Lone Star *** (1952, Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, Lionel Barrymore, Broderick Crawford) – Classic Movie Review 5,145

The 1952 large-scale Western film Lone Star stars Clark Gable and Ava Gardner, and is set against Texas’s battle to be independent. Ava said: ‘Clark, you do realise that this dog of a movie we are making is a pile of s**t?’

Director Vincent Sherman’s 1952 large-scale Western film Lone Star is based on a story by Borden Chase and set against Texas’s battle to be independent. Any film with Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, Lionel Barrymore and Broderick Crawford must be pretty much worth its weight in gold.

Clark Gable, Broderick Crawford and Ava Gardner are typecast as the Texas cattle baron hero Devereaux Burke, the state senator villain Thomas Craden, and the lovely lady in the middle, Austin newspaper editor Martha Ronda, Craden’s girlfriend. But it is Lionel Barrymore who is the film’s hit turn as grumpy old ex-President Andrew Jackson and Moroni Olsen scores strongly too in support as Sam Houston. In the story, Jackson enlists Burke to dissuade Houston from establishing Texas as a republic, bringing Burke up against Craden.

MGM’s movie, stylishly shot in black and white by Harold Rosson, is good but not particularly special or memorable. Even if it is not quite the rousing, rip-roaring movie that is advertised, the big stars, fine character actors and MGM’s costly sets and designs count for a lot. And, at least, with the busy mix of political intrigue, love story, semi-historical drama and Western action all unfolding in 94 minutes, it certainly deserves more than a lone star in the rating.

Also in the cast are Ed Begley, Beulah Bondi, Harry Woods, Nacho Galindo, Chief Nipo Strongheart, William Conrad, Lowell Gilmore, William Farnum, Russell Simpson, James Burke, Ralph Reed, Ric Roman, Victor Sutherland, Jonathan Cott, and Emmett Lynn.

It is written by Borden Chase and Howard Estabrook, produced by Z Wayne Griffin, scored by David Buttolph and designed by Cedric Gibbons and Hans Peters.

It was Barrymore’s last movie, having previously played Andrew Jackson in The Gorgeous Hussy (1936).

Early one morning on location Clark Gable joined Ava Gardner on set for a cup of coffee. They had been pals from her early days at MGM. They greeted each other and then Ava said: ‘Clark… you do realise that this dog of a movie we are making is a pile of s**t?’ He agreed with her and settled in for a chat.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5,145

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