Why Clark Gable Initially Declined to Star in ‘Gone With The Wind’

Clark Gable, once considered a heartthrob in the movie industry, may not have been as popular with women today.

Rumors circulated about his bad breath, and he appeared to pride himself on his blue-collar machismo.

This self-image almost led him to turn down a film that could potentially compromise it.

Gable, who grew up as the only son of a wandering oil-field worker, had a challenging childhood after losing his mother at just ten months old.

He dropped out of school at 16 and began acting in his early twenties.

With his rugged good looks and distinctive pencil mustache, Gable caught the attention of renowned actress Josephine Dillon, who became his acting coach, elocution instructor, and even financed his dental surgery.

In 1924, Gable married Dillon, who was seventeen years older than him, and started landing roles in small silent films.

His reputation as a masculine heartthrob solidified through his performances in MGM films such as Red Dust, Strange Interlude, Dancing Lady, Hold Your Man, Manhattan Melodrama, and Men In White during the 1930s.

Gable further endeared himself to the public by graciously giving away his 1934 Best Actor Oscar for his role in It Happened One Night when a child remarked on its beauty.

Seeking to capitalize on his popularity as a romantic leading man, MGM approached Gable with a new film called Gone With The Wind, a sweeping romantic epic set against the backdrop of the American Civil War.

According to Warren G. Harris's biography, Clark Gable: A Biography, it was Carole Lombard, who would later star in Mr. and Mrs. Smith, that initially suggested Gable for the role of Rhett Butler.

Lombard, hoping to secure the role of Scarlett O'Hara, reportedly gifted Gable with a copy of Margaret Mitchell's original novel, which he famously refused to read.

Apparently, Gable strongly opposed the idea of starring in what he considered “a woman's picture.”

He was resistant to playing a character like Rhett at all, but eventually succumbed to public opinion and accepted the role.

However, he remained adamant about not portraying the character too romantically and declined to adopt a faux-Southern accent.

In the end, Gone With The Wind became Gable's most renowned film, securing his place in cultural history with the iconic line, “Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.”