To be completely fair, this insecurity didn’t keep Faulkner from owning an ante-bellum mansion, his own airplane, owning numbers of show-jumping horses, or ordering top-of-the-line suits on account from Phil A. Halle in Memphis. But I guess we all have our own baseline.
In the 1930s and 1940s, Faulkner was able to make enough money to keep body and soul together by taking screenwriting jobs in Hollywood. Faulkner hated the work, hated the long separations from his family, and hated being away from his native Mississippi that was the source of inspiration for his work. While in California however, he would often go hunting or on field trips to the countryside to break the tedium of being trapped in Los Angeles.
In 1932, on one of his screenwriting stints, he was working on scripts with the famed director Howard Hawks. One weekend he went on a brief trip with Hawks and one of Hawks’ friends who had a .410 over-and-under shotgun that Faulkner admired so much he wanted one like it. The friend was movie idol Clark Gable.
In Hawks’ car they drove one fall night into the Imperial Valley for some dove-hunting the next day. Hawks began to talk about books. Instead of freezing, as he usually did when people began to talk literature, Faulkner entered into the conversation. Though intelligent, Gable was not literary, and he remained silent. Finally, he ventured a question.
“Mr. Faulkner,” he said, “what do you think somebody should read if he wants to read the best modern books? Who would you say are the best living writers?”
After a moment Faulkner answered. “Ernest Hemingway, Willa Cather, Thomas Mann, John Dos Passos, and William Faulkner.”
Gable took a moment to absorb that information. “Oh,” he said, recovering, “do you write?”
“Yes, Mr. Gable," Faulkner replied. “What do you do?”
From Faulkner: A Biography, William Blotner
11 comments:
You do realize, Mister Reid, that a lot of the younger readers won't know who Mister Gable is either.....L.B.
That's what Google is for!
Can't help but wonder what the gun was. I once saw a nice 28 gauge Parker that belonged to him at auction
You know Lane, that occurred to me as I was typing the post.
It also occurred to me (having driven it a number of times myself) that in 1932, before the big freeways were built, that would have been quite a drive from LA to El Centro. They would have had quite a while to talk.
Also, my dad bought me my first big guy suit at Phil A. Halle when I was in high school.
Wonderful anecdote.
Jim Cornelius
www.frontierpartisans.com
My first job in college was at Phil A Halle. If Faulkner came in, I don't remember. Some good clothes. I think most of my pay went back to them for clothes.
My first college summer job was at Phil A Halle. Most of my pay went back to them for their great clothes. Later became Wolfe Brothers and I still have 2 jackets from Wolfe Bros.
I had a late friend who spent a year at Ole Miss mostly drinking coffee at a drug store with a distguished , most interesting old man. They had many long varied discussions. Later, Memphis friends discovered that he had no idea that his companion was William Faulkner.
Pretty quick, Mr. Faulkner!
I had a late friend who spent a year at Ole Miss mostly drinking coffee at a drug store with a distguished , most interesting old man. They had many long varied discussions. Later, Memphis friends discovered that he had no idea that his companion was William Faulkner.
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Very cool! Were you going to school in Memphis at the time?
I still live in Memphis. Since High School at East High class of 61. Went to Washington and Lee. Worked summers at Phil A Halle. I guess the moral of the Faulkner story is you are only famous to someone who cares about that sort of thing. Harry was not much into literature. Later made mucho dinero and laughed at his ignorance of William Faulkner.
Tom Russell has a song "William Faulkner in Hollywood" on his 1988 album "The Road to Bayamon." Can't find it online, but the CD is still to be found out there.
Jim Cornelius
www.frontierpartisans.com
I still live in Memphis. Since High School at East High class of 61. Went to Washington and Lee
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I went to Christian Brothers High School class of 70. Went to Tulane and then out here to Colorado for grad school. Never went back except for family visits.
My Dad moved to Jonesboro, Arkansas after he retired so I don't make it to Memphis much.
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