Honky Tonk (1941)

Tired of constantly being run out of towns, a con man (Clark Gable) in the old West decides to display a respectable front to the townspeople of a new town while subtly continuing his charlatan ways and bleeding the town dry. He becomes a very powerful man in the community even deluding his new bride (Lana Turner) but not her father (Frank Morgan). After ZIEGFELD GIRL, MGM knew it had a new Star on its hands with the 20 year old Turner and began building her up by placing her as a co-star to its top male stars. This was the first of four films she did with Clark Gable and they have a nice easy going chemistry. Still, it's not much of a movie and after the first half hour or so, there's no doubt where the picture is going. It's the kind of movie totally dependent on the star power of its leads, which it has in spades, it's not the story that keeps you watching. The veteran director Jack Conway (LIBELED LADY) dutifully puts his cast through their paces without much style (or enthusiasm). With Claire Trevor, wasted as a saloon hostess stuck on Gable, Marjorie Main, Albert Dekker and Chill Wills.