Man Without a Star (1955)

Synopsis: King Vidor borrows a page from one of his depression-era films when Kirk Douglas, starring as roving cowboy Dempsey Rae, arrives at the extensive spread of rancher Reed Bowman (Jeanne Crain), fresh from riding the rails. Along with enthusiastic yet inept young sidekick Jeff Jimson (William... King Vidor borrows a page from one of his depression-era films when Kirk Douglas, starring as roving cowboy Dempsey Rae, arrives at the extensive spread of rancher Reed Bowman (Jeanne Crain), fresh from riding the rails. Along with enthusiastic yet inept young sidekick Jeff Jimson (William Campbell), he signs on at Bowman's, attracted as much by his tart-tongued boss as by the job. At her behest, the cowboys begin work on a fence, but as the truth dawns on Rae--that they've been hired to fence off land that smaller ranchers need to graze their herds--he decides to stop digging postholes and join the other side. But Bowman's new foreman, Steve Miles (Richard Boone), who enjoys wrapping recalcitrant enemies in barbed wire, aims to give Douglas all the trouble he can handle. Douglas is perfectly cast as a tough, humorous, charismatic drifter who loves nothing more than his freedom. A solid supporting cast, including Claire Trevor as a generous madam and Jack Elam as a knife-wielding heavy, gives texture to the film, as does the arresting camerawork of Russ Metty. In all, the fast-paced film makes for an entertaining 90 minutes. [More]