The men who made their living from being
ONE With The Wind’s Clark Gable was once asked: “How does it feel to be the world’s greatest lover?”
He simply responded: “It’s a living.”
Films like It Happened One Night and the role of Rhett Butler in Gone With The Wind cemented his reputation as a Hollywood heartthrob and fellow film star Joan Crawford once wrote “Clark Gable was the King of an empire called Hollywood”.
The five-times married actor was rugged with a roguish uish air and it is said Superman creators eators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster used sed his first name for their superhero’s o’s human alter ego Clark Kent.
Gable initially had no interest in appearing in 1942 2 MGM movie Gone With The Wind, but ut it became his most famous film.
He played down his heartthrob status though, saying: ying: “Hell, if I’d jumped on all the dames I’m supposed to have jumped on. I’d have had no time to go fishing.”
Errol Flynn on the other hand was the sexy star with a devilmay-care look in his eyes.
Films such as Captain aptain Blood in 1935 and The Adventures ventures Of Robin Hood in 1938 turned ned him into a swashbuckling hero ero on the big screen and film critic ritic David
Shipman once declared: clared: “No actor ever swashed so blithe a buckle.”
He and suave British ritish actor David Niven once shared d a house in California which they promptly called Cirrhosis By y The Sea.
Flynn left broken en female hearts in his wake and Niven en once described him as “a magnificent cent specimen of the rampant male”. e”.
The famous waves ves crashing on a beach scene in From om Here To Eternity in 1953 did id Burt Lancaster no harm m in the passion stakes.
He and co-star Deborah Kerr were romantically y involved during filming and the movie went on to win eight Oscars – even though the censors demanded ed that Deborah Kerr’s swimming costume should include a skirt so it would not look too provocative. ive.
The famous love e scene was filmed at Halona lona Cove in Hawaii and nd it later became a major tourist Rhett Butler mightmigh not have given a damn, but Clark GGable’s fans certainly did and flocked to see him in every film. Meanwhile, left, BuBurt Lancaster thrilled his fans in From Here to Eternity by rolling arouaround the surf with Deborah KerKerr – although she had to wear a sskirt in case her
costume was too provocative attract attraction because of the movie’s huge success. s
Tyro Tyrone Power came from a theatri theatrical family and fought against the matinee ma idol tag saying “I don’t want to become an ageless matinee idol, having h to keep up my looks, lift my chin chi like Marlene and never dare smile in i case my face cracks”.
How However, romance novelist Barbara Cartlan Cartland was once asked how she could w write so many love stories while
stil still a virgin. She answered: “We didn’t need sex. We had Tyrone Power.”
English actor Peter Lawford was a member of the Rat Pack with the likes of Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr and Joey Bishop and they all appeared together in films like
Ocean’s 11 and Sergeants 3.
He was romantically linked with film stars Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth and Kim Novak and married four times, but once described his appeal saying: “I was a half-way decent looking English boy who looked nice in a drawing room standing by a piano.”
Bristol born Cary Grant was the leading man who remained a box office favourite for decades starring in classic movies Hitchcock thrillers North by Northwest, Notorious, To Catch a Thief and Suspicion as well comedies Arsenic and Old Lace and Father Goose.
“Everybody wants to be Cary Grant,” he said. “Even I want to be Cary
Grant.”
He also suggested his epitaph should read: “He was lucky and he knew it.”
Bonfire Of The Vanities writer Tom Wolfe described him as : “Hollywood’s lone example of the Sexy Gentlemen.”
Cary Grant oozed charm and brought a sense of sophistication to the big screen – with Tony Curtis cheekily adopting the image – and accent – for 1959 comedy Some Like It Hot.
Tony Curtis later said he asked director Billy Wilder if he could imitate Cary Grant for his scenes when he pretended to be a millionaire oil tycoon to woo Marilyn Monroe’s character in the movie.
It is said Cary Grant jokingly said after seeing the film : “I don’t talk like that.”
Tony Curtis in turn achieved matinee idol status thanks to his handsome looks at the start of his acting career.
“I was falling in love every day. I am completely in love with women. Every woman. I loved their company and there was always a chance you could kiss them,” he said.
Tony did not take all the attention too seriously though saying: “They gave me away as a prize once – a Win Tony Curtis For A Weekend competition. The woman who won was disappointed. She’d hoped for second prize – a new stove.”