True Masculinty: Clark Gable

Paragons of masculinity in the movies are few and far between these days. Whenever present it seems somehow forced, almost parodic. I'm not talking about balls out unbridled wildness either; or depictions of the smarmy lady's man. I'm talking about quiet, restrained stength. Strength with a twinkle in its eye; a pillar than can't be shoved.

Sometimes you see flashes of this in actors like George Clooney or Javier Bardem, but find it undercut by the socialisation of political correctness and the necessary contigency of an era that sought to build a 'new man'. To see this potent masculinity in full bloom we have to look to the movies of the past - where it is best crystallised in my view by Clark Gable.