Honky Tonk (1941)

Too much of everything

Simply A Masterpiece

Excellent but underrated film

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The first of four screen pairings of Clark Gable and Lana Turner has Gable as Candy Johnson, a con artist/card shark who's been run out of one too many towns, with his partner in crime Chill Wills, due to their shady dealings and swindling the "suckers," as he calls them. He decides he wants to find one place and stay there, and go honest, at least partly. The next place down the line on the train is Yellow Creek, Nevada. On the way, he meets Lana, a sweet, pretty young thing, who's going to stay with her father. They of course instantly start making sparks, him coming on to her and Lana trying her best to not let on she likes him. In town, he finds he knows her father, the respected judge, played by Frank Morgan, who really isn't really honest, but is a drunk crook, to put it bluntly, and who puts up a front of respectability and in turn collects taxes and fees and uses them for his own habits. It turns out Candy and the judge go way back, but Lana never knew her father was anything but a good fellow. Claire Trevor is great as a saloon girl/poker dealer, who also knew Candy from the past and who is still harboring a yen for him. And, of course, there's a jerk, who's abusing the position of Sheriff, played by Albert Dekker. Have I got you in the mood for a good, old-fashioned western? Well, you can find it here, but up to a point. Most of the appeal of this is of course Gable and Turner together and their fireworks, with some fast-talking quips by Gable, such as when trying to kiss her, "Why don't you jump in and get wet all over? You'll feel better." and also by costar Marjorie Main, who was Ma Kettle. But after the first hour or so, the novelty wears off and and the melodramatics take over and there's too much talking and not enough action. "Honky Tonk" may be the most known and liked of their movies together, but it's far from perfect. I'd rather give this a 7.5, but I will round up for Gable being in top form and in his element as fast-talking Candy Johnson and for Lana Turner, who never looked more sweet and flirtatious than she does here.

I can't add much to what has already been written about this film, except a couple of observations. One is that I am surprised by how sexy the dialogue is, and some of the situations. Parts of it play almost like a Pre-Code film. For example, when Lana wakes up the morning after "clinching" her marriage to Gable, she is in a double bed. She looks over at his side of the bed, and sees just his pillow there, as he has already gotten up. He soon comes into the room, and the story continues. What is amazing, for the post-Code year of 1941, is that they obviously slept in the same bed. As everyone knows, from 1934 until the 1960s, married couples were always limited to twin beds. Or I thought they were. I wonder how many other films got away with this? Perhaps because it is an "historical" story, the censors excused it. There are some other scenes in the film that also push the 1941 envelope- some subtle, some pretty obvious.I agree with the others posters who point out the great chemistry between Gable and Turner. They played well in all their films together. Gable is at his height here as "Gable." The amusing, macho character everyone always remembers. Mostly by way of Rhett Butler. This was pretty much his film persona at the time. It's interesting when you watch his early '30s films, when he had a perhaps wider range of parts. He often played sensitive, educated men in those films (after his initial period playing gangsters). Doctors, a minister, flyers, an Italian soldier, Fletcher Christian, etc. I kind of wish he had played more of those types later in his career. But the public seemed to prefer him as endearing rascals. Among a group of great character actors, Marjorie Main is the standout, for me. I love all her snide comments and zingers, which are always on the mark. She was one of those supporting actors who could steal a scene from just about anyone. And she often acted as kind of a Greek chorus, summing up the goings on. You can't help but think of Ma Kettle, as they are similar types.Anyway, this is a pretty enjoyable film. Gable at his peak, Turner on her way up, and MGM at its zenith. And some racy dialogue, to boot.

MY absolute all time favorite Clark Gable movie is Honky Tonk. Gable's Candy Johnson is more perfect characterization for him than Rhett Butler was. This movie is in the pinnacle of Gable's career between Gone With The Wind and Carole Lombard's death.Gable and Chill Wills are a pair old West con men who we first see actually conning their way out of a tar and feathering. They sneak aboard a train and Gable meets Lana Turner who he falls head over heels for. He soon finds out she's the daughter of a fellow grifter, Frank Morgan, who's the justice of the peace of the town they've arrived at. And the fun starts.Lana Turner in the beginning of her career had a certain winsomeness that was very effective on the screen. You can see the same thing in another of her films with Gable, Homecoming. Supposedly Gable and she had a fling during this film and this was when Gable had that storybook marriage to Carole Lombard.Gable and Turner get great support her with a cast that includes Frank Morgan, Chill Wills, Marjorie Main, Henry O'Neill, Claire Trevor, and Albert Dekker. The film begins with a con and actually ends with one as Gable cons the bad guys into giving up, I won't reveal how.Finally I like this film because even though he gets the girl and even might be settling down, Gable is totally unrepentant about his past. Very unusual for 1941 Hollywood.

A very predictable script, but the screen team of Clark Gable and Lana Turner cannot be beat! Plus, the supporting cast is first-rate with Majorie Main, Frank Morgan and Claire Trevor.