Along the Great Divide (1951)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Raoul Walsh

Writers:

Walter Doniger (screenplay)
Walter Doniger (story)

Release Date:

2 June 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

AN ADVENTURE THAT AVALANCHES FROM THE BULLET-PROOF ROOF OF THE ROCKIES TO THE FIERY DESERT FLOOR! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

Marshal Merrick escorts a murder suspect to justice, opposed by a lynch-minded rancher.

Plot Keywords:

Marshal | Desert | Rustler | Lynch Mob | Beautiful Woman

Cast

Kirk Douglas	...	Marshal Len Merrick
Virginia Mayo	...	Ann Keith
John Agar	...	Billy Shear
Walter Brennan	...	Tim 'Pop' Keith
Ray Teal	...	Deputy Lou Gray
Hugh Sanders	...	Frank Newcombe
Morris Ankrum	...	Ed Roden
James Anderson	...	Dan Roden
Charles Meredith	...	Judge Marlowe
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Guy Wilkerson	...	Jury foreman

Also Known As:

The Travelers (USA)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | West Germany:12 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Quotes:

Sam Weaver: When he buried the boy, you know what he put on the marker? "Hear a father's heart lies buried." A man with no heart makes a bad enemy.

Father and son.

This is the western Walsh made after "Colorado territory"("White heat" which is "Colorado'"s follow up is a masterpiece but not a western- and it nearly matches its brilliance.A rather short movie,it's an action-packed story which never loses momentum.Beginning with a very tense situation (a lynching) it remains suspenseful and absorbing all along the great divide.The characters are wonderfully depicted and any of them could be the subject of a movie.This is like" Colorado 's territory" or "pursued" ,an intellectual western.The hero,Merrick ,carries the weight of his father's death.Kirk Douglas gives a fine performance ,being in turn nice or unpleasant.What's really fascinating is that his tragedy is about to happen again:his prisoner may be innocent and he will have another fault on his conscience.Pop Keith (Walter Brennan) and his daughter Ann (Virginia Mayo who was at the time Walsh's favorite actress:she's in the two movies I mention above as well) are an endearing couple:the girl is a strong personality -the part was tailor-made for Mayo-while his papa is a resigned old man,whose favorite weapon is nothing but a ditty which he knows reminds Merrick of his past he cannot forget.One can go as far as saying that Merrick sees Keith as a father who returned from the grave.Another relationship father/son is also featured: Roden who demands Keith's head because he thinks that he killed his son Ed-"I buried my heart in the grave" he says- and his second son ,the ugly duckling.Roden speaks of his late offspring as a perfect boy .

Walsh's movie raises many questions .Sometimes we wonder where justice really is and who is on the right side of the law.This exciting western deserves to be upgraded