asks McMasters to give his wife a divorce that the married man finally comes to his senses. Later, McMasters is prosecuted by the government for violating the Sherman Antitrust Act and loses his business. In the end, poor, but happier, Sand and McMasters team up again, with the blissful Betsy looking on. Aldrich supplies them with equipment and the whole cycle begins again. Cast Clark Gable as "Big John" McMasters Spencer Tracy as "Square John" Sand Claudette Colbert as Betsy Bartlett McMasters Hedy Lamarr as Karen Vanmeer Frank Morgan as Luther Aldrich Lionel Atwill as Harry Compton Chill Wills as Deputy Harmony Jones Marion Martin as Whitey Minna Gombell as Evie Joe Yule as Ed Murphy Horace Murphy as Tom Murphy Roy Gordon as "Mac" McCreery Richard Lane as Assistant District Attorney Casey Johnson as Jack McMasters as a child Baby Quintanilla as Jack McMasters as a baby George Lessey as Judge Sara Haden as Miss Barnes Frank Orth as Barber Frank McGlynn Sr. as Deacon Curt Bois as Ferdie Howard Hickman as McCreery's associate #1 (uncredited) Cast notes: Gable's father, William Gable, was an oil-well driller and as a teenager Gable himself worked for his father in Oklahoma, so he was familiar with the subject of this film. Production MGM had been looking for a project set in the oil fields as a vehicle for Clarke Gable for some time. They optioned the short story "The Lady Comes to Burkburnett" in November 1938. The actress originally considered for the female lead role was Myrna Loy, for whom the part was written. Instead, this became the second, and last, pairing of Colbert and Gable, who had starred together in It Happened One Night. Gable and Spencer Tracy had also worked together before, in two other films, San Francisco and Test Pilot. Eventually Tracy insisted on the same top billing clause in his MGM contract that Gable enjoyed, effectively ending the pairing, though Tracy and Gable liked each other personally and enjoyed working together. The movie was the first Gable made under a new seven-year contract with MGM. Tracy, in fact, brooded over his second-billing status during the filming of Boom Town and was reportedly unpleasant to deal with. He especially did not get along with either of the female leads. Some of the location shooting for the film took place in South Belridge, California. Reception Critical Bosley Crowther of The