LONE STAR (1952)

Tumbling & crumbling in the post-WWII/post Louis B. Mayer era, top dog M-G-M only had farther to fall than other fast-fading Hollywood majors.  But this mid-sized Western on Independent Texas fighting over annexation with a pre-Civil War USA, comes off pretty well under journeyman Warners director Vincent Sherman out on loan.  Borden Chase, who wrote some Anthony Mann/James Stewart Westerns and Howard Hawks’ RED RIVER/’48, has a good story for a 50-ish but fit Clark Gable playing a pro-annexation agent hiding his identity from fascistic Independent Politico Broderick Crawford, and finding himself falling for the man’s long time gal pal, newspaper owner Ava Gardner.  The idea of romantic interest between Gardner & Crawford cleverly finessed, while political maneuvering and rough-riding action taken care of in the sort of plush M-G-M style you didn’t think this increasingly arthritic studio could still pull off.  True, Gable’s stuntman is a bit too exposed (a back flip?), but this is compensated by letting Gardner use her own voice in a song.*  We even get a final acting role for Lionel Barrymore, playing an infirm, but energetically grumpy Andrew Jackson after something like 100 credits at the studio.  But what makes this modest entertainment unmissable only becomes apparent once Crawford follows Gable to a secret meeting between some Native Americans and Sam Houston.  Suddenly, Crawford bears an uncanny resemblance to a certain recently indicted ex-President.  Sounds like him too.  But wait!  The film then climaxes with Crawford leading a bunch of goons in an insurrection against the legal Texas Congress as they are in the middle of voting on the government annexation proposal.  Not even The Simpsons, famous for anticipating historical events decades before they happen can top this.

DOUBLE-BILL/LINK:  Gardner played backup gal to Deborah Kerr (of all people) in her first Gable pic, THE HUCKSTERS/’47, but made up for that error in MOGAMBO/’53 their last and best co-starrer.  https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2021/04/the-hucksters-1947.html  https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2008/05/mogambo-1953.html

ATTENTION MUST BE PAID:  *Unwillingly dubbed in last year’s SHOW BOAT/’51, Ava Gardner probably got to keep her own vocal as a sop to keep her happy on the home lot.