Devil’s Doorway ** (1950, Robert Taylor, Louis Calhern, Paula Raymond, Marshall Thompson, James Mitchell, Edgar Buchanan) – Classic Movie Review 8998

The 1950 film Devil’s Doorway is a downbeat and unpersuasive Western, but worth a look for Anthony Mann’s pacey direction, John Alton’s impressive black and white camerawork and the strong action finish.

Paleface Robert Taylor (born Spangler Arlington Brugh on the plains of Nebraska) is oddly, indeed awkwardly cast, and none too impressive as US Army Sgt Major Lance Poole, an educated Shoshone Indian and hero of the American Civil War, when he took the Medal of Honour at Gettysburg.

But, after Lance Poole comes home to be a rancher, white farmers want to grab his land for grazing, and he is forced to take up arms to try to save his tribe from massacre by land-grabbers.

Alas, MGM’s forte wasn’t Westerns and it is nothing like as good as the similar 1950 Broken Arrow.

Also in the cast are Louis Calhern, Paula Raymond, Marshall Thompson, James Mitchell, Edgar Buchanan, Rhys Williams, Spring Byington, James Millican, Bruce Cowling, Fritz Leiber, Harry Antrim, Chief John Big Tree, Tom Fadden, Kermit Maynard and William Phillips.

Devil’s Doorway is directed by Anthony Mann, runs 84 minutes, is made and released by MGM, is written by Guy Trosper, is shot by John Alton, is produced by Nicholas Nayfack, is scored by Daniele Amfitheatrof, is designed by Cedric Gibbons and Leonid Vasian.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8998

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com