Devil's Doorway (1950)

Purely Joyful Movie!

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

"Devil's Doorway" is one of those movies about Indians that is not much fun, because the movie cares more about showing us the mistreatment of the Indians at the hands of white men than with entertaining us in the traditional manner, such as by having the Indians scalping, raping, and otherwise terrorizing white settlers.Robert Taylor in redface plays Broken Lance, a Shoshone Indian who has just arrived back home in Wyoming after service in the Civil War fighting for the North, where he won the Medal of Honor. In other words, this movie lays it on pretty thick. He intends to return to his peaceful ways as a free range cattle rancher, but he finds he is beset by a bunch of white people that intend to homestead on his land and raise sheep.This is an interesting twist. First, in most movies where there is a clash between men who want an open range for their cattle and families that want to homestead, it is the homesteaders that are good and the cattlemen that are evil, as in "Shane" (1953). Second, in most movies where sheepherders come into conflict with cattlemen, it is the sheepherders that are good and the cattlemen that are, once again, evil. Glenn Ford seems to show up in a lot of these movies. He is said by villain cattleman Rod Steiger to have the smell of sheep about him in "Jubal" (1956), is the title character in "The Sheepman" (1958), and intervenes as a pastor/gunslinger on the side of the good sheepherders (some of whom are Indians) against the bad cattlemen in "Heaven with a Gun" (1969). So, it is strange that the good guy in Devil's Doorway is a free range cattleman pitted again evil homesteading sheepherders. In fact, if this good guy had not been an Indian at a time when audiences were ready for movies about how Indians were good and white people were bad, the reversal might not have worked. Actually, not much works in this movie in any event. It is tedious and boring, as are all moralistic, preachy movies.As long as the movie was going to be about injustice toward Indians, I suppose the producers figured they might as well put in a word for gender equality as well, though they would hardly have termed it as such in 1950. And so, Lance's lawyer ends up being a woman, who goes by the name of Masters (Paula Raymond). Actually, being a pretty white woman, her real function is tantalize the audience with a little unconsummated miscegenation.When Lance finds out from Masters that the law does not allow Indians to homestead, he berates her for her faith in the law, as a kind of religion, saying that when you have the law, you don't have to worry about your conscience. It tells you what is right and wrong and no more thinking is required. He sarcastically says he wishes he had something like that.This is immediately followed by a scene in which a pubescent boy staggers and then crawls toward Lance's house. It turns out that, like all boys, he had to go into the mountains with only a knife, no food or water, go above the snow line wearing only moccasins and a loin cloth, and come back with the talons of an eagle within three days, or he is not a man. When Masters says that this practice is cruel, Lance justifies this custom, saying it is necessary so that the tribe knows whether the boy can be depended on to fight.Needless to say, a lot of boys probably die in making this attempt. I just knew Masters was going to say, "It looks as though I have faith in my laws, and you have faith in yours. Neither one of us has to bother about our conscience." And Masters could also have noted that white men are pretty good at fighting, and they don't do that to their children. Amazingly enough, she makes no such remarks. There is probably a kind of bigotry of low expectations at work here. White civilization is held to the higher standards of reason and justice, whereas there is a tendency to think of the customs of primitive peoples as too precious to subject to any serious criticism, the result being that the people who made this movie seem to be oblivious to the irony of these scenes, even though they put the one right after the other. Maybe they were being extra subtle, allowing us to have a laugh at Lance's expense, but it sure doesn't feel that way.Before the movie is out, the chief villain, played by Louis Calhern, who was the one that instigated the sheepherders' attempt to homestead, is killed off. And Lance is killed off too, in part to show that he is too manly to yield or compromise, and in part to keep him and Masters from exchanging bodily fluids across racial lines.

