Gable and Lombard is a 1976 American biographical film directed by Sidney J. Furie. The screenplay by Barry Sandler is based on the romance and consequent marriage of screen stars Clark Gable and Carole Lombard. The original music score was composed by Michel Legrand.
Plot
The pair meet at a Hollywood party, where rugged leading man Gable eschews evening wear and screwball comedian Lombard arrives in an ambulance that wrecks his car. They argue. He threatens to spank her. She punches him on the jaw. The two clearly dislike each other, and intensely so, but as fate conspires to bring them together again and again, they begin to admire each other and fall in love.
The fly in the ointment is Gable's second wife Ria. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio chief Louis B. Mayer fears any publicity about his affair with Lombard will jeopardize Gable's career, and since he is MGM's most valuable player, Mayer becomes protective of his star. Gable and Lombard fish, play practical jokes on each other, laugh, fight, and have fun making up. His wife finally grants him a divorce, and the two wed. The happily ever after ending is thwarted when Lombard is killed in a plane crash while promoting the purchase of defense bonds during World War II.
Cast
Production
Production design was done by Edward C. Carfagno and costume design was provided by Edith Head.
Critical reception
In his review in The New York Times, Vincent Canby called the film
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times described the film as a "mushy, old-fashioned extravaganza" and added,
Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune slammed the "overwhelming" audacity of the film:
Variety called it
Time Out London says,