Sometimes there's a screen couple that's so adorable and looks so happy together, they make you wish they were married offscreen as well. Then, whenever we see either of them in another movie with a different costar, it's almost as if they're being unfaithful. For me, I don't wish Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh were married; it's Clark Gable and Gene Tierney. I've never seen him give such a tender performance or look at another costar with such love - not even Jean Harlow!
Clark stars in this romantic drama as an American journalist stuck in post-war Russia. He's been pursuing the beautiful ballerina Gene Tierney, but up until recently she hasn't given him the time of day. Now, she's learned enough English to say she loves him and that she's agreed to marry him. The only glitch in the newlyweds' happiness is leaving the country. Clark wants to bring Gene back to America, but the Russian government isn't keen to let her go. In a heartbreaking scene, government officials pretend to give both their traveling papers, only to let Clark on the plane and hold Gene back. Both restrained, they're forced apart as Clark is flown out of Russia and forbidden from returning.
Another couple, Richard Haydn and Anna Valentina, are married and also trying to leave the country. They have a baby on the way, so when they also get waylaid by the government with the same treatment, they start to panic. I always like seeing Richard Haydn in pre-Uncle Max roles, since he looks so different and has such a different energy. He's a great sidekick to Clark, but the main couple definitely steal the show. Gene Tierney is completely adorable, with her fantastic Russian accent and her ballerina training. She's never been lovelier.
I didn't really like Clark Gable during his heyday, but I certainly admired his ability to adapt to the changing acting style of the passing years. In this movie, he's no longer the fast-talking, shouting fellow from the 1930s. He speaks with his eyes, talks softly, and fits right in with the realistic style of the 1950s. And not that this is particularly relevant, but he still looks good, too! Never Let Me Go was the same year as Mogambo, but he looks far younger in this movie.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. During the section when Clark Gable and Richard Haydn are on the boat, the waves make them bob up and down quite a bit and that will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"
