Was It Clark Gable or Cary Grant?

By: Annette
Estimated Completion Time
2 min
Was It Clark Gable or Cary Grant?
Image: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

About This Quiz

How well do you know the golden era of Hollywood? Are you familiar with the CGs of the movie industry: Clark Gable and Cary Grant? Take this How Stuff Works quiz to test your CG knowledge.

Clark Gable and Cary Grant were two of the most iconic leading men in the movie industry. Both men were born in the early 1900s - Clark Gable in 1901 and Cary Grant in 1904 - but they led very different lives and left very different impressions on Hollywood and moviegoers.

Clark Gable was called The King of Hollywood. During his career, he starred in such films as "Gone with the Wind," "Mutiny on the Bounty," and "It Happened One Night." Gable headlined more than 60 major motion pictures during his career.

Cary Grant was actually born in England (who knew?) and became a US citizen in 1942. Some of his most memorable roles were in films such as "I Was a Male War Bride," "Nothing but the Lonely Hears," "To Catch a Thief," and "Suspicion." He was notable for his work in comedies and the films of iconic director, Alfred Hitchcock.

Do you think you know enough about Clark Gable and Cary Grant to ace this quiz? Let's find out.

His most famous film was "Gone With The Wind."
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Clark Gable's most famous film was "Gone With The Wind." He regarded the film to be a "woman's picture."

He almost played Tarzan in "Tarzan the Ape Man" in 1932.
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Clark Gable was almost cast as Tarzan in "Tarzan the Ape Man." The role ended up going to Johnny Weissmuller, the famous swimmer.

He played Peter Joshua in "Charade."
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Cary Grant famously played Peter Joshua in "Charade." The film was released in 1963.

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He played Gay Langland in "The Misfits."
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Clark Gable played Gay Langland in "The Misfits." The film premiered in 1961.

He often collaborated with Alfred Hitchcock.
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Cary Grant famously collaborated with Alfred Hitchcock. The first of his films with the famous director was "Suspicion."

He won an Oscar for "It Happened One Night."
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Clark Gable won an Oscar for his role in "It Happened One Night." He gave the statue to a child who admired it.

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His birth name was Archibald Alexander Leach.
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Cary Grant was born as Archibald Alexander Leach. He really simplified things when he changed that name!

He began his career on stage and landed roles on Broadway.
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Cary Grant had a love for the stage, and he took vocal lessons. He also landed some roles on Broadway early in his career.

He was obsessed with cleanliness and showered several times a day.
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Clark Gable was obsessed with being clean. He showered several times a day and also had his sheets changed every day.

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He hid his naturally high-pitched voice.
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Clark Gable had a naturally high-pitched voice. He had to take vocal lessons in order to make it sound deep.

He was close friends with Jean Harlow.
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Clark Gable was very close friends with Jean Harlow. He called her Sis, and served as a pallbearer at her funeral.

He got his start playing opposite Mae West.
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Cary Grant got his start in Hollywood playing opposite the icon Mae West. He appeared in "She Done Him Wrong" and "I'm No Angel."

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He co-starred with his friend Ingrid Bergman.
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Cary Grant had a huge success when he co-starred with his friend Ingrid Bergman. They made the movie "Notorious" together in 1945.

He was the "King of Hollywood."
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Clark Gable was dubbed "The King of Hollywood." This came from a poll that was taken in 1938.

Adolf Hitler was a big fan.
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Apparently, Adolf Hitler was a huge fan of Clark Gable. He considered him to be above any other actor.

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He starred in "Arsenic and Old Lace."
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Cary Grant played Mortimer Brewster in "Arsenic and Old Lace." The film premiered in 1944.

He medicinally took LSD.
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Cary Grant famously took LSD in order to come to terms with his childhood afflictions. He was part of a government-licensed experiment at the time.

He had an affair with Sophia Loren.
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Cary Grant had an affair with Sophia Loren during the filming of "The Pride and the Passion." That film was released in 1957.

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He was dyslexic.
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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As it turns out, Clark Gable was dyslexic. This information was not released until after his death.

He was an inspiration for Bugs Bunny.
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Clark Gable was actually an inspiration for Bugs Bunny. His name was also used for DC Comics' Clark Kent.

He retired after making 72 movies.
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Cary Grant retired after making 72 movies. He became a board member for Rayette-Fabergé.

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He received the Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1970.
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Cary Grant received the Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1970. It was presented to him by Frank Sinatra.

He starred in a one-man show about his life.
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Just before he died, he starred in a one-man show about his life. It was called "A Conversation with Cary Grant."

He played Michael Hamilton in "It Started in Naples."
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Clark Gable played Michael Hamilton in "It Started in Naples." The film was released in 1960.

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"I pretended to be somebody I wanted to be and I finally became that person. Or he became me. Or we met at some point."
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Cary Grant is famous for saying this quote. He really did develop another persona in order to be a screen star.

He appeared in "Ben-Hur" in 1925.
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Clark Gable appeared in "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ." He played a Roman Guard, and his role is uncredited.

He played Hamish Bond in "Band of Angels."
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Clark Gable played Hamish Bond in "Band of Angels." The film debuted in 1957.

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He died of a stroke in Iowa.
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Cary Grant died of a stroke in Iowa. The year was 1986.

He played Philip Shayne in "That Touch of Mink."
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Cary Grant played Philip Shayne in "That Touch of Mink." The film premiered in 1962.

He starred in "Operation Petticoat."
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Cary Grant played the role of Matt T. Sherman in "Operation Petticoat." The hit movie was released in 1959.

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He played Christian in "Mutiny on the Bounty."
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Wrong Answer

Clark Gable played Christian in "Mutiny on the Bounty." This was a film from 1935.

He had almost full dentures by the age of 32.
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Clark Gable had almost a full set of dentures by the age of 32. This was due to a very bad gum infection.

He was accidentally listed as a female on his birth certificate.
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Clark Gable was accidentally listed as a female on his birth certificate. He also had cosmetic surgery before becoming a star in Hollywood.

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He played the same character in "Red Dust" and "Mogambo."
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Clark Gable reprised his role from the 1932 movie again in 1953. "Mogambo" starred Grace Kelly and Ava Gardner.

He was born in Bristol, England.
Clark Gable
Cary Grant
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Cary Grant was born in Bristol, England. His birth date was January 18, 1904.

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