DEVIL'S DOORWAY
US, 1950, 84 minutes, Black and white.
Robert Taylor, Louis Calhern, Paula Raymond, Marshall Thompson, Edgar Buchanan, Rhys Williams, Spring Byington.
Directed by Anthony Mann.
Devil's Doorway is a very interesting western, especially in the perspective of later decades of the 20th century. It is a small-budget MGM film with Robert Taylor starring as an Indian who had served in the Civil War, returns home to claim his land but falls victim to federal oppression about Indian land rights. It was directed by Anthony Mann, best known at this time for thrillers like Raw Deal, Border Incident, who was later to make a number of significant westerns with James Stewart and some of the big spectacles of the '60s.
The movie was produced at the same time as Delmer Daves' Broken Arrow. Broken Arrow was spoken of as the breakthrough movie in sympathetic presentation of Indians and their rights. However, this film has been possibly unjustly neglected. Louis Calhern is a strong villain.
1. Interesting western? Post- Civil War? Wyoming territory? Indians and whites? Cattle and sheep? Justice?
2. The film's brief running time, black and white photography, locations? Cast? The reputation of the director?
3. The title, the reference to the landscapes, hostile and then welcoming? The issue of land rights?
4. 1950 and the production of this film, status of Indians in movies, villains in westerns? The shift to a more sympathetic understanding of Indians at this time? The contribution of this film?
5. Robert Taylor as Lance, his star status? As an Indian? His service in the Civil War, the return home, the welcome, Coolan and his bigotry? His return to his father and the tribe? The Indian traditions? The issue of land? His going to the lawyer, her hostility, then sympathetic hearing of him? Her applications on his behalf and their failure? Her visits, their discussions about issues, prejudice? The clashes with Coolan? The sheep people and their personal approaches, their need for land? The making of the Indian land available? Laws from Washington and their administration? His reactions, hostility? His leadership among the Indians and their dying out? Jimmy and his initiation, his successor? The preparation for battle? The dialogues, his using his army tactics? The attack, the deaths? The lawyer's mediation and her failure? His being shot, his going with his Congressional Medal of Honour and the irony of his dying? The grim tone of the film?
6. Coolan, the law, bigotry, his offensive statements? Turning the townspeople against the Indians? Bans for drinking in bars? His rousing up the people, legal backing, urging the sheep people on, his spies and fomenting violence? His wanting them to attack? His death?
7. The lawyer, her mother, family background, taking on her client, tensions, overcoming her own prejudice? Lance putting issues to her clearly and her having to answer? Going out to his property? Getting the documents? Her trying to mediate? Her calling the military in? The final attempt to mediate, his death? Her mother, fears, taking the gun with the Indians, befriending the Indians, seeing them, learning about them? Her memories of her husband and urging her daughter on?
8. The presentation of the Indians, the chief, his illness, the doctor refusing to come? His death? The Indians on the reservation, their escaping, Lance giving them refuge? Jimmy and his initiation? The battles and their brutality? The Indians defeated?
9. The sheep people, their hopes, not wanting to fight, being urged on by Coolan, the bitter battles and their deaths?
10. The coming in of the military, the administration of the law? Law and conscience? Indians not citizens in their own land? A vivid picture of American injustice against the Indians?
