Watch Along the Great Divide For Free

Powerful

Good movie but grossly overrated

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

A rustler about to be lynched for the murder of a rancher's son is saved by a US Marshall intent on taking him to trial. The father determines to exact justice and pursues them across the desert.This western has a great cast with Marshall Len Merrick played by Kirk Douglas, Timothy 'Pop' Keith (the rustler) portrayed by Walter Brennan and Virginia Mayo as his daughter, Ann. Also along for the ride are Ray Teal and John Agar as trusted deputies, and Morris Ankrum as the rancher. It's a fairly stilted affair with average performances but the story still rattles on apace and the scenery is magnificent. All in all, a perfectly watchable diversion.The question is, did Pop really kill the rancher's son. You'll reach your conclusion well before the end of the film but still enjoy watching the predictable story develop.

I generally like westerns, which is why I was attracted to watching this one when it popped up on Turner Classic Movies. But because I have watched so many westerns before this one, I have to confess I didn't find much that was new and/or energetic with this one. It does have some nice background scenery, though its full impact is a bit muted by the fact that it's photographed in black and white instead of color. (I'm not prejudiced against black and white movies - I just think THIS particular one would be better in color.) The performances by the cast are adequate; Douglas does pretty well as the stubborn (but all the same conflicted at times) marshal. But the script, while it may have been somewhat original back in 1951, will seem very familiar today to people, even among many who are not fans of westerns. It's painfully clear who is actually guilty of the murder that's at the heart of the movie (and why), and the struggle to bring the accused party to justice (which takes up most of the movie) just brings up one familiar plot turn after another, from lack of water to the feisty lone female. While all this is professionally staged and executed, I think the only people today who might be really entertained by the movie would be those who have seen no westerns before in their lives.

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

This was Kirk Douglas' first western and he did so well, that he could not stop making them after. Virginia Mayo, who used to be just another pretty woman, here, as in Colorado Territory, has a chance to show her talent and does very well, she still looks modern, when you see the film today. The story is about Kirk saving Walter Brennan from a lynch mob, and trying to get him to the nearest town without being caught by the mob. He chooses to go through the desert and falls in love with Brennan's daughter(Mayo). Raoul Walsh feels at home directing this film, he is as good as always. What I did not like about the film is the song that Douglas does not want to hear, and Brennan keeps singing, it's too sentimental and just one step from being ridiculous. Apart from that, this is an above average western