Despite his reluctance to play the role, Gable is best known for his Oscar-nominated performance in the Academy Award–winning best picture Gone with the Wind (1939).
Carole Lombard may have been the first to suggest that he play Rhett Butler (and she play Scarlett) when she bought him a copy of the best-seller, which he refused to read.

Butler's last line in Gone with the Wind, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn", is one of the most famous lines in movie history.
Gable was an almost immediate favorite for the role of Rhett with both the public and producer David O. Selznick.
Since Selznick had no male stars under long-term contract, he needed to negotiate with another studio to borrow an actor.
Gary Cooper was Selznick's first choice.
When Cooper turned down the role of Butler, he was quoted as saying, "Gone With the Wind is going to be the biggest flop in Hollywood history.
I'm glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling flat on his nose, not me."
By then, Selznick had become determined to hire Gable, and set about finding a way to borrow him from MGM.
Gable was wary of potentially disappointing an audience that had decided that no one else could play the part.
He later conceded, "I think I know now how a fly must react after being caught in a spider's web."

By all accounts, Gable got along well with co-stars and was great friends with actress Hattie McDaniel; he even slipped her a real alcoholic drink during the scene in which they were celebrating the birth of Scarlett and Rhett's daughter.
According to Lennie Bluett, an extra in the film, Gable almost walked off the set when he discovered the studio facilities were segregated and signage posted "White" and "Colored".
Gable phoned the film's director Victor Fleming and told him, "If you don't get those signs down, you won't get your Rhett Butler."
The signs were then taken down.
Gable tried to boycott the Gone with the Wind premiere in segregated Atlanta, because African American McDaniel and Butterfly McQueen were not permitted to attend.
He reportedly only went after McDaniel pleaded with him to go.
They appeared in several more films, remaining life-long friends and he always attended her Hollywood parties.

Gable did not want to shed tears for the scene after Rhett inadvertently causes Scarlett to miscarry their second child.
Olivia de Havilland made him cry, later commenting, "Oh, he would not do it.
He would not!
Victor (Fleming) tried everything with him.
He tried to attack him on a professional level.
We had done it without him weeping several times and then we had one last try.
I said, 'You can do it, I know you can do it, and you will be wonderful ...' Well, by heaven, just before the cameras rolled, you could see the tears come up at his eyes and he played the scene unforgettably well.
He put his whole heart into it."
The role was one of Gable's most layered performances and partially based on the personality of director and friend Fleming.

Years later, Gable said that whenever his career would start to fade, a re-release of Gone with the Wind would soon revive his popularity, and he continued as a top leading actor for the rest of his life.
One reissue publicized "Clark Gable never tires of holding Vivien Leigh".
Despite his reluctance to play the role, Gable is best known for his Oscar-nominated performance in the Academy Award–winning best picture Gone with the Wind (1939). Carole Lombard may have been the first to suggest that he play Rhett Butler (and she play Scarlett) when she bought him a copy of the best-seller, which he refused to read.
Butler's last line in Gone with the Wind, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn", is one of the most famous lines in movie history. Gable was an almost immediate favorite for the role of Rhett with both the public and producer David O. Selznick. Since Selznick had no male stars under long-term contract, he needed to negotiate with another studio to borrow an actor. Gary Cooper was Selznick's first choice. When Cooper turned down the role of Butler, he was quoted as saying, "Gone With the Wind is going to be the biggest flop in Hollywood history. I'm glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling flat on his nose, not me." By then, Selznick had become determined to hire Gable, and set about finding a way to borrow him from MGM. Gable was wary of potentially disappointing an audience that had decided that no one else could play the part. He later conceded, "I think I know now how a fly must react after being caught in a spider's web."
By all accounts, Gable got along well with co-stars and was great friends with actress Hattie McDaniel; he even slipped her a real alcoholic drink during the scene in which they were celebrating the birth of Scarlett and Rhett's daughter. According to Lennie Bluett, an extra in the film, Gable almost walked off the set when he discovered the studio facilities were segregated and signage posted "White" and "Colored". Gable phoned the film's director Victor Fleming and told him, "If you don't get those signs down, you won't get your Rhett Butler." The signs were then taken down. Gable tried to boycott the Gone with the Wind premiere in segregated Atlanta, because African American McDaniel and Butterfly McQueen were not permitted to attend. He reportedly only went after McDaniel pleaded with him to go. They appeared in several more films, remaining life-long friends and he always attended her Hollywood parties.
Gable did not want to shed tears for the scene after Rhett inadvertently causes Scarlett to miscarry their second child. Olivia de Havilland made him cry, later commenting, "Oh, he would not do it. He would not! Victor (Fleming) tried everything with him. He tried to attack him on a professional level. We had done it without him weeping several times and then we had one last try. I said, 'You can do it, I know you can do it, and you will be wonderful ...' Well, by heaven, just before the cameras rolled, you could see the tears come up at his eyes and he played the scene unforgettably well. He put his whole heart into it." The role was one of Gable's most layered performances and partially based on the personality of director and friend Fleming.
Years later, Gable said that whenever his career would start to fade, a re-release of Gone with the Wind would soon revive his popularity, and he continued as a top leading actor for the rest of his life. One reissue publicized "Clark Gable never tires of holding Vivien Leigh".
Clark Gable