1939 – Clark Gable
Gone With the Wind
This was an incredible epic movie, and Gable, playing the iconic part of Rhett Butler, was perfectly cast. He was awesome, and honestly, he was my favorite part of the movie. This was the perfect combination of a well-written character, and a skillful actor who knew exactly what he was doing. Not only did Gable look the part, he understood the role.
What I loved about Rhett and the way Gable played him was that he wasn’t a typical Southern Gentlemen. He was crude, honest, charming, manipulative, and completely unapologetic about it. He told the truth whether or not it was what people wanted to hear, or whether or not he would become popular. He’s the kind of guy, who, if asked, “Does this dress make me look fat?” would answer, “Nope. Your fat makes you look fat.” But he’d say it with such charm that you wouldn’t be able to get mad at him.
Part of it was the way the character was written, but the rest was how Clark Gable played it. He exuded confidence and affability. He had a swagger that was disarming. And his genuine smile certainly didn’t hurt much. And he had a way of laughing in the face of danger. He rarely lost his composure or his sense of humor, and when he did, it was almost always because of his Achilles heel, Scarlet O’Hara.
He loved her because, as he stated more than once, she was like him. They were survivors, resourceful, and pragmatic, but also passionate at the same time. Rhett Butler was actually a pretty complex character. The dichotomy of his outward persona and his weakness when it came to Scarlet, constantly pulled him in different directions. But this wasn’t Gable’s first rodeo. He seemed to handle each facet of Rhett with an easiness about him that had to have been innate.
I especially liked him in the scene where he is drunk and taunting Scarlet, just before he ended up… well… raping her. Where he was usually cheerful, logical, and easy going, he was really dangerous in this scene. It was so well played by both the actors and it was a really powerful moment. Great job, Clark!