clark gable foundation of cadiz

I took my 92 year old mother here for her birthday outing. She is in good health and was able to climb the steps to the 2nd floor apartment where the Gable's lived. It is furnished with "period" pieces. There are a few items that belonged to Clark Gable on display (a childhood sled, a pipe, a pajama top) as well as a few family belongings. There were many vintage movie magazines with Clark Gable on the cover on display. There were also many photos of Clark as well as some framed correspondence. There was a small room (originally the pantry) that was dedicated to Carol Lombard, Clark's 3rd wife. It had clippings and photos about her life and death. There were a lot of collectibles in the form of plates and figurines and dolls on display throughout the apartment. The first floor is the gift shop. The garage behind the residence houses Clark's 1954 Cadillac which was very interesting to see.The home is a reconstruntion of the original home. Same blueprint according to our guide.My mom and I enjoyed our vist and the ladies were very nice, friendly, and welcoming.

This was the house that Clark Gable was born in, and lived for about six months. Actually, however, it is a total reconstruction of that house, which was demolished some years after Gable lived here. That tidbit sets the tone for whole experience, which is largely a collection of miscellaneous memorabilia about Clark Gable. Much of it, like the rows of modern collector plates featuring scenes from GONE WITH THE WIND, actually don't have much to do with Clark Gable himself, but are grounded in a mythology around GWTW. Another example was a ball-gown spread across a bed which was a donation by a local woman who made it for a costume ball. Other than being a fancy dress in a style vaguely similar to GWTW, it really has nothing to do with Clark Gable, the movie or the house.Our enthusiastic, friendly guide pointed out many of the items in the various rooms, but we really got the sense that the museum was more about the collection of memorabilia and a rather slavish devotion to GWTW (to the detriment of Gable's other significant film accomplishments), than about Gable himself. For example, it would have been delightful to hear more about how growing up in Ohio (since he really didn't grow up in Cadiz) shaped him to be the sort of actor and man he was. Was there something in the culture of the region that made him an ideal Rhett? We really came away with no better understanding of Gable than when we arrived, other than he acted in many films, was married numerous times, and was born here. It would be really interesting to look at history as something more than a collection of ephemera, to what the ephemera tells us about the man himself. Maybe that's asking too much of a local community museum, but I'd encourage them to delve into it. Clark Gable is worth it!The staff are obliging, friendly, and very outgoing, and we were very warmly welcomed. It's very reasonable at only $5, and nice stop along the way.

A quaint selection of historical items from military papers to his Cadilac all availible to the public who can recall the days of Hollywood when it was "classy". Not too far off the highway.