Cattle baron Devereaux Burke is enlisted by an aging Andrew Jackson to dissuade Sam Houston from establishing Texas as a republic. Burke must fight state senator Thomas Craden, in the process winning the heart of Craden's newspaper-editor girlfriend Martha Ronda.
Acting
Gable's too-old-for-this smirk against Gardner's firecracker editor.
Production
Lionel Barrymore's Andrew Jackson makeup deserves its own credit.
Director
Vincent Sherman
Clark Gable
Devereaux Burke
Ava Gardner
Martha Ronda
Broderick Crawford
Thomas Craden
Lionel Barrymore
Andrew Jackson
Beulah Bondi
Minniver Bryan
Ed Begley
Anthony Demmet
James Burke
Luther Kilgore
William Farnum
Tom Crockett
Lowell Gilmore
Captain Elliott
Moroni Olsen
Sam Houston
Russell Simpson
Maynard Cole
William Conrad
Mizette
George Hamilton
Noah (uncredited)
Emmett Lynn
Josh, Printer
Charles Sherlock
Senator (uncredited)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Gable was 51 playing a dashing cattle baron; Gardner was 29. Hollywood math!
Released during the Red Scare, its pro-expansion message played differently than intended—some critics read it as Cold War allegory.
US
