Throwing Gable over the coals

[mongoII]

[b]Gable Exposed in Sex-Obsessed Biography[/b]
Reuters
Posted: 2007-08-28 18:16:04

LOS ANGELES (Aug. 28) - Clark Gable's father taunted his son, calling him a "sissy." The young Gable responded by fashioning a macho-stud demeanor and projecting dad's disgust onto the many homosexuals he met and worked with.

And author David Bret ("Joan Crawford : Hollywood Martyr") makes it clear that quite a few gays and lesbians populated Hollywood's soundstages and swimming pools.

The author tags virtually everyone who shows up here as straight, gay or bisexual, the majority falling into the latter two categories. Like previous accounts, this one alleges that early in his career Gable was "gay for pay" and for career advancement.

He squired older women, some of them perhaps closet lesbians, and had close personal, possibly sexual relationships with a number of openly gay men. He was, as well, a serial seducer of women.

Bret's sourcing is unclear throughout; he qualifies most assertions about Gable's sexuality with phrases like "it could be" and "it was alleged." As for insight into the star's films and acting, look for it elsewhere. The author lavishes far more care on the details of Hollywood's sexual roundelays than on his flat summaries of Gable's films, including eight unnecessary pages on the plot of "Gone With the Wind."

Then it's on to the actor's severe halitosis (repeatedly mentioned) and his suffering from phimosis, an inability to retract the foreskin of his uncircumcised penis. Neither problem kept Gable from scoring big time in the bedroom. The image, craft and perhaps art that made Gable a huge star for decades receive scant notice.

[vallo]

It' so easy to slam someone when they're no longer alive to defend them selves. When I think of certain stars, the last thing I think of is their sexual preferences. I read a fews Bio's where the writer (to juice things -up) throws in a gay tryst just to get the readers attention. I look at Gable as Gable I think how sad it was for him when Carole Lombard died. I read a book claiming Burt Lancaster was Bi. Just to make his bio better? It's called Sensationalism. I'm glad most movie lovers can watch a film and be entertained without thinking of what the actor/actress prefers sexually. My point Stop knocking the dead.

vallo

[Vecchiolarry]

Hi Joe & Bill,

Bill -
I'm with you 100%. Bravo for speaking up for decency and discretion....

Joe -
Who cares where Gable stuck his dink?? Like you, I've heard all kinds of stories about him and his "penis for pay" supposed career.
I knew Rhea Langham after Gable divorced her and she still spoke well of him...
I also know that he continued to support Josephine Dillon after they were finished.
So - that and his exemplory movie career - is what I remember him for, not his poor overpublicized foreskin!!

Larry

[MissGoddess]

Hi Joe & Bill,

Bill -
I'm with you 100%. Bravo for speaking up for decency and discretion....

Joe -
Who cares where Gable stuck his dink?? Like you, I've heard all kinds of stories about him and his "penis for pay" supposed career.
I knew Rhea Langham after Gable divorced her and she still spoke well of him...
I also know that he continued to support Josephine Dillon after they were finished.
So - that and his exemplory movie career - is what I remember him for, not his poor overpublicized foreskin!!

Larry

I spat venom in my reply to this book report over at TCM. You said it like a gentleman, Larry.

[pktrekgirl]

Well, first of all, what else could you possibly expect from David Bret, author of the Errol-Flynn-was-a-gay-Nazi yarn (note I intentionally do not refer to it as a 'biography') lovingly entitled Errol Flynn: Satan's Angel?

He is also the hack responsible for a book entitled Valentino: A Dream of Desire, alleging that not only was Rudolph Valentino gay, but that he slept with most of the men in 1920's Hollywood, 90% of whom were also gay.

Oh! And didja know ELVIS was gay??? Yep! He sure was! Just read David Bret's book about Elvis and find out all about it.

And now this.

Anyone detecting a TREND here????

I swear - this guy has psychological problems.

Seriously.

The guy NEVER gives up. Every SINGLE book he writes is fixated on gay sexuality - always trying to 'prove' (with little to no actual evidence) that each and every subject was really gay.

I mean, does this guy HAVE any other interests besides sex? Any at ALL?

I mean, gay or straight, it is not friggin' NORMAL to focus your entire life on sex.

I didn't even begin reading your post, Mongo, until after I saw the name "David Bret". And immediately, without reading another WORD, I thought "Oh great - this is where Clark Gable magically becomes gay."

Why this guy cannot seem to write a book not centered upon sex is beyond me....but really - if he wants to write about gay sex 24/7/365, why doesn't he write...say....a sympathetic and TRUTHFUL book about someone like Rock Hudson, Montgomery Clift, Clifton Webb, William Haines, Ramon Novarro, or any number of other gay actors who...well....REALLY WERE GAY. Or if those guys don't provide juicy enough subject matter, why doesn't he just go write gay porn? It would be a much better use of his imagination and he wouldn't have to even attempt to cloak his fixation with tedious 8 page summaries of Gone With the Wind.

p.s. - And in case it isn't abundantly obvious by now, my days of talking like a lady about this wacko are OVER. He REALLY needs to friggin' grow a life.

