This is one of those pictures that implies historical accuracy but has only a passing, well-groomed resemblance to actual events. When Sam Houston (Moroni Olsen), announces that he's willing to sign a Texas-sized peace agreement with the government of Mexico, cattle-baron Devereaux Burke (Clark Gable) is sent by former President Andrew Jackson (Lionel Barrymore) to try to correct the situation. Burke, whose reward will be a contract to sell beef to the U.S. Army if it starts fighting Mexico, has to journey to Comanche territory where Houston has set up camp. Along the way, he meets Sen. Tom Craden (Broderick Crawford), a tough-guy who also favors a treaty with Mexico. Craden doesn't much care for Burke, and he likes him even less when Burke sets his sights on Craden's girl, an Austin newspaper editor named Martha Ronda (Ava Gardner.)
Generally speaking, that love triangle is the best thing about Lone Star - Gable and Gardner may well be the most attractive people to ever endure the Western frontier. Buckskins and slowly massing armies can't compete with grade-A movie stars throwing off sparks, so all the political turmoil takes a necessary backseat when things take a romantic turn. Still, there's enough gun-waving to satisfy hardcore Western fans. Just accept that the bad weather, salted foods, and lack of hygiene have no effect whatsoever on Gardner's creamy complexion.
That complexion and Gardner's other notable assets were responsible for driving Frank Sinatra to distraction, and he was certainly distracted during the filming of Lone Star. This was an especially tempestuous time in the Sinatra-Gardner relationship. Frank was still married to his first wife, and often spent his evenings at her house, having dinner with their children. Gardner thought these gatherings were hypocritical, if not deluded, and was starting to get annoyed with her high-profile lover. She was also forced into appearing in Lone Star by Louis B. Mayer, so she didn't expect to enjoy her time on the set.
Luckily, Gardner was a lifelong Gable fan, and they liked each other. She was especially adept at cursing like a sailor, a trait he inexplicably appreciated in women. At the time, Gable, who was in the midst of yet another divorce proceeding, was doing a lot of drinking with Spencer Tracy, and Gardner often joined the two icons for a few boisterous rounds. The actress Loretta Young was known for carrying a "swear box," into which coins were dropped when you used an inappropriate word in her presence. "Loretta could have made a fortune on Lone Star," Tracy once said.
Sinatra, by the way, would lose this particular round with Gardner. He often showed up on the Lone Star set, moping in the background during filming. Gardner got fed up with his glum theatrics, especially since she was having so much fun with Gable and Tracy. She eventually told the down-and-out crooner (at this point, his career was at its lowest point) that she would be leaving for a solo vacation immediately after filming wrapped. This threw Sinatra for an even bigger loop, but he and Gardner would have many, many more confrontations before their romance would be abandoned for good. If nothing else, the turmoil enabled him to sing I'm a Fool to Want You from the depths of his soul for the rest of his career. Movie stars will do that to you.
Directed by: Vincent Sherman
Produced by: Z. Wayne Griffin Screenplay: Borden Chase and Howard Estabrook
Editing: Ferris Webster
Photography: Harold Rosson
Music: David Buttolph
Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons and Hans Peters
Principal Cast: Clark Gable (Devereaux Burke), Ava Gardner (Martha Ronda), Broderick Crawford (Thomas Craden), Lionel Barrymore (Andrew Jackson), Beulah Bondi (Minniver Bryan), Ed Begley (Sen. Anthony Demmett), William Farnum (Sen. Tom Crockett), Lowell Gilmore (Capt. Elliot), Moroni Olsen (Sam Houston).
C-95m. Closed captioning.
by Paul Tatara