I have to show my respect to the American movie industries and the people who had the conscience and courage to openly admitted that the Americans whites did so much atrocious, wicked, cruel and heartless deeds to other races in this countries. first was the American Indians, then the African Americans, then during the WWII, to the Japanese Americans. Don't forget this country is a Christian nation and most of the white people are Christians, yet what this country and the white Christians continuously did unbelievable and unimaginable vicious, monstrous things anytime when an excuse or an opportunity arisen, then they would grab it to by passing a law customized to suit and serve their purpose, change their wrongdoings as legal.This film boldly told us a story about what the white Christians did to the American Indians to rob their land and homesteads from them. Now, the American government admitted their wrongdoings to the Indians and allowed them to have Tax-free Casinos on their limited symbolized lands. What a joke. I kept shaking my head when I watched this film, watched those helpless Indians fought a hopeless battle. I couldn't help thinking: If I were one those Indians, what I could have done? If I were one of those white people, could I still claim I am a Christian?

Robert Taylor you are a superb, amazing actor who I enjoy.You are also good to look upon.I just watched this movie for the first time earlier today and I was entranced through every minute.The Devil's Doorway is a tender, tough piece of film that shows how inhumane the policy was back in the 1800s in regards to the American Indian.Sweet Meadow was a gorgeous,breathtaking holy place that the Shoshone Indians made their home.Then after the Civil War there was a new law invoked in the United States that made it illegal for Native Americans to own land.This is the story of a former Civil War soldier who fought for the Union and he was an American Indian.After the war ended he comes home to Wyoming to settle down and live for the rest of his life at Sweet Meadow.He meets with tyranny,hate and all out greed.The white man decides they are going to let sheep herders and their families take Sweet Meadow from the Indian tribe.You can guess what happens after that.This movie was intelligent,well acted,and beautiful to watch.I cannot say enough.Watch this gem if you can.I made a DVD from Turner Classic Movies and I watched the DVD today and I am glad that I did.If you watch this movie more than likely you will not be sorry.

This movie is a hidden gem. Directed by Anthony Mann, it was probably the first "Civil Rights" Western that went "all in" in terms of presenting the Indian point of view. At the same time, Mann's intensity and fundamental dark view of mankind keep it from becoming condescending or maudlin. Pretty impressive to take this theme on so aggressively a full four years before the "Brown vs. Board of Education" Supreme Court decision kicked off the modern Civil Rights movement.Here are some of the pluses:This is an absolutely terrific performance by Robert Taylor, all the more impressive since it's hard to imagine him playing a full blooded Shoshone Indian. He pulls it off in spades. I haven't seen every Robert Taylor movie, but I can't believe he ever had a better part. Even more impressive, this is an ultra-liberal movie and in real life Taylor was a well known right wing kook. Now that's acting!!This is in black and white, but the movie has a fantastic look and feel to it. Mann's superior direction and creative camera angles jump out at you.One of my favorite Western themes, the Civil War tie-in, is prominent. Lance Poole is a decorated Union Army veteran who returns home to confront racism. In 1950, this is clearly a metaphor for the plight black WW2 veterans returning to the Jim Crow South.It is well plotted. Everything makes sense, is plausible and all the character's motivations are consistent and logical (not something you find in all Anthony Mann Westerns. See my review of "The Man From Laramie").In most cases, the love interest in Westerns is blatantly gratuitous. Orrie Masters, nicely played by Paula Raymond, is written solidly into the script as a sympathetic lawyer. Of course, the movie is once again way ahead of its time with its portrayal of a professional woman.An excellent portrayal of the Shoshones and their plight.Absolutely fantastic Montana location shoot. A shame it wasn't in color.The negatives in this movie are very minor:The problem with going "all in" Indian point of view is that it is inherently depressing.Could have used a stronger supporting cast. Louis Calhern is good as the heavy, but this part could have been stronger.No room for comic relief in the dark world of Anthony Mann. All that stops this from devolving into a lugubrious depress-fest is the edgy plot, good action scenes and Taylor's compelling performance.