The Iconic Breakfast Food Clark Gable Couldn't Resist

Clark Gable became one of Hollywood's biggest stars in the 1930s, largely due to his Oscar-winning role in Frank Capra's "It Happened One Night." At this time, Gable was married to his second wife, Maria "Ria" Franklin, who sat down with Modern Screen magazine to dish about her famous husband's favorite foods. Readers and fans found out that the leading man with an Academy Award under his belt had very relatable tastes, counting pancakes and sausage as one of his favorite meals. Reprinted in an article on Dear Mr. Gable, here's what she had to say.

Franklin proclaimed, "If you expect me to tell you that Clark likes truffles and caviar you are going to be disappointed. He is, after all, just a person, you know," adding, "Give Clark golden pancakes with little pig sausages for breakfast." 

Although he would come to be known as the "King of Hollywood," and scored prized tables at Beverly Hills hot spot Romanoff's, the Ohio-born actor was still perfectly happy sitting down to home cooked, approachable meals. And, really, who could blame him?

More than 90 years later, the salty, porky flavor of sausage combined with pancakes and sweet maple syrup is a classic. Modern Screen even included a recipe for the hotcakes he loved so much; they were made with flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, an egg, melted butter, and milk. Fellow Hollywood actor Charlie Chaplin was also a big fan of pancakes, although his included a good bit of sour cream.

By Franklin's account, Clark Gable wasn't so much interested in impressing guests with lavish meals. She recounted how her husband would sometimes invite friends to their Brentwood home after golfing, where they'd help themselves to cold chicken and ham, cheese, biscuits, and cake. Franklin also detailed Gable's other preferred foods, which included stuffed pear salad and sandwiches for lunch, pot roast with gravy for dinner, and homemade cake for dessert, always cake. Perhaps one of his most interesting cravings was a Bermuda onion sandwich with lots of mustard that he'd sometimes make himself as a snack.

On colder days, Franklin shared that her husband enjoyed things like spaghetti, baked beans, and consommé soup. Even when Gable went out to dinner, he'd order simpler dishes. He considered The Brown Derby in Hollywood his favorite restaurant, in fact, he proposed to his third wife, Carole Lombard, in a booth there. The famous eatery created the Cobb salad, but also served things like pot roast, baked beans, and corned beef hash, all of which Gable adored. For one of his birthdays, Lombard hired The Brown Derby to cater the food for his party, and these three dishes were served, along with an orange chiffon cake.

Gable's onscreen persona may have been that of a dashing, captivating, romantic hero, someone who would only sip the finest champagne with his New York strip steaks, but off screen, his table was set like so many others: full of food that tasted good and made him feel comfortable. And don't forget the cake.