23 Facts About Josephine Dillon

Josephine Dillon was an American stage and film actress and acting teacher.

Josephine Dillon was Clark Gable's patron, acting coach and first wife.

Josephine Dillon was the younger sister of opera singer Enrica Clay Dillon.

Josephine Dillon's father became a district attorney in Los Angeles while her mother was a prominent socialite.

Josephine Dillon was educated in the California public school system and in Europe.

Josephine Dillon eventually decided to give up her career to teach acting.

Josephine Dillon relocated to Portland, Oregon where she opened "the Little Theatre", an acting school attended by wealthy area students.

Josephine Dillon became his patron, paying to have his teeth fixed and hair styled.

Josephine Dillon guided him in building up his chronically undernourished body, and taught him better body control and posture.

Josephine Dillon spent considerable time training his naturally high-pitched voice, which Gable slowly managed to lower, and to gain better resonance and tone.

Josephine Dillon moved to Los Angeles in the summer of 1924 where she opened The Josephine Dillon Stock Company.

Josephine Dillon continued to work with Gable on his acting and voice while he went to auditions.

Josephine Dillon later recalled that he had asked for a divorce several times before but she refused as she did not believe he meant it.

Josephine Dillon filed for legal separation on March 28,1929.

In 1940, Josephine Dillon began teaching acting at Christian College in Columbia, Missouri.

Josephine Dillon's students included Bruce Cabot, Gary Cooper, Donna Reed, Rita Hayworth and Linda Darnell.

Josephine Dillon claimed he was motivated only by love and added that he "owed [Dillon] a debt of gratitude" for guiding his early career.

In July 1956, Confidential magazine published a story claiming that Josephine Dillon was "down and out" and that Clark Gable refused to help her.

Josephine Dillon denied the story was true and later testified against the editors of the magazine in a libel trial in August 1957.

Josephine Dillon nearly lost her home and later revealed that Gable had sent her money to avoid foreclosure.

Josephine Dillon continued working as an acting teacher until poor health forced her to retire in the mid-1960s.

Josephine Dillon later reported that she regularly received abusive and insulting letters and telephone calls from Gable fans despite the fact that she never publicly disparaged him.

Josephine Dillon is interred at Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles.