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"Big John" Gable vs. "Shorty" Tracy.

W. Walker | westminster md | 05/04/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Along with "Call of the Wild", this is my favorite Gable film(not excluding "Gone with the Wind", made just a year before). They have the similarity that we are in a frontier wildcat situation, looking for some treasure: gold in one case, oil in another. There is an air of tremendous excitement and optimism, which Gable epitomizes. In one case, Gable has wisecracking Jack Oakie and later gorgeous Loretta Young as companions in the search for gold. In the other case, Gable teams up with an enthusiatic Spencer Tracy and later with gorgeous Claudette Colbert.
This is one of the last films Gable made before the tragic death of his wife, Carol Lombard, and his entry into WW II. After that, Gable seemed a changed man on screen. It is also his most autobiographical film, as before his film career, he joined his father as an oil man.
This film , an epic about wildcatting in the early oil industry, invites comparison to the later film "Tulsa", with the same theme. Native Oklahoman Chill Wills is the only actor I am aware of who was in both films. In both cases, the excitement begins with a gusher. Later, there is a spectacular oil field fire that threatens to wipe out fortunes. But the later film lacks anyone with the sizzling chemistry between Gable and Tracy, and also lacks the befuddled humor of Frank Morgan. However, If you enjoyed "Boomtown", you should check out "Tulsa". Susan Hayward is the tough-as-nails wildcat, with Chill Wills as the occasional narrator. But, it tends to drag in places.
The initial meeting between Gable and Tracy, going opposite ways on a one way plank that serves as the pedestrian bridge across a muddy water-soaked road in a wildcat town, reminds us of the initial meeting between Robin Hood(Errol Flynn) and Little John(Alan Hale) in "The Adventures of Robin Hood", in which they try to knock each other off a log crossing a stream. In the present case, the incident ends in a draw, when they both dive into the mud as bullets begin to fly around them. Tracy's initial offense at being dubbed "Shorty" by Gable is soon grudgingly withdrawn when they share a room together. However, woe be to anyone else who parrots Gable in calling him Shorty!
Comparison with the prior Gable film "Wife vs. Secretary" is also in order. In both films, Gable acquires a knockout single woman, who nearly costs him his marriage, as an indespensable assistant in his business. The difference is in the personalities of the women. Harlow's character respects his marriage enough not to encourage an affair, though appearances sometimes fuel rumors. In the present film, Heddy Lamarr's character is a snake who admits to Tracy that she is determined to seduce and marry Gable. Happily, Gable eventually dismisses Lamarr and wife Colbert forgives him.
The ups and downs of Gable's and Tracy's oil businesses, together or separately, and their flip-flopping relationship constitute much of the substance of the film. Tracy makes a memorable epic speech at Gable's anti-trust trial, which serves as the basis of a reconsiliation and a hopeful final scene. This speech should have been quoted in T.J. DiLorenzo's book:"How Capitalism Saved America", in which he argues that anti-trust legislation has done much more harm than good.
I wonder why the color DVD poster for the main feature shows Gable smooching Lamarr rather than Colbert? and why the color poster for the special features shows Tracy and Lamarr together(which occurred for only a few minutes in the film). Is Lamarr considered such a superior beauty that she totally outranks Colbert? Not to my mind.
The special features include a look at some Hollywood stars, including Gable, in their off hours. The quality of the main feature on this DVD is excellent.
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