MAN WITHOUT A STAR

US, 1955, 89 mnutes, Colour.
Kirk Douglas, Claire Trevor, Jeanne Crain, William Campbell, Richard Boone.
Directed by King Vidor.

A strong and interesting Western. Directed by King Vidor who had made such films as The Big Parade in the twenties, The Citadel and North West Passage in the thirties and forties, it is a continuation of his Western themes in such films as the lurid and melodramatic Duel In the Sun and Ruby Gentry. The theme is the familiar one of the range war, the grazing of large herds of cattle and the introduction of barbed wire. Kirk Douglas is very good in the central role, combining strength and a flair for comic mugging. Claire Trevor is once again the prostitute with the heart of gold. Jeanne Crain, in an unusual role, is the tough owner of the ranch. Vidor has a tendency to bring out this tough side of come of his actresses, for example Jennifer Jones in Duel in the Sun and Ruby Gentry, Bette Davis in Beyond the Forest. William Campbell is quite impressive in the role of tho younger cowboy looking on Douglas as a model. The film was remade in the sixties by James Goldstone as A Man called Gannon.

1. An enjoyable western? Quality, interest?

2. The work of the director and the tone that he gave his films: serious, melodramatic, broad sweep, the humorous touch, for example, Kirk Douglas's comedy and mugging?

3. The contribution of colour, music and title song, the
presentation of the West and its trains, towns, saloons, gun fights, the range and barbed wire? The conventions of this kind of Western and how they were used?

4. The title and its reference to Dempsey, its implications about law and order and justice?

5. The screenplay's focus on Dempsey and his presence all the time in the film? Kirk Douglas's personification of Dempsey? Audience interest in him, identification with him? What kind of Western hero, American hero? His place in the West, his skills, guns? His background of experience and suffering? The drifter with the chip on his shoulder? Strengths and weaknesses, foibles? His good advice but not living up to his advice? His friendship with Idonee? The mask that he wore, the gradual confrontation with the truth? How did he change throughout the film? How much did The Kid change him? Idonee, the owner?

6. The sequences of Dempsey with The Kid and the bond between the two, the substitute brother? Protecting his life, teaching him? The bond of friendship? The inevitability of The Kid and his ambitions, having learnt to shoot then killing, the clash? The final resolution between the two? How well did the film portray this kind of friendship of the West?

7. The portrait of the town itself, the sheriff and authorities at the beginning, the murder situation and the hanging? Idonee and her saloon and the girls, the prostitute with the heart of gold? Her influence in the town itself? Idonee as the typical woman of the Western saloon?

8. The contrast with Reed an the owner? Audience expectations about the arrival of the owner, the house and the bath? Her toughness on arrival? Her confrontation with the men, with Dempsey? Her ruthlessness? Her love of power, money? Intending to pull out when no more money was available? Her wiles as a woman and her hold over Dempsey? The love-hate between the two? Her power, pride and sensuality? How did she use men? Using The Kid? Why did she finally succumb to Dempsey? How was she affected by the brutality of the wire wars?

9. Steve Miles and company as the typical gunfighter villains? Their brutality against the cattlemen? The contrast with the ordinary cattlemen and the workers? The ugliness of the fights?

10. Barbed wire as an issue? Dempsey's violent reaction against it and his clash with the Cassidy family? The brutality of the wire wounds? The Kid and his attitude towards wire? The open range and Cassidy's point of view versus Reed's point of view? Why did Dempsey change? His brutality towards the Mexican with the wire?

11. How realistically were the cattle issues presented? The growth of the cattle industry, the poor cattle owners, the wealthy rangers? Land, crown land, barbed wire, the range wars?

12. Dempsey and his disillusionment with Reed? With The Kid? His decision to leave, his being beaten up, Idonee persuading him to go back? His helping Cassidy and the cattlemen? The confrontation and gun fight?

13. The values of the American West and its heritage? The strengths and weaknesses of the West? The heroism and the Influence on subsequent American history? The American heroes of the West?