Handsome early black and white youthful M.G.M. publicity portrait, matted and framed up to an overall size of 11x14 inches, boldly signed and inscribed in blue ballpoint pen in the 1950s for a noted collector. In good condition, overall, with some minor handling dings visible and the photo never having been examined outside of the matte and frame, so that it is unclear if has been trimmed. Best known for his Oscar-nominated portrayal of Rhett Butler in the beloved Civil War epic Gone with the Wind (1939), Gable was lured to Hollywood from the Broadway stage at a time when producers were looking for rough-hewn, down-to-earth types, in contrast to the standard cardboard leading men. After strong work in The Painted Desert (1931), he seemed best-suited for oily villain and gangster roles, but Fate set him on a different course:  In 1934, Gable was punished for his insubordinate behavior towards MGM brass by being sent to the lower-budget Columbia Studios, where he was cast against type by Frank Capra in It Happened One Night. The amiable comedy swept the Academy Awards the following year, with one of those Oscars going to Gable. Afterwards, he was increasingly cast as tough-but-tender types in larger-than-life dramas, adventure films and romantic comedies, setting many a heart aflame and earning the moniker "The King of Hollywood". Highlights of his distinguished career include Night Nurse (1931); The Call of the Wild (1935); Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), which brought his third Oscar nod; and The Misfits (1961).

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