Back in February 1932, the iconic Modern Screen published a little snippet from Joan Crawford, who was trying to quash rumors about her torrid affair with Clark Gable. She played it cool, saying, “I’m supposed to be madly in love with a certain other actor in Hollywood,” with a wink and a nod. She added, “Before the camera, we were in love. Now that the picture is over, we’re just good friends!” But come on, folks, we all know that wasn’t the truth.
The truth is, Joan and Clark had an affair so fiery and so legendary that even MGM Studios’ bigwigs had to step in and try to separate them. But even the most powerful people in Hollywood couldn’t sever the deep bond they shared. This connection lasted nearly three decades. Later in life, Joan was there for Clark when he needed her most. In 1968, Joan finally admitted, “We had an affair—a glorious affair—and it lasted longer than anybody knows.”
Joan and Clark had more in common than just their Hollywood stardom. Both stars had clawed their way out of difficult beginnings and dysfunctional families to reach the heights of Tinseltown. The gossip magazines couldn’t get enough of their private lives. Clark was rumored to have charmed every leading lady he worked with, while Joan was famous for using her charm to get what she wanted. As her rival, Bette Davis, once remarked, “She has slept with every male star at MGM except Lassie.” But make no mistake, both Joan and Clark were traditionalists at heart, marrying multiple times. Joan had four husbands, and Clark wed five times.
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When Sparks Flew
Joan was married to actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and Clark was engaged to his second wife, Maria “Ria” Langham, when they co-starred in the 1931 film Dance, Fools, Dance. Joan, who was already a major star, admitted that the chemistry between them was instant. “It was like an electric current went through my body,” she said. “My knees buckled. If he hadn’t held me by the shoulders, I’d have dropped.”
Their affair largely happened right under everyone's noses on the studio lot, with clandestine meetings in Joan’s trailer early in the morning and late at night. Ironically, the trailer had been a wedding gift from her unsuspecting husband. “It had been my wedding gift to her, which made the betrayal worse,” Douglas later said. “I wasn’t quite finished paying for it yet!”
The writer Adela Rogers St. Johns, a close friend of both actors, once caught them in a passionate embrace behind a bandstand. Joan, known for her flexibility, had her legs wrapped around Clark. St. Johns received flowers and a cheeky note from Joan the next day. “I bet you were thrilled watching,” the note read.
