Devereaux Burke (Clark Gable) gets a personal request from former President Andrew Jackson (Lionel Barrymore) to facilitate the annexation of Texas into the United States.

Opposition to annexation is gaining favor because it is mistakenly believed that Texas pioneer Sam Houston (Moroni Olsen) opposes statehood.

Dev has difficulty persuading Martha that he is telling the truth, but after confirming the facts with Craden, she publishes the correct story about Houston's position.

And before the besieged Congres in Austin has voted to make Texas part of the union, he has settled his differences with Broderick Crawford…and Ava Gardner, as unlikely a newspaper publisher as any we've seen…Mr.

Crawford, who loses that battle, his dreams of empire and his girl, is a standard, snarling bad man but one who ultimately has the grace to join his conqueror against the common Mexican enemy.

Miss Gardner, on the other hand, is decorative but not much more as the lady who is torn by love and political affiliations… Luckily for "Lone Star" the principals don't take much time out for either romance or tears.”[3]