Clark Gable is an integral part of Hollywood history. He was a sex symbol in the 30-40s of the last century, he was referred to as the "King of Cinema". How much did such a famous and popular actor earn? When and why did he die?
Clark Gable is the most prominent representative of the so-called "golden age" of American cinema. He was popular and recognizable far beyond the borders of his country. In Russia he was known for his role in the TV series Gone with the Wind, where he played the inimitable Rhett Buttler. All women in the world were in love with this hero, and not only his beloved in the film's plot. Who is he and where is he from? What other films has Clark Gable starred in? How much did the most popular actor earn?
Biography of actor Clark Gable
The future eminent actor was born in a small town in the American state of Ohio, Cadiz, in early February 1901. A few months after the birth, the boy's mother died, and his upbringing was a father and stepmother. Clark was lucky - his father's new wife, Jenny Dunlap, loved him very much, devoted all her time to the upbringing and all-round development of her adopted son. It was thanks to Jenny that he mastered the basics of music at home, developed his talent, and at the age of 12 he became a member of a large city children's orchestra.
The father did not support his son's hobby for music and classical literature, he considered it a manifestation of "slobbering". This circumstance and financial difficulties in the family forced Clarke to leave school at the age of 16 and go to work at a factory that produced tires for cars.
Then he delivered newspapers, worked as a janitor and loader, as a telephone station operator, but dreams of the stage left him. Clark decided to take advantage of what nature gave him - his appearance, married a Broadway actress who was 14 years his senior. She then taught him the intricacies of the acting profession, helped to get the first role in the movie.
Clark Gable - the road to success and high fees
In the filmography of the actor, there are almost 100 roles in films, and in most of the films he embodied the images of the main characters. His film debut took place in 1923, when he was still quite young - only 22 years old. The first major role was played by him in 1931 - in the film "Bloodsport". Then he delighted his fans and female admirers with such works as
- Mark Whitney from Possessed
- Rodney Spencer from Susan Lenox
- Jerry from Difficult Man
- Edward from Manhattan Melodrama and many others.
But the really stellar role for him was the role of Rhett Buttler and Gone With the Wind. The inimitable Vivien Leigh became his partner in the film, and much later. After many bright roles he played, he remained her "husband" Rhett.
Colleagues recalled that Clark Gable very quickly felt like a star, chose roles, often annoyed directors and producers, and was punished by them more than once. But nothing could turn him back into the shy hard worker he was in his youth.
How much did Clark Gable earn
The peak of the actor's career came during the most difficult economic times in America. But Clark Gable quickly realized that he was in demand and began asking for record fees for his work. It is not known for certain how much the actor received for one shooting day or for the film as a whole, but many of his colleagues, including those in the films, often took offense at the producers for the low assessment of their work. Some said in their interviews that they sometimes received several times less than Clark Gable.
In addition to movies, Gable also earned income from numerous awards - he won an Oscar for the film It Happened One Night, twice nominated for a statuette, for his work on the films Gone with the Wind and Mutiny on the Bounty. In addition, Clark Gable took part in military battles during World War II. It is known that the producers of one of the Hollywood film studios forced him to leave the army. And during the war, the actor did not forget about his profession - he brought filming of military action, which later entered the film "Fighting America" as a chronicle.
Personal life of actor Clark Gable
The man has always enjoyed unprecedented popularity among women, and was married 5 (!) Times. His first wife was already successful at that time actress Josephine Dillon. She was 14 years older than Gable. Later, the actor admitted that he needed this marriage only to start a career. He lived with Josephine for a little over 5 years.
The second wife was also older than Clark - by 17 years. The actor lived with Maria Langem for 8 years. His next marriage was with "the love of his life." Carol Lombard and Clark Gable lived together for only 3 years. In 1942, a woman died - a plane with her on board crashed into Mount Potosi.
Only 7 years later, the actor decided to remarry. The colleague "in the shop" actress Sylvia Ashley became the chosen one. The woman was terribly jealous of her husband for his deceased lover, which was the reason for the divorce after only 3 years. Clark's next, fifth wife was Kay Williams. She looked a lot like Carol Lombard. The fifth wife gave birth to a son to the actor and was with him until his death.
Date and cause of death of actor Clark Gable
The legendary actor died at the age of 59. The cause of death was heart problems, more precisely coronary thrombosis. The actor's son was born a few months after his death.
Gable is buried not far from his deceased wife Carol Lombard, in the Los Angeles memorial park called "Forest Lawn".
