Only one man was ever crowned as the King of Hollywood and that was back in the 1930s. The recipient was Clark Gable, who I guess younger readers may not have heard of. He was a big star from the 1930s until the 1950s and made three films in Borehamwood. His most famous role was as Rhett Butler in Gone With The Wind, although he lost out for the Best Actor Oscar to Robert Donat for his film Goodbye Mr Chips in 1939. Ironically Clark had won the Oscar five years earlier for another movie he did not want to make called It Happened One Night.

Clark was married five times but the real love of his life was his third wife, Hollywood star Carole Lombard. Tragically she was killed in an aircraft crash just a couple of years after they married and he never fully recovered. It was during the Second World War and, lost in grief, Clark signed up as a gunnery instructor in the American Air Force and was posted to England where he took part in combat missions over Germany. Upon his discharge he returned to acting but had aged noticeably and although he remained a top star something was different in his screen image.

Clark came to film at the old MGM Studios in Borehamwood three times in the 1950s and had an affair with Grace Kelly whilst making Mogambo - but then again Grace tended to have affairs with her co-stars before she married the Prince Of Monaco. His cameraman, three time Oscar winner Freddie Young, told me Clark was easy to work with but in close-ups you had to watch it as he developed a slight head tremor.

His last film at MGM, which was made at Borehamwood, was also his last film for MGM after nearly 20 years under contract. He spent his last day at their Culver City studio having some portrait shots taken and then drove out without any farewell ceremony.

Clark made his last movie in 1960. It was with Marilyn Monroe and called The Misfits. Just after filming was over he suffered a heart attack whilst changing a wheel at his home. After 10 days in hospital he seemed to be improving but one night he was reading a magazine then he died suddenly at the age of 59. His then wife blamed Marilyn for the stress she caused on the set of The Misfits but his heart would have been weakened by his heavy drinking and a 60 a day cigarette habit.

His widow gave birth to their only child, a son named John, just a few months after his death. Junior has dabbled with acting on screen but is very wealthy due the inheritance from his father. Sadly Clark's grandson died aged just 30 from a drug overdose in 2019.

Clark did have another child born in the 1930s after an affair with Hollywood leading lady Loretta Young. She was a strict Catholic and they both knew the scandal would have ruined their careers, unlike today. Loretta pretended she had adopted the baby girl and Clark took no part in her upbringing. Indeed the girl only found out when she was an adult and sadly is no longer with us.

Clark's widow realised his real love was Carole Lombard and she allowed him to be buried next to her. Well, until next time keep safe and happy movie watching and if anything bothers you remember those immortal words from Rhett Butler: "Frankly my dear I don't give a damn."