Clark Gable: A Biography

Clark Gable was the archetypal male star of Hollywood's heyday - he gambled,e drank and he womanised on an heroic scale. No wonder that when Spencerracy, only half in jest, starting calling him "The King", the tag caught on.;orn in 1901, the son of an unsuccessful Ohio oil prospector, Gable was aountry boy who got bitten by the acting bug at the age of 17. But he mightever have got further than playing bit-parts in small-time touring companiesad it not been for the help provided by two older women, who also became theirst and second Mrs Gable. The first of these, Josephine Dillon, was arofessional drama teacher and she made it her mission to transform Gablento an accomplished stage actor, but it was the second, a wealthy Houstonidow, Ria Langham, who finally contrived to get him, first, to Broadway andhen to Hollywood - and the rest is history. Quickly taken on to the MGMayroll he was soon playing leading roles opposite some of the studio's majortars such as Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford and Garbo herself.;Crawford washe first, but by no means the last, of Gable's leading ladies to keep up her