Trailer—Gable and Lombard

source: Gable and Lombard

Gable and Lombard

Not quite excellent but Both James Brolin and Jill Clayburgh give creditable performances in one of Hollywood's great love stories. This film was re;eased the same year as "WC Fields and Me" about another Hollywood couple, Fields and Carlotta Monti. "Gable and Lombard" captures the Hollywood scene of the 1930's a bit better than the other film does, and the two leads are more believable then in the other film. More than showing the screen side of these two, "Gable and Lombard" explores the off screen life of the pair. Anyone looking for dirt will be greatly disappointed. The life of Clark Gable and Carol Lombard as shown in this film is anything but boring. Thus, the emotion is genuine when we learn as does Gable that nothing is forever. "Gable and Lombard" gives us an honest look into the lives of two people who just happened to be movie stars.

It's amazing how I could not have seen this movie but once a few years ago considering how old it is. When Brolin first appeared on the screen, I had difficulty believing it wasn't Gable. As one other commenter put it, James Brolin IS Clark Gable. Yes, indeed, as much as Joaquim Phoenix IS Johnny Cash; it seemed he was born to play Cash, as it seems Brolin was born to play Gable. Not being a movie critic I cannot give a critique on the movie but when I watch a movie, I get INTO it; lost in the world that exists in the screen. This is only true of movies that really have an emotional effect on me, like Casablanca, Dr. Zhivago and the like. There are numerous others that weren't blockbusters but they definitely depict natural human experiences. That's from the perspective of a romantic, not a critic.

I graduated in 1971 , so when this movie came out in 1976 I was 23 and at a time in my life when showing any emotion was something that only women would do.Then I went to see this movie about Clark Gable and Carol Lombard and it absolutely changed my outlook towards what real love should be.James Brolin was great in portaying Clark,they could not have picked a better actor for the part.Jill Clayburgh was also wonderful and held her own.This movie could lift you up with laughter and then make you wish that the end would never come,and to think it was a true story.This movie never got a fare shake from the critics, which has convenced me to never listen to critics on anything anymore and that really the only critic should be yourself and how you feel about something.I highly recommend this movie to anyone who would like to have a heartfelt experience.I give this movie its 4 star rating it deserves.Thank you , Jon Kodi

Might not be the best movie, but most of the incidents in this film really took place (read the book by Warren G. Harris)! Some of the character's are fictionalized, but the story about the romance is not. James Brolin IS Clark Gable. Brolin has Gable's personality and mannerisms down to a "T" and plays Gable with dignity and grace(unlike Edward Winter did in Moviola:The Scarlett O'Hara War. Winter played him as down home, backwoods, stupid hick, which Gable was FAR from!) I don't know if Brolin did any research for his role but he's sure got Gable down pat!! Jill Clayburgh, on the other hand, overplays her role a bit, but maybe that was the way Lombard really was! All in all, Gable and Lombard is an excellent movie for film buffs, fans of Gable and/or Lombard, or suckers for old fashioned romances. Unfortunately, the only way to see this film is on cable in a heavily edited TV version. Put it out on DVD!!

A sloppy piece of filmmaking from the usually dependable Sidney J. Furie. It's poorly put together, factually flawed, and has bad sound. All of which might have been excusable had the leads not been played by James Brolin and Jill Clayburgh. Brolin & Clayburgh are fine actors, but they're clearly from another generation and have none of the presence possessed by the real Gable & Lombard. Brolin looks a lot like Gable (complete with Dumboesque ears), but Clayburgh is a so far from Carole Lombard, it's disastrous. Lombard was effervescence personified, while Clayburgh comes across as acting like an immature schoolgirl. There is very little chemistry between the two leads and there's zero sense of how famous they were in the 1930s. Furie may have struck gold with LADY SINGS THE BLUES, his dynamite biopic of Billie Holliday, but here he mines nothing but coal. Not even the presence of Red Buttons, Melanie Mayron and Allen Garfield (as LB Mayer) add much to the proceedings.

At first, I could not believe James Brolin was playing Clark Gable, but he is dead on with his portrayal!!! He's a great reason to see this film. I don't know why this film is rated so low. It was sweet, entertaining and the ending was heartbreaking. It was also great to see the implications of not being a "moral" and "upstanding" actor in the film industry during its early years. It shows how much times have changed. It was also fascinating to see if Clark Gable really had a softer side in him, since he was probably the greatest leading man in the history of Hollywood and a symbol of American manhood during his time. In my mind, this film is wonderful.