''Film/MutinyOnTheBounty'' and Rhett Butler in ''Film/GoneWithTheWind''; all three earned him UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations, and he won for ''It Happened One Night''. He was named the [[AFIS100Years100Stars seventh greatest actor in American history]] in a poll by the Creator/AmericanFilmInstitute.

Ironically, for all the confident leading men roles he played on screen, Gable was noted in private to be somewhat shy and insecure as a person and he outright abhorred unplanned public speaking, often relying on his much more confident long-term girlfriend and later wife, actress Creator/CaroleLombard to guide him through red carpet appearances. Lombard's sudden death in a plane crash in 1942, was also noted as the event that took much the wind out of Gable for the later part of his career, [[TheMourningAfter and left him in a depressive funk for years]], during which he enlisted in the US Army to join the war effort in Europe and was absent from the screen for three years. And even though he later returned to active acting, and even remarried twice, to actress Sylvia Ashley in 1949 and actress Kay Williams in 1955, many of his friends and colleagues noticed [[TheLostLenore how the loss of Lombard always hung over him like a shadow for the rest of his life]].

Ironically, for all the confident leading men roles he played on screen, Gable was noted in private to be somewhat shy and insecure as a person and he outright abhorred unplanned public speaking, often relying on his much more confident long-term girlfriend and later wife, actress Creator/CaroleLombard to guide him through red carpet appearances. Lombard's sudden death in a plane crash, was also noted as the event that took much the wind out of Gable for the later part of his career, [[TheMourningAfter and left him in a depressive funk for years]], during which he enlisted in the US Army to join the war effort in Europe and was absent from the screen for three years. And even though he later returned to active acting, and even remarried twice, to actress Sylvia Ashley in 1949 and actress Kay Williams in 1955, many of his friends and colleagues noticed [[TheLostLenore how the loss of Lombard always hung over him like a shadow for the rest of his life]].

Ironically, for all the confident leading men roles he played on screen, Gable was noted in private to be somewhat shy and insecure as a person and he outright abhorred unplanned public speaking, often relying on his much more confident long-term girlfriend and later wife, actress Creator/CaroleLombard to guide him through red carpet appearances. Lombard's sudden death in a plane crash, was also noted as the event that took much the wind out of Gable for the later part of his career, and left him in a depressive funk for years, during which he enlisted in the US Army to join the war effort in Europe and was absent from the screen for three years. And even though he later returned to active acting, and even remarried twice, to actress Sylvia Ashley in 1949 and actress Kay Williams in 1955, many of his friends and colleagues noticed the loss of Lombard always hung over him like a shadow for the rest of his life.

Ironically, for all the confident leading men roles he played on screen, Gable was noted in private to be somewhat shy and insecure as a person and he outright abhorred unplanned public speaking, often relying on his much more confident long-term girlfriend and later wife Creator/CaroleLombard to guide him through red carpet appearances. Lombard's sudden death in a plane crash, was also noted as the event that took much the wind out of Gable for the later part of his career, and left him in a depressive funk for years, during which he enlisted in the US Army to join the war effort in Europe and was absent from the screen for three years. Even when he returned to active acting, many of his friends and colleagues noticed he was never quite the same.

Gable eventually passed away from a heart attack in 1961.

At one point he was Hollywood's top male box-office draw, second overall only to Creator/ShirleyTemple. He was nicknamed "The King of Hollywood". Joe Shuster named Franchise/{{Superman}}'s alter-ego after Gable and fellow leading man Kent Taylor. Ironically, for all the confident leading men roles he played on screen, Gable was noted in private to be somewhat shy and insecure as a person and he outright abhorred unplanned public speaking, often relying on his much more confident long-term girlfriend and later wife Creator/CaroleLombard to guide him through red carpet appearances.

At one point he was Hollywood's top male box-office draw, second overall only to Creator/ShirleyTemple. He was nicknamed "The King of Hollywood". Joe Shuster named Franchise/{{Superman}}'s alter-ego after Gable and fellow leading man Kent Taylor. Ironically, for all the confident leading men roles he played on screen, Gable was noted in private to be somewhat shy and insecure as a person and he outright abhorred unplanned public speaking, often relying on his long-term girlfriend and later wife Creator/CaroleLombard to guide him through red carpet appearances.

At one point he was Hollywood's top male box-office draw, second overall only to Creator/ShirleyTemple. He was nicknamed "The King of Hollywood". Joe Shuster named Franchise/{{Superman}}'s alter-ego after Gable and fellow leading man Kent Taylor. Ironically, for all the confident leading men roles he played on screen, Gable was noted in private to be somewhat shy and insecure as a person and he outright abhorred unplanned public speaking, often relying on his long-term girlfriend and later wife Creator/CaroleLombard.