[Vecchiolarry]

HI Pk,

Somebody once told me that there is a common trait among homosexual men to project their proclivities onto any good looking blok they fancy. They wish he were 'gay' so therefore he is.....

I've heard about this several times and it was once the subject of a TV documentary, which I didn't watch but saw advertisements for.
There's a name for it psychologically - transferrance perhaps?? - but it is common.

I venture to guess that this "Hack" (what a great description!!) is now 'out of love' with Errol, Elvis and Rudolph and has settled for Clark!!

Someday, he'll make his way down to J. Edgar Hoover and certainly J. Edgar will have him.... It's a love match made in Heaven!!!

Larry

[pktrekgirl]

Well, I don't know what it is....but what I really don't understand is why he simply doesn't write a book about someone who is confirmed as being gay. There are not many books written about Monty, for example - I own about 3, is all. Whereas I own about 42 - 45 books on Flynn, and over a dozen on Gable.

I don't think it's normal for ANYONE, gay or straight, to be so fixated on the subject of sex. But if they are, why not write a book about someone who is confirmed as BEING gay, instead of making such preposterous claims as that Errol Flynn was gay, and a Nazi sympathizer?

I mean, Errol Flynn was ALOT of things - but gay wasn't one of them.

I have not seen the sources for this fabrication of Clark Gable's life...but I'd bet you dollars to donuts that all of his listed sources are secondary sources (other books about Gable or Hollywood) and that he did ZERO interviews with anyone who knew Gable personally...and he was NOT allowed access to any of Gable's papers or records. And that for most of his more outrageous claims, he has no source indicated AT ALL...but covers his arse with phrases like 'might have been', 'could have been', 'were known to have been' (by who, he never says) etc.

That is the pattern he used when writing the Flynn book and the Valentino book....and although I don't own the Elvis book myself, I wouldn't doubt it is the same in that book.

That is why I call him a hack. He IS a hack. And his books are not worth the paper they are printed on.

He also has written a poorly reviewed book on Tallulah Bankhead with a title referring to her 'scandalous' life. How much ya wanna bet Tallulah was a lesbian?

[MissGoddess]

Loved your posts, PK---I didnt' realize he was the same creep that wrote the Errol and Valentino books. I think he also tried to pull this on Spencer Tracy. It figures, the pattern makes sense now. Perverse sense, that is. He must be making money off them if he keeps them coming, or else he's independently wealthy and can indulge in his frightening obsession.

[Vecchiolarry]

Hi All,

Here's a thought - - a sick joke really:

Maybe he's 110 years old and knew all these men and went to bed with them!!!!
That's the only way he'd know for sure that they were gay.
And also, maybe he's a Nazi.... That's the only way he'd also know that Errol Flynn was one......

Like I said, this is a sick joke..... I'm now going to take my medicine!

Larry

[MikeBSG]

My wife and I make fun of the "sex scandal" star bios by talking about the sex scandal that no one ever writes about: Ward Bond and Lon Chaney Jr.

(Which never happened.)

[pktrekgirl]

Loved your posts, PK---I didnt' realize he was the same creep that wrote the Errol and Valentino books. I think he also tried to pull this on Spencer Tracy. It figures, the pattern makes sense now. Perverse sense, that is. He must be making money off them if he keeps them coming, or else he's independently wealthy and can indulge in his frightening obsession.

I wonder if he'll live long enough to get around to Gary Cooper?

Because I PROMISE you - this guy would claim that even Coop was really gay.

It really is a miracle that the population of earth has continued as long as it has, according to this guy. Because there is hardly a man on earth who would actually consider having sex with a woman.

[mongoII]

Larry, Miss G, pktrekgirl, vallo you're all on the ball.
When I read the news article on AOL I couldn't believe that some as*hole would write a book exposing the late King of Hollywood to such trash. Most likely for the almighty dollar. I thought Confidential magazine went out of business.
I just had to share the article with board members to see their reaction regarding this author and the bilge he spews.

[mrsl]

Mongo and all the rest of you:

The subject of this thread is exactly why I don't go on TCM boards anymore. I did post for the first time in weeks the other night, but I can't recall what it was about. If you just look at the majority of the movies being requested, and the subject of so many of the threads, too many of them are looking for argumentative responses, and you know me and my mouth, I'm better off staying away, and not getting my dander up.

I like a good discussion as well as the next person, even with a little vehemance in it, but I can think of better things to argue about than the sexual orientation of any well admired actor or actress from 40 years ago.

Anne