Born and raised in Ohio, Gable traveled to Hollywood where he began his film career as an extra in Hollywood silent films between 1924 and 1926. He progressed to supporting roles for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and his first leading role in "Dance, Fools, Dance" (1931) was alongside Joan Crawford, who requested him for the part. His next role, in the romantic drama "Red Dust" (1932) with reigning sex symbol Jean Harlow, made him MGM's biggest male star. Gable won the Academy Award for Best Actor for Frank Capra's "It Happened One Night" (1934), co-starring Claudette Colbert. He was again nominated for the award for his roles as Fletcher Christian in "Mutiny on the Bounty" (1935), and as Rhett Butler opposite Vivien Leigh's Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind" (1939). He found continued commercial and critical success with "Manhattan Melodrama" (1934), "San Francisco" (1936), "Saratoga" (1937), "Test Pilot" (1938), and "Boom Town" (1940), three of which co-starred Spencer Tracy.