At one point he was Hollywood's top male box-office draw, second overall only to Creator/ShirleyTemple. He was nicknamed "The King of Hollywood". Joe Shuster named Franchise/{{Superman}}'s alter-ego after Gable and fellow leading man Kent Taylor. Ironically, for all the confident leading men roles he played on screen, Gable was noted in private to be somewhat shy and insecure as a person and he outright abhorred unplanned public speaking.

At one point he was Hollywood's top male box-office draw, second overall only to Creator/ShirleyTemple. He was nicknamed "The King of Hollywood". Joe Shuster named Franchise/{{Superman}}'s alter-ego after Gable and fellow leading man Kent Taylor.

** He had an affair with Loretta Young while filming ''Literature/TheCallOfTheWild''. This affair produced a child Judy Lewis, who Loretta claimed was adopted to prevent the scandal from ruining her career. [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement However,]] according to Young's daughter-in-law Linda Lewis, Young had confided before her death that Judy was conceived after Gable allegedly raped her.

William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901 – November 16, 1960) was an actor in UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood. His three most famous roles are Peter Warne in ''Film/ItHappenedOneNight'', Fletcher Christian in ''Film/MutinyOnYheBounty'' and Rhett Butler in ''Film/GoneWithTheWind''; all three earned him UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations, and he won for ''It Happened One Night''. He was named the [[AFIS100Years100Stars seventh greatest actor in American history]] in a poll by the Creator/AmericanFilmInstitute.

William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901 – November 16, 1960) was an actor in UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood. His three most famous roles are Peter Warne in ''Film/ItHappenedOneNight'', Fletcher Christian in ''Mutiny on the Bounty'' and Rhett Butler in ''Film/GoneWithTheWind''; all three earned him UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations, and he won for ''It Happened One Night''. He was named the [[AFIS100Years100Stars seventh greatest actor in American history]] in a poll by the Creator/AmericanFilmInstitute.

** He had an affair with Loretta Young while filming ''Literature/TheCallOfTheWild''. This affair produced a child Judy Lewis, who Loretta claimed was adopted to prevent the scandal from ruining her career. [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement However,]] according to Young's daughter-in-law Linda Lewis, Young had confided before her death that Judy was conceived after Gable allegedly raped her.

* HeroicDimples: Gable's dimples were probably why he was always heroes. A drawback on his villainous roles was that his dimples were prominent in his cheeks as he talked so it was hard for some to take him seriously, making him look as cute as a kid playing dress up in his dad's clothes. His first wife complained to a Hollywood magazine in an open letter, calling it "those funny things with your mouth to make your dimples show", which would destroy his manly persona; she most likely believed that he was exploiting them (or being told to do so) for the girls. It worked.

William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901 – November 16, 1960) was an actor in UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood. His three most famous roles are Peter Warne in ''Film/ItHappenedOneNight'', Fletcher Christian in ''Mutiny on the Bounty'' and Rhett Butler in ''Film/GoneWithTheWind''; all three earned him UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations, and he won for ''It Happened One Night''. He was named the seventh greatest actor in American history in a poll by the American Film Institute.

* {{Hunk}}: His characters carried this persona, even if they weren't "manly", such as his numerous journalist roles. He had the odd {{shirtless scene}} and [[ChickMagnet many female admirers]], and was trained by the studios to [[ManlyMenCanHunt learn how to hunt and fish]]. Despite adapting exceptionally to this persona, behind the camera, he was a BigSofty, who loved reading, especially poetry and Shakespeare sonnets.

* BadassMoustache: His signature appearance is sporting a pencil moustache, which added to his manliness. Creator/{{TCM}} once made an amusing promo in which they "interviewed" his moustache when Clark was the Star of the Month.
* CatSmile: [[https://66.media.tumblr.com/66d2aeca7cc049983ab123c3c52bbcf9/tumblr_p5jqtkGNhz1qlzdpio10_400.gif His cute, boyish grin]]. Another Gable trademark, even when he wasn't trying. It's so associated with Gable, when other actors made a similar face, people then and now joke that they were trying to imitate him. His smile was said to have made women swoon.

** He had an affair with Loretta Young while filming ''Literature/TheCallOfTheWild''. This affair produced a child Judy Lewis, who Loretta claimed was adopted to prevent the scandal from ruining her career. [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in that according to Young's daughter-in-law Linda Lewis, Young had confided before her death that Judy's conception was the result of being raped by Gable.

** He nearly played the title role in ''Tarzan the Ape Man'' in 1932. But because he was unknown at the time, Creator/JohnnyWeissmueller was given the role instead.
** MGM wanted very much to cast him alongside Creator/AngelaLansbury in a drama called 'Angel's Flight'. Clark disliked the story and the film was cancelled.

** He nearly played the title role in ''Tarzan the Ape Man'' in 1932. But because he was unknown at the time, Johnny Weissmueller was given the role instead.