"Possessed"

A production still of Clark Gable on the stage of the Philharmonic Auditorium, 5th and Olive. Thanks to Paul Ayers for sharing this photo from his collection on a Facebook post. Paul notes that Gable was taking a smoke break prior to filming the finale of "Possessed" (MGM, 1931). The Auditorium was being used as the site of a political rally.

Clarence Brown directed, based on a play called "The Mirage" by Edgar Selwyn. Leonore J. Coffee did the screenplay. The film also stars Joan Crawford and Wallace Ford. The cinematography was by Oliver T. Marsh. 

 

Shots from the scene in the film: 

 

Gable on the stage. He's running for governor. 

 

 

A look into the house.

 

Let's be symmetrical. A view to house right. 

 

A view from the top. The guy on the left is a paid agitator.  

A fine look across from house left. Trouble is about to begin. 

 

A view from house right. 

 

 Another house right view. 

 

Can you imagine? A paid protestor trying to disrupt the meeting. 

 

 More chaos to begin in a moment. 

 

Time to start throwing leaflets. But we get a nice view of soffit decorative work. 

 

More leaflets. What do they say?

 

More floating down from the ceiling dome.  

 

Gable on stage with lots of shouting and a snowstorm of leaflets. 

 

Crawford catches one: "Who is Mrs. Moreland?" Well, that's the name she's been using. 

Crawford stands up to address the crowd. "I am Mrs. Moreland."

 

She's recently broken off her affair with him: "He means nothing to me. And I mean nothing to him."

 

She makes a hurried run across the lobby after her speech.

 

And out the Olive St. exit doors. We're supposedly in New York so she heads for the el station. 

 

The final clinch on the stairs in the rain after Gable runs after her. "If I win I want to be with you. If I lose I want to be with you."

See the page about the Philharmonic Auditorium on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the building and many photos. The 2,670 seat theatre opened in 1906 and was demolished in 1985. 

On IMDb: "Possessed" 

This film has nothing to do with the 1947 film of the same title, also starring Joan Crawford.