[Chrystopher J. Spicer]Clark Gable, in Pictures : Candid Images of the Actor's Life(pdf){Zzzzz}

From the very beginning of Clark Gable's screen career, the life of the glamorous film star came under the scrutiny of the camera. While audiences are familiar with the public Gable as seen through the studio lens, the private Gable as seen in photos taken by members of the public, friends, and family is much less known. This collection of candid photographs, many of them published here for the first time, has been compiled by biographer Chrystopher J. Spicer from his archives and from sources around the world. As with Spicer's acclaimed centenary biography Clark Gable (McFarland, 2002), this volume provides rare insight into the life of the man behind the star.

Publisher: McFarland (October 25, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0786449640
ISBN-13: 978-0786449644

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

Appealing if Disjointed Photo-Biography of a Screen Legend!
By Michael OConnor TOP 500 REVIEWER on January 2, 2012
To countless individuals, Clark Gable will always be THE KING. And countless books have been written on this screen legend, the latest being Chrystopher Spicer's CLARK GABLE, IN PICTURES, CANDID IMAGES OF THE ACTOR'S LIFE, a photo-biography published in 2012 by McFarland & Company release.

CLARK GABLE, IN PICTURES is a companion piece of sorts to Spicer's 2001 CLARK GABLE: BIOGRAPHY, FILMOGRAPHY, BIBLIOGRAPHY, also published by McFarland. Spicer's latest work showcases 187 b&w Gable photographs. Rather than a straight chronological arrangement, Spicer chose to arrange the pix into "sections that reflect major aspects of Clark's life in order to shift focus away from a date series to the random moments that reveal the man." So the book is divided into chapters entitled 'Early Life,' 'Acting Life,' 'Military Life,' 'Recreational Life,' 'Fast Life,' 'Social Life' and 'Married Life.'

On the plus side, the photographs are a compelling mix of candids showing Gable as a child and teen, the adult Gable relaxing with friends, on horseback or seated in one of his many automobiles, posing with co-stars or various celebrities, greeting fans, lounging against the nose of an 8th Air Force B-17, displaying the day's catch of fish, and so on along with snaps of his various wives, cars he owned, residences, etc. Taken together, they present a compelling portrait of a screen legend who was the real article, a regular Joe who liked nothing better than to lay back and relax with hunting/drinking buddies or go for a spin on his Harley-Davidson twin.

Unfortunately, I had trouble with Spicer's format. I thought the subject arrangement made for a disjointed narrative. Reading through the various sections, you were constantly jumping back and forth within Gable's life. I wish Spicer had gone with a straight-through, chronological narrative.

And, as always with McFarland books, the item is overpriced. CLARK GABLE, IN PICTURES only runs to 194 pages but sells for $45.00; a bit steep in my opinion.

In any case, CLARK GABLE, IN PICTURES offers up a rare and wonderfully appealing look at the private side of movieland's most famous star. If a few of the snaps are of poor quality, who cares? They winningly show us the man behind the legend. Recommended.

Excellent pictoral history
By Bookhound on September 16, 2012
This is an excellent pictoral history of Clark Gable. While this book contains quite a bit of written history about the man, the real intent of the author....Chrystopher Spicer.... was to provide a strong profile of Gable, evidenced by pictures. This book was conceived and presented as a companion work to Spicer's earlier in-depth biography of Gable; a biography that is considered to be the definitive accounting of Gable. If you have an interest in this most fascinating man....Clark Gable....Spicer's twin publications are an absolute " must read ".