This is one of the most famous kisses in cinema: shooting it was an ordeal for the actor

Are you yet to be introduced to Gone with the Wind? A monument of American cinema, crowned with 9 Oscars, a sentimental mural set against the backdrop of the Civil War, it follows the emotions and frustrations of the divine, nasty and powerful Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh) over several years of her folly. Adolescence, family seriousness and love dramas, his heart choosing to reject his mind.

The actor, who already had a reputation on the boards, but who saw his film career go into orbit with this role, also forms one of the most legendary pairings of American cinema in the film with Clark Gable, who portrays the ambitious and jealous Rhett Butler. .

If you have the movie in mind, you will definitely remember this famous scene of Clark Gable kissing Vivien Leigh. “I want to see you tired, that’s what you were made for!” He shoots her before kissing her. One of the most famous kisses in cinema.

The actor almost fainted. Not exactly because of the sex appeal of the seductive actress, but primarily because of the particularly unpleasant breath of the person concerned. Nothing connected the unfortunate; Although he was a heavy smoker, it didn’t help matters either…

From a young age, he suffered from serious gum problems caused by periodontitis. An inflammatory disease of bacterial origin that causes the destruction of the supporting tissues of the tooth, which may end.

Porcelain prosthesis

The problem was so severe for the actor that after a bout of pyorrhea in 1933, his dentist made the drastic decision to remove almost all of his teeth. After a few days in the hospital, Gable went on vacation to Canada and allowed his gums to heal enough for the prosthesis.

But after the porcelain teeth were fitted, the infection returned and Gable was hospitalized again, except this time he had his gallbladder removed. An absence that lasted a month and also affected the shooting of the MGM-produced film Le Tourbillon de la danse, which blew the budget by $150,000.

What causes the head of the studio, Louis B. to the annoyance of Mayer, who treacherously left the actor 15 days’ salary. He even gave Gable to Columbia for the 1934 film New York-Miami, which proved to be a boon for Gable as it earned him the only Oscar of his career. However, since then, relations between the studio boss and Gable have been strained.

Gable’s halitosis (bad breath) quickly became known throughout Hollywood; Especially among actors who are nervous about the prospect of kissing an actor. “Clark Gable’s Kiss with the Wind wasn’t particularly exciting” Vivien Leigh will comment later; “His dentures smelled terrible. An iconic kiss, sure, but a true love killer.