Politics & Government

Did Gable Give A Damn About Heather Farm?

Walnut Creek history: screen legend filmed horse-race gambling flick 'Sporting Blood' partly at Heather Farm in 1931.

we told you about plans for Walnut Creek's centennial and posed a Walnut Creek history trivia question.

The answer: It was Clark Gable who filmed scenes for the MGM feature movie "Sporting Blood" at Heather Farm in 1931.In 1989, a special screening of the film took place at the Regional Center for the Arts (now the Lesher Center) in honor of the City's 75th anniversary.

It was Gable's first star turn, according to the 'Sporting Blood' Wikipedia site. The director was Charles Brabin. Gable played a crooked gambler involved in buying a horse. The horse wins the Kentucky Derby and Gable wins the girl.

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The young lady in the photo — does anyone know who that is? From the cast list on the Wikipedia site, some possibilities are Madge Evans and Marie Prevost …


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