Clark Gable

Born: February 1, 1901
Where: Cadiz, Ohio
Died: 16 November 1960

Gable was undoubtedly the leading male box office attraction throughout the 1930s.

His hugely successful and glamorous career began when he moved to Hollywood in 1924 and immediately found himself on the set of Forbidden Paradise - although only a bit part, Gable attracted positive attention from all corners.

The silent film era came to an end, and the impression Gable made on celluloid was minimal, but certainly on an upward curve.

His first sound film was The Painted Desert in 1931, and in the same year the future star acted opposite reigning screen queen Norma Shearer in A Free Soul.

Subsequent leading role opposite other screen divas Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford cemented his status amongst the stars.

In 1932 Gable played one of his most famous roles in Red Dust - a part which he reprised in 1953 in Mogambo.

It was two years later that Gable strolled up the red carpet on Oscar night and went home with the Best Actor Oscar for the comedic role of a newspaperman chasing a runaway heiress in It Happened One Night.

His second Academy Award nomination came in 1935 for his performance as Fletcher Christian in Mutiny on the Bounty.

Undoubtedly Gable's best loved work was in Gone With the Wind, which also garnered him a third Oscar nomination.

"Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn", has become a widely used expression and over 60 years after he uttered those words on screen, they are still synonymous with the legendary actor.

An army career took the place of acting during WW2, and Gable did not make another film until 1945 when he starred in Adventure.

Six years later he made his last film, The Misfits.

He died in 1960 of a heart attack and was mourned by classic cinema lovers the world over.