Kirk Douglas Westerns 1950s

Kirk Douglas As 50s Western Star: Based on what I've seen, I'd say Kirk was a GOOD western star but not a great one. The same international quality that allowed him to play a Viking and Spartacus hurt him in playing the Cowboy. Like Lancaster - and unlike Stewart, Cooper, or Wayne - he lacked that homegrown Western quality. He also lacked the easy-going charm (ala Stewart/Cooper) that can make up for a mediocre script. Douglas could be playful/charming (see his banjo singing in "Man Without a Star") but he has to work at it, and he really isn't cut out to be the strong, silent type. But he was still pretty good, and usually the best thing in his Western movies. I didn't really like his 50s Westerns that much - but the fault is more with the scripts and supporting casting then in Douglas. He's really the only reason to see most of them.

254. The Big Sky (1952) Hawks Co-stars Dewey Martin and Arthur Hunnicut. B&W 140 minutes. Rambling almost plot-less tale of a couple of mountain men circa 1840 heading down the Missouri for profit and adventure. Based on the Guthrie best-seller. A little too long at 140 minutes. A Box office and critical disappointment, Hawks later identified three reasons why: it should have been in color, the pace was too slow, and the leading parts were miscast. Hawks considered it a buddy picture and regretted his preferred choices Wayne/Mitchum or Heston/Brando were unavailable. So, Hawks had to settle for Douglas/Martin. (Note: Martin was cast for his low salary of $5,000). Douglas has some good moments, but its a buddy picture and male camaraderie isn't Kirk's strong suit. Summary Has some excellent scenes - and Hunnicut is a delight -but "Big Sky" lacks action and narrative drive. A definite cut below "Red River" and "Rio Bravo". Rating **1/2

255. Man Without a Star (1955) - Vidor. Co-stars Jeanne Crain and Claire Trevor. 89 minutes. Douglas is a happy-go-lucky cowboy who ends up working for a Greedy Lady rancher from the East. The movie starts out strong - but soon turns into a Soap Opera & a conventional Cattle Baron vs. small rancher conflict. The supporting cast is good, Crain is very attractive and gunslinger Richard Boone adds some menace. Entertaining but forgettable. Rating **1/2

256. Indian Fighter (1955) - De Toth. Co-stars Walter Matthau and Elsa Martinelli The first movie Douglas produced. Douglas plays a scout leading a wagon train though Indian territory. He's called the "Indian Fighter" but he only fights in self-defense and romances an Indian maid. Some excellent technicolor photography and Kirk has some good action scenes. The main problem is the average script and the absurd casting. The Indian maiden is played by an Italian actress, the Sioux Warchief is played by Jewish Character actor Ed Franz, and the villains are Lon Chaney and Walter Matthau! Chaney seems to think he's still in "Of Mice and Men", while Matthau acts like he just wandered over from a New York Deli across the street. Summary: Average - but enjoyable at times - if you can stop giggling at the New York and Italian accents. Rating**

257. Gunfight at the OK Corral (1957) Sturges Co-stars Lancaster and Rhonda Fleming. 122 minutes. Produced by Hal Wallis with script by Leon Uris. I thought Gunfight was an average western and I'm surprised it was Box office smash in 1955. Yes, there are some good action scenes, Douglas is excellent as the bitter, dying, Doc Holiday and Fleming is very beautiful. But the movie looks stage-bound and inauthentic and Lancaster is so stern and upright he's almost robotic. Other problems include an annoying theme song (a sort of High Noon ripoff) and and a mechanical, unremarkable script. The Clayton's only show up near the end and before that the movie goes through a predictable cycle of Shootout, 10 minutes talk talk, shootout, rinse and repeat. I also missed the great Western character actors. Summary: OK - if you're in the right mood. Rating **1/2

258. Last Train from Gun Hill (1959) Sturges. Co-stars Carolyn Jones and Anthony Quinn. 95 minutes. A Sheriff brings the son of an old friend to justice for the murder of his Indian wife. While labeled a Western, Last Train seems to be set near the turn of the century, since we see telephones and a campaign poster for TR. This was my least favorite Douglas' Western. The wife's rape/murder scene was sleazy, Quinn was miscast as a Western Rancher, and the last part feels like a bad rip-off of 3:10 to Yuma. Its also talky, had an unbelievable ending and stars my least favorite character actor - Earl Holliman. Oh, and most of its shot on a Hollywood set. Yep, I didn't like it. Rating *

259. The Last Sunset (1961) Aldrich. Script by Dalton Trumbo and co-starring Rock Hudson and Dorothy Malone. 112 minutes. Douglas is the bad guy in this one. Sheriff Hudson tracks Douglas down in Mexico for the murder of his brother-in-law . They meet Douglas' old flame (Malone) and decide to join a cattle drive back to Texas. Part western, part Douglas Sirk romance. As usual, Douglas is fine as the villain or anti-hero. And Hudson, as usual, seems uncomfortable playing the action/western "hero". Summary: Another Douglas western that seems unauthentic and talky. Crowther says it best: "It is all exceedingly conventional... Even the rock-studded scenery and the color look depressingly familiar and dull. The trouble simply is that Dalton Trumbo's unoriginal script is utterly lacking distinction and Robert Aldrich's direction is flat and slow. The actors all go through their assignments as if they were weary and bored. We don't wonder. After only one hour's exposure to them, we were quite weary and bored, too." Rating **

260. Along the Great Divide (1951) Walsh Co-stars Virgina Mayo and Walter Brennan. B&W 88 minutes. Douglas is a Marshal tasked with escorting a murder suspect (Brennan) to justice while being opposed by a lynch-minded rancher. The movie starts out well, but we lost interest after 15 minutes due to the slow pace and mediocre script. Some good location shots, and Douglas does OK in his first Western outing -but Mayo and Brennan are wasted. Rating **