Clark Gable's It Happened One Night Suit

[jake_fink]

I'm not a rich man, but if I were a rich man (and my name's not Tevye) I'd lobby Indy Magnoli to make the suit that Clark Gable wore in It Happened One Night.

The picture below is sadly lacking, but maybe someone can find some nice screen grabs, or something.

The suit's a honey: Three piece tweed with pleats all over the gaff, patch pockets, full belt back (I think), low gorge and wide lapels. It works so well with that classic thirties hat he wears through most of the film, the one with the high crown and medium brim. I just loves it to bits!

Anybody else on side?

 

[Wild Root]

That's a great suit; it's one I'd like to have made some day. Now, I couldn't find any good shots of the suit on the net but, I do recall it being a three piece. It was a pleated belted back and I believe it was yoked as well. The patch pockets are known as bellow pockets because they lay flat but, extend when items are placed in pockets, they're rather big but, that's what makes them so great! I wish I knew what color that suit was, was it gray, tan, brown or what... we may never know.

Any way, I can't wait to see if anyone here has any good shots of the back of the suit, I recall it was a very nice belted design.

=WR=

 

[Mojave Jack]

I finally got around to watching this, and I have to agree with you, Jake. That is a great suit! He wears that thing around like athletic wear, and it looks as comfortable as a sweat suit. I'd sure like to try out a suit like that.

Root, if this poster is to be believed, it is brown.

The only other color pics show it in black, but I'm sure it's not black!

 

[herringbonekid]

i haven't seen the film, but i can tell even from these small images that it's a good suit. i'd like to see the back if anyone has a pic.

 

[jake_fink]

i haven't seen the film, but i can tell even from these small images that it's a good suit. i'd like to see the back if anyone has a pic.

Screen grabbing this suit was going to be one of my little projects to keep me out of trouble, unfortunately I have enough big projects keeping me out of trouble for the moment that the screen grabbing will have to happen sometime down the road.

If someone doesn't beat me to it.

 

[Indy Magnoli]

...and I'll be waiting with baited breath until you get all the screen shots together! I've got just the right brown/tan tweed that would look perfect for this suit.

Kind regards,
Magnoli

 

[jake_fink]

...and I'll be waiting with baited breath until you get all the screen shots together! I've got just the right brown/tan tweed that would look perfect for this suit.

Kind regards,
Magnoli

Get thee behind me satan!

 

[Tomasso]

How about a clip of the famous hitchhiking scene.

i haven't seen the film, but i can tell even from these small images that it's a good suit. i'd like to see the back if anyone has a pic.

Here.

 

[flat-top]

Get thee behind me satan!

This just made me laugh out loud!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Nick Charles]

Yes, this fabric is slightly nubby, or perhaps I should say "pebbly".


Here's the cloth from a '30s jacket of mine. Perhaps not as thickly woven, but the same texture:

And here's the jacket itself:

I'll venture a guess and say its a 3 piece model like this one of marc's

 

[herringbonekid]

having watched the clip i see it has 'saddlebag' pockets (or whatever you want to call them). the pockets that look like they're inside-out. sporty, but not particularly graceful.

 

[carebear]

He was a reporter on the go, he needed pockets to stash his flask and notebook... and carrots.

I too look at some of the older suits and think they aren't very dressy, I have to remind myself they aren't all meant to be. In many cases they were daily "casual" wear not formal.

 

[herringbonekid]

i'm all for casual as oppose to dressy suits. patch pockets are dandy. those saddlebags... i think they're a bit clunky, they break the silhouette too much. my eye gets caught on them.

 

[carebear]

I don't disagree, I had a leather bomber with bellows pockets in high school and considered sewing them tight to the body. Once they start to sag out they look sloppy.

If they had the elasticity to somehow pull themselves flat when not in use I'd be all for them for utility.

 

[Lord Jagged]

Great movie and wonderful suit. I'm always struck by the suits (and dresses) in 1930's movies. It seems to have been a much better dressed (and colder) time!

 

[Tomasso]

a much better dressed (and colder) time!

Yes, central heating certainly has had an impact on the weight of cloth used for suits. It's a shame because the weightier stuff makes up and hangs so much better than the lighter stuff.

 

[carebear]

Great movie and wonderful suit. I'm always struck by the suits (and dresses) in 1930's movies. It seems to have been a much better dressed (and colder) time!

We're still coming out of the "little ice age" of the late Middle Ages. Gable was 70 years closer to it's height. lol