A Clark Gable Group of Set Stills From His Films

A Clark Gable Group of Set Stills From His Films Including No Man of Her Own, Boom Town, Honky Tonk, Across the Wide Missouri, Teacher's Pet, and But Not for Me. Please note that there may be some duplication of photographs in each film folder. No Man of Her Own (Paramount Pictures, 1932). Starring Clark Gable, Carole Lombard. Director Wesley Ruggles. Approximately 50 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., some with photographer 'A.E. Freudeman' stamped to verso, one featuring Clark Gable. Boom Town (MGM, 1940). Starring Clark Gable, Hedy Lamarr. Director Jack Conway. Approximately 470 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., almost all with information printed on the negative (i.e., Apr [Month] / 15 [Day] / 40 [Year] / 1138 [Production Number] / BRWN [Clarence Brown, Director]) and corresponding still number, some with 'Return to Property Dept.' stamped to verso. Honky Tonk (MGM, 1941). Starring Clark Gable, Lana Turner. Director Jack Conway. Approximately 200 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., almost all with information printed on the negative (i.e., Jul [Month] / 28 [Day] / 41 [Year] / 1197 [Production Number] / CRON [Jack Conway, Director]) and corresponding still number, some with 'Return to Property Dept.' stamped to verso. Together with 7 smaller photos, 4 x 5 in. and approximately 20 from another film (not included in the total). Across the Wide Missouri (MGM, 1951). Starring Clark Gable. Director William Wellman. Approximately 135 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., all with 3-hole punches to border, all with information printed on the negative (i.e., Aug/Sep [Month] / 5 [Day] / 50 [Year] / 1508 [Production Number] / and corresponding still number, many stamped 'Return to Property Dept.' to verso. Teacher's Pet (Paramount Pictures, 1958). Starring Clark Gable, Doris Day. Director George Seaton. Approximately 155 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., many with 3-hole punches to border, many date stamped (April-May 1957) to verso, a few featuring Clark Gable, Doris Day, and Gig Young. But Not for Me (Paramount Pictures, 1959). Starring Clark Gable. Director Walter Lang. Approximately 165 silver gelatin photographs, 8 x 10 in., many with 3-hole punches to border, many date stamped (Jan.-Feb. 1959) to verso, 5 featuring Carroll Baker, 2 featuring Lee J. Cobb, and one featuring that great character actor, Charles Lane. Together with 2 smaller photos, 4 x 5 in. Clark Gable was voted 'The King of Hollywood' in the 1930s as a publicity stunt by his home studio, MGM, but the moniker stuck; he is still considered The King, and as yet, no one has come close to taking his place. Though most of his films were made at MGM, he did work for other studios before and after that contract, including Paramount Pictures. Even as he entered his 50s, Gable's natural charisma, masculine physique, and stunning good looks paired him with actresses of every age, from Sophia Loren to Doris Day to Carroll Baker. His untimely death in 1960 at the age of 59 robbed audiences of what would likely have been the continuance of a storied career. 8 x 10 in. or smaller Footnotes: The collection of Paramount Pictures set stills that is being offered in this auction is an extraordinary historical archive from the late 1920s to the early 1970s. Sets stills were taken for continuity purposes and to document the arrangements of the sets and props, etc, during the making of a film. Not only does this collection photographically document the changes in filmmaking through the decades, it details the changing styles of architecture, interior design (the Art Deco sets from the 1930s are astonishingly beautiful), fashion, cars, and more. In the cases of location shooting, one can see the evolution of various southern California towns and landmarks, from the tony nightspots of Hollywood to the open spaces of Brentwood to the artistry of the Paramount Ranch. The photos give a unique behind-the-scenes look at the stars during filming; some vamp for the camera while others avoid it, some study their scripts or confer with the director, and some look incredibly bored. Equally interesting is the appearance of the stars' lookalike stand-ins and famous extras such as Bess Flowers. The unsung heroes of filmmaking, the crews, are seen as well, holding the booms, adjusting the lights, holding the clapper boards, and waiting, waiting, waiting. And speaking of unsung heroes, the talent, imagination, style, and creativity of the art directors and set decorators for these films cannot be overstated. Most of the fashion designers of the 1930s and '40s, such as Edith Head, are recognized for their contributions, as well they should be; however, the set decorators and art directors are grossly overlooked. Masters of their profession such as Hans Dreier, Robert Usher, William Flannery, Hal Pereira, Ernst Fegte, Sam Comer, Walter H. Tyler, A. Earl Hedrick, and so many others, deserve their place in the sun, and hopefully, the future owners of these historic photographs will appreciate their artistry. Lot to be sold without reserve. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing