The Truth About Clark Gable's Teeth
Clark Gable is known for iconic 1930s films like "Gone with the Wind" and "It Happened One Night." AmoMama states that Gable was the highest paid actor of the time. However, to this day he is well known for more than these classic films. His personal life has long been intriguing for pop culture fans. One aspect of his life off-camera that received attention was his teeth.
In 1933, Gable suffered from a gum infection. He was hospitalized as the infection reached his gall bladder. At the time, he was filming MGM's "Dancing Lady" and his hospitalization stalled the filming, running producers $150,000 over production budget due to reshoots and delays (via Biography).
There are rumors that the frustrations led to MGM loaning him to Columbia Pictures for the film "It Happened One Night." This film won five Academy Awards (via IMDB). Given the film's success, it is safe to say that Gable's career did not suffer due to MGM's losses. The end result for Gable's health, however, was the loss of all of his teeth (Biography).
Losing his teeth resulted in dentures
The struggle did not stop there. Losing his teeth caused halitosis (via AmoMama). In other words, Clark Gable had bad breath. MouthHealthy describes halitosis as bad breath that cannot be solved with mints and mouthwash. It can be caused by periodontitis. Periodontitis was Gable's diagnosis (via Omaha Dentists).
Losing his teeth forced Gable to get a full set of dentures by his early 30s, according to Bajic Denture Clinic. Though these dentures gave him the charming smile of a movie star and helped him speak clearly enough to deliver his lines, the bad breath remained. His "Gone with the Wind" co-star Vivian Leigh refused to kiss him because of the halitosis (via Tulsa Dental Care).
Despite Leigh's repulsion of Gable's breath, he was known as a ladies man and had many high profile romances (via Insider). By the time of his passing in 1960, Gable had been married five times and had extra-marital affairs. (via Biography).