The state of Ohio has been the birthplace of 8 US Presidents, and one King. And no, I’m not talking about Elvis (that’s Tupelo, Mississippi). I’m talking about the “King of Hollywood”, Mr. Rhett Butler himself Clark Gable.
William Clark Gable was born in Cadiz, Ohio on February 1st, 1901. He was named after his father so the family always called him Clark, Gable’s mother passed away when he was just 10 months old, and his father struggled to raise his son. While Gable loved reading especially Shakespeare, he never considered acting until his early twenties.
Clark Gable is one of the most bankable stars of all time. He had starring roles from the 1920’s all the way to the 1960s. This despite Louis B Mayer’s (the head of MGM) comment upon seeing Gable’s first screen test that “His ears are huge, and he looks like an ape. He’ll never be a star.” Gable had the esoteric “It” that makes someone a star. And for almost 40 years he films consistently made money.
For years there was no monument or acknowledgment of Gable’s time in Cadiz, Ohio at all. The house he was born in had been torn down years before Clark gable was famous. It wasn’t until the 1990’s that the city realized tourists might be interested in seeing where one of the largest film stars of all time was born that they pooled the money to recreate the home. They found pictures of the residence and did a good job rebuilding it as it looked at the time.
So if you are in eastern Ohio and “Frankly, you give a damn” come on over to Cadiz and check out the birthplace of a King.
