Gable and Lombard [DVD]

I've always wanted to see this much talked about film. No video rental I've ever been a member at has ever carried it. If it's been on tv, I've always missed it. When I saw it for sale at Amazon for a good price, I decided to buy it. It's pretty much what I expected. James Brolin has the almost impossible job of portraying a man who was beyond a legend. Though he bears a good general resemblance to The King, his attempts to imitate Gables speech and manerisims make him come off like a nite-club impressionist. Clayburgh's portrait of Lombard is a bit more relaxed, but she seems to be chanelling a lot of Barbra Striesand in her performance.Historical acuracy is cast aside for dramatics sake. In the opening scene when Gable arrives at the crash site to await word on his wifes fate, he's a captain in the army. In truth, Gable did not join the service until after Carole died.The film has the feel of a 70s TV movie, but all in all, it's entertaining.I felt a bit of sadness while watching it, as my late mother was such a fan of Clark Gable. She always wanted to see this film. She died before I could locate it.

I saw this movie when it first came out in theaters. At that time I was about 17 years old, and knew Carole Lombard and Clark Gable very well from watching the Million Dollar Movie and the Late Show with my parents. This movie is not the best bio-pic out there, but I love it just the same. Was there some poetic license taken with the story of these two magnificent movie stars...yes, of course there was, but it is still very entertaining and is one of my favorite 'guilty pleasure' movies. I guess some people might think that is comes off as a little dated, and the answer is of course yes, but as a huge film fan I look at the movie for what it is now some 40 years later. It's a simple story portrayed by two actors that I always adored, and they play the parts of these iconic film stars pretty well. Lets face it, there is nothing going to ever compare to the actual stars, but Brolin and Clayburgh pull it off. The supporting cast includes the always wonderful Red Buttons, Allen Garfield, and a very young Melanie Mayron (remember Melissa from 'Thirtysomething'?) Grab some popcorn and sit back, you are sure to enjoy this!

The critical lambasting this film received on it's initial release in 1976 is inexplicable. Though certainly not a classic love story it is most definitely above average. The film's only failing that I can see are some slapstick moments that fall flat. Where it succeeds is in the scenes of intimacy between Gable and Lombard. James Brolin is more than adequate as Clark Gable and Jill Clayburgh is absolutely radiant as Carole Lombard. The chemistry between the two is palpable which makes the relationship believable. At times I lost sight of the fact that these were two of the most famous celebrities in America and that they were ordinary people in love. The film also contains a terrific turn by one of my favorite character actors, Allen Garfield, as Louis B. Mayer. Now if only they would release on DVD another Hollywood bio released in 1976, "W.C. Fields and Me", with Rod Steiger. Trivia note: Clayburgh hosted "Saturday Night Live" at the time of this film's release and took part in a parody of the film, "Grable and Lombard".

I did not this about them

This is a film I think very few people have seen. It is Jill Clayburg at her best. She is the only reason to see this film and she really worth watching.James Brolin looks good but I think he tried too hard to impersonate Gable that his acting didn't come through enough, but she did make you forget that. The next film I watched was Unmarried woman with Jill Clayburg and Alan Bates. This is a film that every married or getting married woman should see. It's a classic. The four gals that play Jill's best friends and meet once a week, were the inspiration I think for Sex And The City. Watch both of these movies..........men should watch Unmarried woman, they can relate to the husband and the lover.....

dramatize scenes surely were well received in its day, of course, these days 'been there' done that. the fact base scenes are educational

This is not a A grade film in either production or Quality but gives one a look into the character's life and Hollywood's moral compass in the 30's.Today people have affairs at the drop of a hat or so we think, what her is the devotion that Cable and Lombard had to each other and trials that went through to be together.It's a romantic film and comedy film, I saw it many years ago and impressed me in the love that these Cable & Lombard I had to buy it.

I agree with several reviewers that Jill Clayburgh's portrayal gets too involved in vulgarities and not enough in the subtleties of her character. Going from a snarling foe of Gable to his sweetheart is a transition that lacks credibility. The end of the movie has history all messed up. "Carole" tells "Clark" at their ranch that Corregidor has just fallen and MacArthur left the Phillippines. Actually the first event happened May 6, 1942 and the second March 11, while Lombard died on January 16. The "I'm going on a bond-selling tour" conversation would have taken place in early January; actually, Gable urged his wife to do so because he was committed to a picture. The end scene takes place in the desert under a tent, with Gable already in uniform. He was actually in a saloon where he was hold up waiting for word of his wife's fate, and he only joined the military afterwards out of a feeling of guilt for her death.Lombard was a remarkable person in her own right and it would be difficult for any artist to try to portray her in a way that does justice to her legacy.

This is a biopic about the love affair and marriage between Clark Gable and Carole Lombard. If you can ignore the countless errors of facts in this movie you can enjoy a great performance of James Brolin as Clark Gable and a so-so rendering of Lombard by Jill Clayburgh.When watching this movie you must remember that it was made at a time pre TCM and home video. The vast majority of people watching this film originally would have never seen a Lombard film unless it was a late, late show television screening of “My Man Godfrey”. Original audiences would not have had a clear idea of Lombard and therefore this leaves the filmmaker lots of room to play with the facts and what a pity that is.In the film you would assume that Lombard had never known love but in real life she had first been married to the film star William Powell and had been famously engaged to radio crooner Russ Columbo before his tragic death due to an accidental shooting by a friend. Is any of this in “Gable and Lombard”? Nope, which always leads me to the question why do biopics take so many liberties with the truth when the truth is so much more interesting?If you can discount this film as more fiction than fact you will enjoy it.

While the movie is cheesy (though enjoyable), the product and the service is first rate.

Thank you very much .. i have been searching for it for years...

not sure how true this one is but I definitely did like James Brolin. Another pretty good Hollywood love story but a sad ending for this couple