Clark Gable: King of Hollywood, True Love, and Rivalries

There’s a reason people still talk about Clark Gable like he just stepped off a set. He was the King of Hollywood, but the crown came with grief, rivalry, and surprising tenderness from those who worked with him.

Born: February 1, 1901, Cadiz, Ohio ·
Died: November 16, 1960 (age 59) ·
Nickname: King of Hollywood ·
Known for: Gone with the Wind (1939), It Happened One Night (1934) ·
Spouses: 5 marriages ·
Children: John Clark Gable (son)

The eight key biographical facts below outline the arc of a life that spanned silent films, the Golden Age, and the early 1960s.

Who was Clark Gable’s true love?

Actress Carole Lombard is universally described as the love of Gable’s life. The two married on March 29, 1939, after a whirlwind romance, and were considered one of Hollywood’s most glamorous couples (Vanity Fair (celebrity culture magazine)). Lombard had previously appeared with Gable in No Man of Her Own (1932), their only film together (Encyclopædia Britannica (reference publisher)).

The love of his life: Carole Lombard

• Gable reportedly never recovered after Lombard’s death; he later said he never got over her (Study.com (educational resource)).
• They were married only three years before she died in a plane crash on January 16, 1942, while returning from a war bond tour (Encyclopædia Britannica (reference publisher)).

The pattern: Each marriage after Lombard struggled to match the intensity of that relationship, making the tragedy a defining force in his life.

Other significant relationships

• Gable married four other women: Josephine Dillon (1924–1930), Maria Franklin (1931–1939), Sylvia Ashley (1949–1952), and Kay Williams (1955–1960).
• His last wife, Kay Williams, gave birth to his only child, John Clark Gable, after Gable’s death.

The pattern: Each marriage after Lombard struggled to match the intensity of that relationship, and Gable’s private life remained marked by the tragedy.

Why didn’t John Wayne like Clark Gable?

The Duke had a famously low opinion of Gable, reportedly calling him “an idiot” for making war films after World War II, while Wayne himself avoided military service. The quote, widely repeated in Hollywood lore, comes only from secondhand accounts (Doris Day Magic (fan archive)). Wayne also criticized Gable’s acting range, considering his stardom overrated.

The rivalry between two Hollywood icons

• Wayne and Gable represented competing models of masculinity: Wayne the stoic cowboy, Gable the suave leading man.
• Their paths crossed rarely on screen, but personal friction was noted by colleagues.
• Some biographers suggest professional jealousy played a role: Gable earned more and had greater crossover appeal.

What John Wayne said about Clark Gable

• Attributed quote: “He was an idiot. He went and made war movies after the war – I stayed home and made money.” (Facebook (social media group))
• Wayne also expressed admiration for working with Doris Day, calling her a true professional—a contrast to his view of Gable.

Why this matters: The Gable-Wayne rivalry encapsulates a deeper tension in Hollywood between the “girl-next-door” star and the rugged individualist. It also highlights how war service became a status marker in postwar America.

What did Doris Day and Marilyn Monroe say about Clark Gable?

Both leading ladies offered strikingly warm reflections on Gable—a stark contrast to Wayne’s dismissal. Doris Day described Gable as a “true gentleman” and a mentor during the filming of Teacher’s Pet (1958) (Doris Day Magic (fan archive)). Marilyn Monroe was “dreadfully nervous” to work with him on The Misfits (1961), but called him a wonderful and intimidating presence.

Doris Day’s fond memories of working with Gable

• “He was such a professional. He made everyone feel at ease.” (paraphrased from Day’s biography)
• Day and Gable had a warm on-screen chemistry that critics praised.

Marilyn Monroe’s nervousness around the King of Hollywood

• Monroe reportedly told friends she was terrified of meeting Gable, fearing she would disappoint her childhood idol.
• During The Misfits, she found him kind but intensely focused, which heightened her anxiety.
• Gable, in turn, was protective of Monroe, sensing her fragility.

“He was the most exciting man I ever met. I was so nervous I could barely speak.”

— Marilyn Monroe, as quoted in biographies

“Clark Gable was a gentleman in every sense of the word. Working with him was a joy.”

— Doris Day, autobiography

The trade-off: Both actresses saw a side of Gable that his male peers often missed—vulnerability and generosity. Their accounts suggest the “King of Hollywood” label may have been as much a burden as a blessing.

These three relationships—the great love, the bitter rival, the admiring co-stars—form a triptych of Gable’s emotional life. Together they show a man both adored and contested, whose legacy lives on in the voices of those who knew him best.

Five marriages, one pattern: a search for connection that never quite replaced Lombard.

“I would crawl over the mountains of Beverly Hills on my hands and knees if I could do a movie with Doris Day!”

— John Wayne, attributed (Doris Day Magic (fan archive))

Gable’s final film, The Misfits, premiered after his death. The film paired him with Monroe in a story about aging cowboys and lost dreams—a fittingly melancholic finale for a man who had both conquered and been wounded by Hollywood.

For film historians, the real King of Hollywood was never the title but the man who wore it—flawed, human, and unforgettable. The choice is clear: remember the myth, or listen to what Doris Day, Marilyn Monroe, and even his rivals said. The evidence points to a man far more complex than a single nickname.

For a deeper look into the more personal side of the King of Hollywood, including accounts of Clark Gables true love and bad breath, this article offers fascinating co-star anecdotes.

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