Editing Clark Gable (section)

== Early life ==
=== 1901–1919: Family and upbringing ===
[[Image:Clark-Gable-Birth-Home-003.jpg|left|thumb|upright|125px|Gable's 1901 birthplace in Cadiz, Ohio]]
William Clark Gable was born on February 1, 1901, in [[Cadiz, Ohio]], to William Henry "Will" Gable (1870–1948), an oil-well driller,<ref name="spicer"/><ref name="VND"/> and his wife Adeline ({{née}} Hershelman). His father was a Protestant and his mother a Catholic. Gable was named William after his father, but he was almost always called Clark, and referred to as "the kid" by his father.<ref name="harris"/>{{Rp|1}}
Gable was six months old when he was baptized at a Roman Catholic church in [[Dennison, Ohio]]. When he was ten months old, his mother died.<ref name="spicer"/> His father refused to raise him in the Catholic faith, which provoked criticism from the Hershelman family. Gable and his father were active in the [[Methodist]] church where his father was a Sunday School teacher.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/76089/clark-gable-by-warren-g-harris/9780307237149/excerpt | title=Excerpt from Clark Gable }}</ref> The dispute was resolved when his father agreed to allow him to spend time with his maternal uncle Charles Hershelman and his wife on their farm in [[Vernon Township, Pennsylvania]].<ref>{{cite book|author1=Philip C. DiMare|title=Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia, Volume 1|isbn=978-1-59884-296-8|page=661|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=miascUWIa0UC&q=clark%20gable%20charles%20hershelman&pg=PA661|access-date=June 2, 2017|date=June 30, 2011|publisher=Abc-Clio }}</ref> In April 1903, Gable's father married Jennie Dunlap (1874–1920).<ref>[http://www.biography.com/people/clark-gable-9304376#early-life-and-career Clark Gable on Biography.com] Accessed August 5, 2016</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite book|last=Harris|first=Warren G.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xfomDwAAQBAJ&q=jennie+dunlap+clark+gable&pg=PA4|title=Clark Gable: A Biography|date=September 1, 2010|publisher=Crown|isbn=978-0-307-55517-5|language=en}}</ref>

Gable's stepmother raised the tall, shy child with a loud voice to be well-dressed and well-groomed. She played the piano and gave him lessons at home.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Todd E. Creason|title=Famous American Freemasons, Volume 2|isbn=978-0-557-07088-6|page=92|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ru2LAgAAQBAJ&q=clark%20gable%20step%20mother%20well%20groomed&pg=PA92|access-date=June 2, 2017|year=2009|publisher=Lulu.com }}</ref> He later took up brass instruments, becoming the only boy in the Hopedale Men's town band at age 13.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=csMDnRXe4vMC&q=clark+gable+education&pg=PA24|title=Clark Gable: Biography, Filmography, Bibliography|last=Spicer|first=Chrystopher J.|date=January 15, 2002|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-1124-5|language=en}}</ref> Gable was mechanically inclined and loved to repair cars with his father, who insisted that he engage in masculine activities such as hunting and hard physical work. Gable also loved literature; he would recite [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]] among trusted company, particularly the [[Shakespeare's sonnets|sonnets]].<ref name=":0" />

His father had financial difficulties in 1917 and decided to try his hand at farming, and moved the family to [[Palmyra Township, Portage County, Ohio|Palmyra Township]], near [[Akron, Ohio]]. His father insisted that he work the farm, but Gable soon left to work in Akron for the [[Firestone Tire and Rubber Company]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NIKADwAAQBAJ&q=Gable+worked+in+Akron+for+the+Firestone+Tire+and+Rubber+Company&pg=PT71|title=Rockhaven Sanitarium: The Legacy of Agnes Richards|last=Jordan|first=Elisa|date=October 22, 2018|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|isbn=978-1-4396-6558-9|language=en}}</ref>

=== 1920–1923: Early career ===
Gable was inspired to become an actor after seeing the play ''[[The Bird of Paradise (play)|The Bird of Paradise]]'' at age 17, but he was unable to make a start in acting until he turned 21 and received his $300 inheritance ({{Inflation|US|300|1922|fmt=eq}}{{Inflation/fn|US}}) from a Hershelman trust.<ref name="Spicer2">{{cite book|author1=Chrystopher J. Spicer|title=Clark Gable, in Pictures: Candid Images of the Actor's Life|isbn=978-0-7864-8714-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hjvqp_Y2VL4C&q=clark%20gable%2021%20money&pg=PA25|access-date=June 2, 2017|date=October 14, 2011|publisher=McFarland }}</ref><ref name=":6" /> After his stepmother died in 1920, his father moved to [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]], going back into the oil business. He worked with his father for some time [[Wildcatter|wildcatting]] and sludge removing in the oil fields of Oklahoma before traveling to the Pacific Northwest.<ref name="harris" />{{Rp|15–16}}

Gable toured in second-class stock companies, finding work with [[Tent show|traveling tent shows]], lumber mills, and other odd jobs. He made his way across the Midwest to [[Portland, Oregon]], where he worked as a necktie salesman in the [[Meier & Frank]] department store.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Jeff Dwyer|title=Ghost Hunter's Guide to Portland and the Oregon Coast|isbn=978-1-4556-2117-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WexODgAAQBAJ&q=clark%20gable%20necktie%20salesman&pg=PT70|access-date=June 2, 2017|date=January 19, 2016|publisher=Pelican Publishing Company }}</ref> Also working there was local stage actor [[Earle Larrimore|Earle Larimore]], (the nephew of [[Laura Hope Crews]] who portrayed Aunt Pittypat alongside Gable in ''Gone with the Wind'') who encouraged Gable to return to acting.<ref name="Spicer2"/> Though Larimore didn't invite him to join his theater group The Red Lantern Players, he did introduce Gable to one of its members, Franz Dorfler, and they started dating.<ref name= "harris"/>{{Rp|18}} After the couple's audition for The Astoria Players, Gable's lack of training was evident, but the theater group accepted him after cajoling from Larimore. Gable and Dorfler moved to [[Astoria, Oregon]], touring with the group until its bankruptcy, and then moved back to Portland where Gable obtained a day job with Pacific Telephone and started receiving dramatic lessons in the evening.<ref name= "harris"/>{{Rp|19–21}}<ref name="spicer" />{{Rp|31–40}}

Gable's acting coach, [[Josephine Dillon]], was a theater manager in Portland. She paid to have his teeth fixed and his hair styled. She guided him in building up his chronically undernourished body, and taught him better body control and posture. He slowly managed to lower his naturally high-pitched voice, his speech habits improved, and his facial expressions became more natural and convincing. After a long period of her training, Dillon considered Gable ready to attempt a film career.<ref name="harris"/>{{Rp|24}}