Along the Great Divide (1951)

A U.S. Marshall and two deputies rescue a cattle rustler from a lynch mob led by a local cattle baron convinced that the rustler also killed his son.

Director:

Raoul Walsh

Writers:

Walter Doniger (screenplay), Lewis Meltzer (screenplay)

Stars:

Kirk Douglas, Virginia Mayo, John Agar

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Kirk Douglas	...	Marshal Len Merrick
Virginia Mayo	...	Ann Keith
John Agar	...	Billy Shear
Walter Brennan	...	Timothy 'Pop' Keith
Ray Teal	...	Deputy Lou Gray
Hugh Sanders	...	Frank Newcombe
Morris Ankrum	...	Ed Roden
James Anderson	...	Dan Roden
Charles Meredith	...	Judge Marlowe

Storyline

New Federal marshal Len Merrick saves Tim Keith from lynching at the hands of the Roden clan, and hopes to get him to Santa Loma for trial. Vindictive Ned Roden, whose son Ed was killed, still wants personal revenge and Tim would like to escape before Ned catches up with him again. Can the marshal make it across the desert with Tim and his daughter? Even if he makes it, will justice be served?

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Plot Keywords:

son murders father | woman with a gun | arizona territory | arizona | marshal | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Adventure | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

After the death of Virginia Mayo in 2005, Kirk Douglas became the last living cast member until this year (2020) when Kirk Douglas passed away.

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Goofs

When Dan Roden escapes into the barn at the end of the film, he is holding only the gun he seizes (having just been brought from jail, he had no weapon). After emptying the gun, he suddenly is seen reloading the weapon and magically now has a gun belt on and a furious gunfight ensues. Where did the gun belt and ammunition come from?

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Quotes

Marshal Len Merrick: [Realizing the shooter he's struggling with is a pretty woman] Hey-hey! Kickin' won't get you anywhere - unless you're a mule.
[Noticing her physical attractiveness]
Marshal Len Merrick: I'm glad to see you're not.

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Connections

Remade as Cheyenne: The Travelers (1956)

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Soundtracks

Down in the Valley
(uncredited)
(a.k.a. "Birmingham Jail")
Traditional American folk song
Sung by Walter Brennan and Virginia Mayo

User Reviews

My name's Merrick. I'm United States Marshal here.

Along the Great Divide is directed by Raoul Walsh and written by Walter Doniger and Lewis Meltzer. It stars Kirk Douglas, Virginia Mayo, John Agar, Walter Brennan, Ray Teal, James Anderson and Morris Ankrum. Music is by David Buttolph and cinematography by Sidney Hickox.

U.S. Marshall Len Merrick (Douglas) and two deputies rescue suspected murderer Tim Keith (Brennan) from a lynch mob led by a local cattle baron who is convinced that Keith killed his son. The lawmen embark on a hazardous journey across the rugged terrains, determined to get Keith to Santa Loma for a fair trial...

Kirk Douglas' first Western is something of an undervalued treat. It was a film he didn't enjoy making, where working out in the desert with Raoul Walsh proved something of a cross to bear. Yet the director got a very good turn out of Douglas, allowing the actor to put down a marker in the genre that would serve him well throughout his career.

It sits very much in the psychological Western realm, a fact that some critics of the time failed to grasp - since complaints about not being a standard Oater were floated about! It really shouldn't have surprised anyone given that Douglas had already made a handful of superb film noir pictures, he was surely cast for this pic on the strength of his noir characters.

There's big father issues abound in the whole film, the various strands keeping the narrative edgy. Merrick is a damaged man, and his companions that make up the group will all test his metal to the max. Not just for father issues, and a lack of water, but also via the presence of Keith's daughter, Ann (Mayo), who mercifully isn't just a token female dressage character (she's feisty with believable emotional outpourings). It's a fraught journey for many reasons and Walsh, notwithstanding cheesing Douglas off, keeps it deftly wound tight.

The surroundings offer more troublesome discord to envelope the characters. Shot in gorgeous black and white by Hickox, the Alabama Hills and Mojave Desert locales provide barren landscapes that are juxtaposed with threatening looking rock formations. This often at times feels like an Anthony Mann/James Stewart landscape, which is high praise indeed. While the cast can't be faulted as they bring the drama to life, benefiting from the fine research of writers Doniger and Meltzer.

Undeniably the film's major drawback is the lack of whodunit worth. The pic unfortunately plays its hand far too early in this respect, meaning we know who the killer is. This could have lessened the excitement at story end, damagingly so, but we are never sure if we are going to be party to an Ox-Bow Incident or otherwise. This is well worth seeking out for fans of psychological Westerns, the many Oedipal themes and the scorching landscapes ensure it's a tasty little number. 8/10

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

2 June 1951 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Travelers

Filming Locations:

Yuma, Arizona, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1