troops during their R&R breaks, donated money and even the use of their horses from the ranch. Lombard toured the United States selling war bonds. Her spirit energized audiences, and she sold more than double the amount of bonds anticipated.
On January 16, 1942, Clark Gable was preparing a glamorous welcome-home party for his wife, who would soon be back to the ranch from her tour of selling war bonds. Gable received a call: The plane in which Carole Lombard was traveling had collided with Double Up Peak just outside of Las Vegas. At first there was hope of finding survivors, but in the end, all the passengers had perished. After an investigation, the cause of the crash would be attributed to pilot error.
Gable was crushed. Friends said he never fully recovered, becoming more of a quiet and serious man. For her dedication and achievements for the war effort, a naval ship was named after Carole Lombard.
Gable took time off from shooting Somewhere I’ll Find You to mourn. He lost weight. He spent most of his time on the ranch he shared his wife, reflecting on their life together. He ordered her belongings in the bedroom to remain the way she left them. He’d return to the set February 23. Until then they’d have to shoot around his scenes. Co-star Lana Turner later called Gable a “consummate professional” in reference to his ability and dedication during this tragic time.
The loneliness and loss became too much for the widower. He thought of his wife’s words encouraging him to enlist. The United States Air Force would be getting a new recruit. The King of Hollywood was enlisting. While he believed in defending his country, it was clear he made the personal sacrifice in memory of his wife.
The media was buzzing with the news of Clark Gable entering the fight. MGM was worried about losing their biggest male star. Fans couldn’t stop talking about it, including the leader of the German Nazi party, Adolph Hitler. When Hitler had heard Clark Gable was changing careers, he got his autograph book ready. Hitler was a huge film buff and a fan of Gone With the Wind. Gable was one of his favorite actors. A Nazi radio broadcast even sent out a message, “We’ll be seeing you soon in Germany, Clark. You will be welcome there too.” A German journalist went so far as to attempt to make a connection between Clark Gable and Joseph Goebbels. (Supposedly, the name “Gable” had previously been anglicized from “Goebel.”)
While in the service, Clark Gable was an aerial gunner and also helped produce a combat film for the Office of War Information. Gable walked away from gunning and back to MGM a decorated war hero in 944. His contract was extended another seven years, obligating him to make two films a year. His return to the studio was celebrated but Gable played down the hero angle. To him the real heroes were still fighting.
Hitler never did get his autograph.
As a sign of respect Gable refused to make another movie until the war ended. He kept his promise by not stepping in front of the camera until thirteen days after victory was declared in Europe. What’s that? The war was still going on in the Pacific? Oops.
Gable did go back to dating, and he dated many women including Dolly O’Brien, who was six years his senior. He was lonely but had no intentions of taking another bride. Because of the emotional tolls suffered, his drinking became out of control. He was behind the wheel of a very public and much gossiped about one-car accident. During a hunting trip he was arrested for shooting more ducks than allowed. As hard as he tried, the women and booze weren’t filling the hole left by Carole Lombard.
During World War II, some tried to make a connection between the names “Gable” and “Goebbels.” Joseph Goebbels (above left) was a prominent figure in the Third Reich. It was rumored that Adolf Hitler loved Gable’s movies.
Gable also continued to make movies, but as he was growing older, the critics were growing less kind. References to his jowls and leathery skin began popping up. Hemorrhoid cream was applied to his face, and the skin behind his ears was taped back in an attempt to make him look younger. His aging really stood out when he was teamed again with Loretta Young, the mother of his secret love child, in Key to the City (1950). Young still looked vivacious next to Gable, whose hard living showed on his face.
Gable needed companionship. Whether because of loneliness or love, he would marry two more times. First he married Sylvia Ashley, a socialite three years younger than Gable. Ashley was also a model and stage actress, who found her stardom fading due to her age. The fourth Mrs. Gable was horrible when it came to her husband’s hobbies like camping, fishing, or hunting. She had no interest for it. Instead she preferred to spend money to maintain a lavish lifestyle. The two may have been great lovers but not ideal husband and wife. One year and five months into the marriage, Gable announced he wanted out, and Ashley filed for divorce.
Gable continued making movies to mixed reviews and uneven box office results. When it came time to renew his contract with MGM, he wanted a percentage of the profits for the movies he starred in. MGM balked at the idea, refusing to get involved in the profit sharing that many freelance actors enjoyed. As a result, Gable walked away from his twenty-three-year relationship with the studio to go freelance. He never worked with MGM again.
Gable still had a talent for wowing the ladies, never needing to be lonely. One of the more notable flings was with Grace Kelly, whom Gable began seeing while working on Mogambo together in 1953. Gable genuinely cared for Kelly and eventually let her go, realizing that, at twenty-eight years her senior, he was too old for the saucy starlet.
At twenty-eight years her senior, he was too old for the saucy starlet.
Clark Gable met his fifth and final wife in Kay Williams, who was fifteen years younger than he was. Williams was a model and an actress who usually obtained small roles. Sparks did fly between the two lovers but not with the same intensity Gable shared with Lombard. Williams loved the outdoors and enjoyed accompanying her husband on hunting or fishing trips. Gable took her and her two children from a previous marriage into his home. He enjoyed the family life and cherished the company. Unlike the previous wife, Williams was not preoccupied with material things. Friends pointed out that Kay had a physical resemblance to Lombard. She could also belt out the blue language, and had a gift for trading barbs with her husband. Perhaps Gable was subconsciously trying to replace Carole Lombard with an imitation. But one thing was clear: Clark Gable loved Kay Williams and made her Kay Gable.
Professionally, Gable didn’t just acknowledge his age, he often joked about it. He wanted to start making movies that better reflected his strong but aging persona. No longer was it appropriate to play romantic leads—especially when the love interest was twenty plus years younger. So, in 1960, Clark Gable signed on for what would be his final performance, playing an aging cowboy in The Misfits. He was paid $750,000 for the sixteen week shoot (which went over schedule, creating additional pay for Gable) as well as profit sharing. It was his biggest check for making a single movie.
During filming, Kay Gable announced she was pregnant. Gable was ecstatic and made his own announcement. The King would retire after one more movie to become a full-time family man. Weeks after completing the most dangerous and physically demanding scenes, Clark Gable was hospitalized, suffering from coronary thrombosis. November 16, 1960, Gable was in the hospital recovering, when he suffered a massive heart attack and died. On the day of his funeral, all the Hollywood studios flew their flags at half-staff.
Kay Gable gave birth to John Clark Gable on March 20, 1961—four months after his father’s death. For the second time, Clark Gable fathered a child who would never know him.
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