As the most beautiful ace of the Second World War and the air gunner, Clark Gable was a mythical figure in Hollywood, he was well-dressed, personable, gentle and wild, and conquered everyone with his strong and resolute masculine charm, becoming the object of imitation.
In 1939, Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh starred in "Gone with the Wind" won 10 Oscar awards in one fell swoop, creating a film myth, although he himself was not elected to this Oscar, but his personal influence reached the point of day and day. At that time, film historians commented on him, "Chaplin in the silent film era, Clark Gable in the sound era are both heroes in the film industry, plus Lawrence Oliver in the United Kingdom, all of which have reached heights in the film kingdom that no one else can reach." And Gable is recognized as the emperor of the film, 'the man of men'. ”
After Pearl Harbor, Clark Gable's wife, Carol Lombard, called U.S. President Frank Roosevelt to offer to serve the country. They were invited to publicize the purchase of government bonds, and because he was filming, Carol flew alone and telegraphed her husband before leaving, saying, "Honey, you'd better go and join the army."
Unexpectedly, Carol Lombard was killed in a crash while flying home, and the death of his beloved wife hit Clark Gable so hard that in order to fulfill his wife's long-cherished wish, he forced himself to endure the grief and finish filming "Where is the Trail", and then applied for enlistment at the age of 41 and became a second class soldier in the Army Air Corps.
Seeing Clark Gable in his military uniform, some said he would be "a star in the military." This view proved to be very wrong, just like he struggled to become a star a few years ago, and threw himself into training and fighting.
After training at the Miami Reserve Officers School, Clark Gable soon became a distinguished soldier and was selected to study at West Point. Compared to 2,600 students from prestigious universities, Clark Gable didn't even attend high school, but with his own hard work, he made it into the top 100 in the military law exam. Clark Gable, like those flesh-and-blood young men, had trained himself to become a qualified heavy bomber gunner, and had mastered aerial photography and truly accepted the baptism of war. At the 351st Bombardment Group base outside London, Clark Gable repeatedly entered the air confrontation with German aircraft over Germany, and was successful in battle, and was soon promoted from second lieutenant to captain, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Force Medal.
In August 1943, Clark Gable took part in the first air raid on Germany as an aerial photographer, tasked with snapping up combat footage in the midst of gunfire. During the battle, his B-17 bomber was shot in 15 places, but he and his crew insisted on shooting before retreating, and thankfully Clark Gable returned with 50,000 feet of film. The film was edited into five military documentaries and military training films, which were widely broadcast as valuable war materials.
It is said that Hitler was so impressed with Clark Gable that after learning of his participation in the air raid on Berlin, he claimed that whoever could bring Clark Gable to him unscathed would receive a handsome bonus. The Luftwaffe sent three squadrons to intercept them, all to no avail.
In July 1944, Clark Gable was ordered to retire with the rank of Major in the Air Force, returned to MGM to make films, and successively starred in films such as Adventure, Homecoming, Keys to the City, and Mogabo, establishing the status of Hollywood emperor in one fell swoop. Capra, the film director, commented: "Clarke's acting skills are excellent, and even his standing posture and smoking appearance are more beautiful than others. ”
In 1960, when he was nearly a flower armour, he insisted on not using a stand-in, and still completed the last film of his life, "Mandarin Duck Spectrum", with his famous hard work, but the film had not yet been released, and Clark Gable died in Los Angeles due to myocardial infarction.
The American playwright Arthur Miller wrote "Gift to Those Who Don't Know Hate" on the screenplay to express his reverence for Clark Gable, who was so great that one could barely find the right language to inscribe on his tombstone.