The tale of Loretta Young and Clark Gable is set against the backdrop of the American film industry’s most glamorous era. They first crossed paths professionally on the set of “The Call of the Wild,” a 1935 film where the on-screen chemistry was palpable. This would be their only film together, but it set the stage for a personal story that would intertwine their lives forever.
An Ill-Fated Romance
During the filming in the remote, snowy landscapes of Washington State, Young and Gable found themselves drawn to each other. Even though Gable was married at the time to his second wife, Ria Langham, the isolation of the location and the intensity of their roles led to a brief affair.
The Birth of a Daughter
In the late 1930s, the consequences of an out-of-wedlock pregnancy for a leading Hollywood actress were severe. To avoid scandal, Young disappeared from the public eye, claiming a need for rest due to illness. On November 6, 1935, she gave birth to a daughter, Judy Lewis, in Venice, California. The birth was kept a secret, and Judy was placed in a series of care homes for the first 19 months of her life.
Judy Lewis’ Story
Judy spent her early childhood hidden from the public eye. Shortly after her birth, a foundling home took her in. Under the pretense of charity work, Young, keeping the deception alive, frequently visited Judy. Nearly two years later, Young ‘adopted’ Judy and introduced her as her new daughter in a carefully orchestrated event to protect her image as a pure-hearted actress. They told Judy her birth parents had died, and Young never admitted their true relationship publicly.
Nannies and elite schools shaped Judy’s privileged yet unusual childhood. Despite being the subject of rumors about her resemblance to Clark Gable, especially her ears, which she later had surgery to alter, Judy didn’t discover the truth about her origins until her early thirties.
After a lifetime of subtle hints and mounting suspicion, Judy confronted her mother, who confessed the truth during a private and emotional admission. Young begged Judy to maintain the secret until she passed away, a request Judy initially honored. This revelation drastically changed Judy’s self-perception and life story.
In her memoir “Uncommon Knowledge,” Judy candidly shared her journey. The book was not just a revelation of her Hollywood lineage; it was a deeply personal account of her search for identity. Through the memoir, Judy sought to reconcile the love she had for her mother with the deception that was a core part of her upbringing.
