At noon, three days after Carole Lombard’s tragic death in a plane crash, Hollywood studios observed a moment of silence as “Taps” played. In Washington, the Senate paused to honor her recent efforts in raising $2 million in war bonds. President Roosevelt sent a heartfelt telegram to her grieving husband, Clark Gable, calling Carole a friend and great patriot.
Carole’s death in 1942 at just 33 years old shocked the world, extinguishing one of Hollywood’s brightest stars. Known for her roles in 1930s screwball comedies like My Man Godfrey and Nothing Sacred, Carole once said, “I love life. I get a kick out of everything. If I don’t love what I’m doing, I don’t do it.” A former tomboy from Indiana, Carole moved west as a child and began acting early, but truly shone in comedies. Robert Matzen, author of Fireball: Carole Lombard and the Mystery of Flight 3, describes her as “a natural ham and a very funny, spontaneous person.” Her down-to-earth demeanor earned her the nickname “the profane angel of Hollywood.”
Carole’s outspoken nature and willingness to stand up for the underdog made her immensely popular on film sets. Despite facial scars from a serious car accident in her 20s, she refused to let it hinder her career and became a star. “She had friends on all the crews who would take care of her and light her carefully,” says Matzen, highlighting her resilience and determination.
After a marriage to actor William Powell ended in divorce, Carole Lombard fell for Clark Gable, whom she starred with in 1932’s No Man of Her Own. Despite their Hollywood royalty status—Carole earned over $400,000 a year at her peak—they connected over simple, unpretentious activities. “They took long expeditions to hunt and fish,” says Robert Matzen, “and she learned how to handle a shotgun.”
Gable, who had been married twice before, wed Carole in 1939 during a break from filming Gone With the Wind. The newlyweds settled on a ranch in then-unfashionable Encino, California. “They lived a peaceful life,” Michelle Morgan, author of Carole Lombard: Twentieth Century Star, tells Closer. “Clark would tinker with his old cars and farm work, and Carole was happy to help and care for her animals.”
Carole’s happiness was marred by her inability to have children, concerns about Clark’s fidelity, and the looming war. After Pearl Harbor, she wanted Clark to enlist, but his age made it difficult. Tragically, Carole died in a plane crash while returning from a fundraiser, a flight that failed to clear the mountains outside of Las Vegas. “She wanted to get home quickly and didn’t trust Clark to be alone,” says Morgan.
Clark never fully recovered from her loss. “He would ride his motorbike around the Hollywood Hills recklessly,” Morgan notes. Although he married twice more, his zest for life faded. After his death in 1960, Clark was buried next to Carole at Forest Lawn Cemetery.
