William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901 – November 16, 1960) was an American film actor. Often referred to as The King of Hollywood, he had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in a variety of genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades of which was as a leading man. Gable died of a heart attack at the age of 59; his final on-screen appearance was as an aging cowboy in The Misfits, released posthumously in 1961.
Gable was one of the most consistent box-office performers in the history of Hollywood, appearing on Quigley Publishing's annual Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll sixteen times. He was named the seventh greatest male movie star of classic American cinema by the American Film Institute. He appeared opposite many of the most popular actresses of their time. Joan Crawford was a favorite actress of his to work with, and he partnered with her in eight films. Myrna Loy worked with him seven times, and he was paired with Jean Harlow in six productions. He also starred with Lana Turner in four features, and in three each with Norma Shearer and Ava Gardner.
1901–1919: Early life
William Clark Gable was born on February 1, 1901, in Cadiz, Ohio, to William Henry "Will" Gable (1870–1948), an oil-well driller, and his wife Adeline (née Hershelman). His father was a Protestant and his mother a Catholic. Gable was named Bill after his father, but he was almost always called Clark, and referred to as "the kid" by his father.: 1 Gable was six months old when he was baptized at a Roman Catholic church in Dennison, Ohio. When he was ten months old, his mother died. His father refused to raise him in the Catholic faith, which provoked criticism from the Hershelman family. The dispute was resolved when his father agreed to allow him to spend time with his maternal uncle Charles Hershelman and his wife on their farm in Vernon Township, Pennsylvania. In April 1903, Gable's father married Jennie Dunlap (1874–1920).
Gable's stepmother raised the tall, shy child with a loud voice to be well-dressed and well-groomed. She played the piano and gave him lessons at home. He later took up brass instruments, becoming the only boy in the Hopedale Men's town band at age 13. Gable was mechanically inclined and loved to repair cars with his father, who insisted that he engage in masculine activities such as hunting and hard physical work. Gable also loved literature; he would recite Shakespeare among trusted company, particularly the sonnets.
His father had financial difficulties in 1917 and decided to try his hand at farming, and moved the family to Palmyra Township, near Akron, Ohio. His father insisted that he work the farm, but Gable soon left to work in Akron for the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company.
Gable was inspired to become an actor after seeing the play The Bird of Paradise at age 17, but he was unable to make a start in acting until he turned 21 and received his $300 inheritance from a Hershelman trust. After his stepmother died in 1920, his father moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, going back into the oil business. He worked with his father for some time wildcatting and sludge removing in the oil fields of Oklahoma before traveling to the Pacific Northwest.
Marriage to Carole Lombard
Gable's relationship and marriage in 1939 to his third wife, actress Carole Lombard (1908–1942), was one of the happiest periods of his personal life. They met while filming 1932's No Man of Her Own, when Lombard was still married to actor William Powell. A Gable and Lombard romance did not take off until 1936, after becoming reacquainted at a party. They were soon inseparable, with fan magazines and tabloids citing them as an official couple.
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So, what exactly is an upside down apple pie? The idea is that you add a layer of pecans, brown sugar, and butter to the bottom of your pie dish before assembling the rest of your apple pie. Then, when the pie is cooked, you turn it out upside-down onto a plate so that you get a pie topped with delicious, gooey brown sugar topping. Plus, the bottom crust of your apple pie is crisp and perfectly baked. It's a truly delicious innovation, and we are happy to share it with you!
Enjoy this delicious upside-down apple pecan pie for your next holiday dinner. We think everyone at your house will be begging you for the recipe.
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted, divided
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1 (15-ounce) package refrigerated rolled pie crusts
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 5 large Granny Smith or other firm apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
- Preheat oven to 375º. Coat a deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray and line it with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, combine 4 tablespoons butter, the brown sugar, and pecans; mix well and spread evenly over bottom of pie plate. Unroll 1 pie crust and place it in pie plate, pressing crust firmly against nut mixture and sides of pie plate; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, and remaining butter; mix well. Add apples and toss gently to coat. Spoon into pie crust.
- Unroll second pie crust and place over apple mixture. Trim and fold edges together to seal. Using a knife, cut four 1-inch slits in top crust.
- Bake 1 to 1-1/4 hours, or until crust is golden (see Notes). Carefully loosen wax paper around rim and invert pie onto a serving plate while still hot. Remove wax paper and allow to cool slightly; slice into wedges and serve warm, or allow to cool completely before serving.
1935 – Ken Kercheval, American actor (d.2019)
1963 – Brigitte Nielsen, Danish-born actress
The phrase “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” is a reminder to be grateful for the gifts, opportunities or kind gestures that come our way. The phrase comes from inspecting a horse’s teeth to determine its health and value. If the horse was a gift, such an inspection would be considered an insult.