Spoonatects Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Justina The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

weezeralfalfa Yet another range war western, in Technicolor. Yet, in some significant ways, it is special. The person with ambitions to be the cattle baron in this region is a beautiful, sophisticated, iron-willed woman (Jeannne Crain, as Reed) from the East. The man she wants to make love to, if only to serve as an inducement to remain her foreman, is Kirk Douglas, as Dempsey. He's basically a wanderer, who is vacillating between a desire to support Reed's open range policy, which he equates with more personal freedom for him, and a desire to give the surrounding small ranchers a more even shake, by allowing them to put up fences to contain Reed's voracious ambition, and to preserve the quantity and quality of the grass, by fencing out Reed's bloated cattle herd. Reed's stated policy is to exploit the good grazing for several years, and when it's converted to poor grazing, move on to another unfenced good grazing area. This is not what most of the small ranchers want to do.Like Monte Walsh, Dempsey has no desire to 'hitch his wagon to a star', perhaps the star being Reed. He wants to continue his wandering lifestyle, and Reed would appear to be not interested in matrimony, unless perhaps to a virile, but tamable man, preferably who has a substantial cattle herd to add to hers.Jeff(William Campbell) is a young man, who wants to 'hitch his wagon' to Dempsey as his teacher on how to become proficient with guns, including some fancy juggling, and how to become a good wrangler. His position is rather like that of Anthony Perkins in relation to Henry Fonda, in "The Tin Star"(a different kind of star!). Jeff is also sort of a substitute for Dempsey's younger brother, who was killed in a Texas range war instigated by Steve Miles(Richard Boone).Clearly, the villains in this story are meant to be the grasping Reed and pugnacious Miles, who becomes Dempsey's replacement after the latter switched sides. Miles sends 3 men to kill Dempsey in the field, but, instead, Dempsey killed 2, and brought the other to Reed as a warning. Later, the 2 tussle, with Miles getting the worst of it, as he falls into a section of barbed wire. After this apparent victory, Dempsey rides off into the sunset, suggesting that Jeff pay more attention to his girlfriend, Tess.

ma-cortes A cowboy is hired as a foreman for a powerful landowner , but he then helps ranchers to stop the egoistic cattle owner from taking over their lands . As he , subsequently , changes sides and will fight against her , as he helps mistreated settlers who put barbwire to protect their herd . The cowboy fighting for justice will tame his vital code he lives by and supporting other neighboring cattlemen who are harassed by her .This is a moving western dealing with the ordinary conflict between freedom and the need for order and settlements . The picture regards interesting issues such as the economical abuses by powerful owners including violence , and the sexual resources that the beautiful land lady , gorgeous Jeanne Crain , uses to get her purports . Nice and feisty acting by the great Kirk Douglas as the sympathetic as well as impulsive gunfighter . Being one of the first movies that Kirk Douglas made through his own production company , Bryna Productions . Support cast is pretty good , such as : Claire Trevor , Richard Boone , Jay C. Flippen , Jack Elam , Paul Birch , George Wallace , Mara Corday , Roy Barcroft and special mention for William Campbell as a stubborn young gunfighter . Colorful and brilliant cinematography in Technicolor by Russell Metty , being filmed on location in Conejo Valley , Thousand Oaks , Janss Conejo Ranch , California , and Grand Canyon , Arizona . Besides , a moving , stirring musical score by two uncredited composers , Hans J. Salter and Herman Stein .The motion picture , based on a screenplay by the Western expert Borden Chase , was compellingly directed by King Vidor and lavishly produced by Aaron Rosenberg who financed a lot of westerns for Anthony Man/James Stewart . Although he and Kirk had strong problems , as Douglas and Vidor had arguments , and the latter left the shooting and was fired . However , King shows some his peculiar visual style . In addition , the picture went on to become a box office hit . Vidor directed other good westerns as ¨Duel in the sun¨ , ¨Northwest passage¨, ¨Billy the Kid¨ , and ¨Texas Rangers¨ . And made several classic movies as ¨War and peace¨ , ¨Comrade X¨ , ¨Stella Dallas¨ , ¨Fountainhead¨ , ¨Our daily bread¨ , ¨The citadel¨ , ¨The crowd¨ , ¨Big parade¨ , among others .

TankGuy Drifting cowpoke Dempsey Rae(Kirk Douglas)is riding the rails when he befriends a hot-headed young man named Jeff jimson. The two are given work tending cattle belonging to tough female rancher Reed Bowman and Jeff, enamoured by Rae's no nonsense demeanour, comes to respect the older man. Rae teaches Jeff how to survive as a cowboy, however a fierce rivalry later develops between the two men as they vie for Reed's affection. This is further complicated by Jeff's trigger happy approach to work on the ranch and Reed's decision to import thousands more head of cattle which she knows will encroach on her neighbours land, a reality which she isn't bothered by after hiring ruthless gunman Steve Miles(Richard Boone)and his gang of thugs to enforce her unfair methods. Rae quits the ranch in order to avoid becoming embroiled in the imminent range war, although Jeff sides with Reed-the friendship between the two men having soured considerably. Rae is ultimately forced to side with the other ranchers against Reed which leads to a dangerous face-off against Miles-an old nemesis of Rae's-and his gang of henchmen...A superior effort from King Vidor that is the quintessential western in every sense of the word. Man Without A Star is really a stark outline of the dos and don'ts of the cowboy lifestyle. Thanks to a fine script and sharp dialogue, the viewer finishes the movie with an enthralling perception of survival in the old west. One of the greatest scenes in the film depicts a shooting contest between Dempsey Rae and Jeff. Rae does the most awesome trick with his sixgun that would even put Clint Eastwood's Man With No Name to shame. It really must be seen to be appreciated but one cannot help but reflect on the extreme time and patience employed by Kirk Douglas in order to perfect the shown skill. Douglas is our man of the title with a hatred of barbed wire, he's brilliant in the lead. Jeanne Crain was also excellent as the object of his desire turned adversary who doesn't shy away from using harsh methods to get what she wants. Richard Boone always did make a great villain and character actor Jay C. Flippen was excellent as the ranch foreman. The rousing soundtrack compliments the fine scenery and the wonderful Frankie Laine bellows out the vocals of the soaring title song. The movie burns slowly but builds to a spectacular finale involving a stampede, a pulse pounding shootout featuring some dangerous looking stunts and a horseback chase, all followed by an awesomely chaotic fight between Douglas and Boone.Another sturdy western from Universal with a compelling narrative and a rip-roaring finale. 9/10

Richard Burin A stunning, one-of-a-kind allegorical Western, with Kirk Douglas sensational as the tortured ranch hand who sees the fencing off of the West as the death knell of his freedom. He falls in with naive, impressionable William Campbell – a younger brother substitute – and the pair get work on the Triangle ranch. When wealthy scruple-vacuum Jeanne Crain turns up to make a quick buck off the land, Douglas splits, setting in chain a series of events that lead to murder and the symbolic destruction of Campbell's innocence. Then, with barbed-wire spreading like a rash across the green lands, Douglas wakes from a two-week drunk at Claire Trevor's bar to strap on his six-shooter... Nostalgic, thoughtful, intelligent and funny: a prototype 'Monte Walsh', and a remarkable film. It's shot like a dream too, by the ever interesting Vidor. Incidentally, the star that Douglas is without is not a Sheriff's star, but a star in the heavens he can follow.(3.5 out of 4)