Gable and Lombard

Synopsis

The pair meet at a Hollywood party, where rugged leading man Gable eschews evening wear and screwball comedian Lombard arrives in an ambulance that wrecks his car. They argue. He threatens to spank her. She punches him on the jaw. The two clearly dislike each other, and intensely so, but as fate conspires to bring them together again and again, they begin to admire each other and fall in love.

The fly in the ointment is Gable's second wife Ria. MGM executive Louis B. Mayer fears any publicity about his affair with Lombard will jeopardize Gable's career, and since he's the studio's most valuable player, Mayer becomes protective of his star. Gable and Lombard fish, play practical jokes on each other, laugh, fight, and have fun making up. His wife finally grants him a divorce, and the two wed. The happily ever after ending is thwarted when Lombard is killed in a plane crash while promoting the purchase of defense bonds during World War II.

Principal cast

Principal production credits

Critical reception

In his review in The New York Times, Vincent Canby called the film

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times described the film as a "mushy, old-fashioned extravaganza" and added,

Variety called it

Time Out London says,

TV Guide awarded it one out of a possible four stars, calling it