Devil's Doorway

I just discovered this movie and checked it out because I'm a Robert Taylor fan. I soon got caught up in the story, which was a good one, but not the movie to watch if you're feeling a bit down and want something to help cheer you. (And if you're looking for the typical Hollywood happy ending, forget it.)

I wish I could forget the truths in this film, as they're far from pretty. As RT's character, Shoshone Native lance Poole discovers, fighting for his country in the Civil War, showing bravery in several famous battles, and winning the Congressional Medal of Honor won't make one bit of difference to the people who won't accept him in society, oppose his owning land and living among them, and wanting him to go to a reservation, where they believe he belongs. He was good enough to fight for his country, yet that same country repays him with bigotry, unfair laws, and social stigma. (A doctor won't treat his ill father, he's refused service in a saloon, and lawyer Verne Coolan (Louis Calhern) uses a loophole in the law to take away Lance's property, preventing him from homesteading.

Lance refuses to give up his land, and lets Verne know he'll have a fight in his hands. He finds an ally in Orrie Masters (Paula Raymond), a woman lawyer who tries to help him. (Her mother is played by Spring Byington, who gives a bit of comic relief to an otherwise downer tale.) In a surprising twist, she's shown respect for her legal expertise, and is accepted as having a most unusual career for a woman in the 1860's; no one's telling her to get a husband and have babies. (Though you get the impression that, had society been different and not put so many obstacles in their path, she may have wanted a home and children with Lance.)

Orrie tries helping Lance, by getting a petition together, to try and overturn the law, and when that fails, and Verne and a band of sheepherders try to force Lance off his land (he's supported a Shoshone tribesmen), Orrie calls in the Cavalry, hoping to put an end to the fighting, but instead they side with Verne, feeling the law must be upheld.

I won't give anymore away, I'll just say that the movie makes you think about how foolish people can be, and how ironic it is that Native people were made to feel unwelcome in a country that was theirs to begin with.

"Devil's Doorway" is a Western drama that by its very title says there's something evil, bad or terribly wrong in the plot of this story. The prejudice and injustice soon become obvious to all. And, the character of Verne Coolan is quickly seen as the villain, the bad guy, the devil. But, surely, the originator of the story and writer of the screenplay intended a message with more depth. Thus, the "doorway" in the title. Before more discussion of that, I note the setting and fine performances by all in this film.

Robert Taylor is superb as Lance Poole, a Shoshone Indian and returning decorated veteran of the Civil War. Louis Calhern, a very good actor, plays Coolan. Without any apparent personal reason, his dislike of Indians - the native Americans, is clearly a prejudice of hate that blinds reasoning and hardens the heart. Paula Raymond is very good as Orrie Masters, who herself has battled some prejudice and bias of the time and culture that doesn't expect a woman to be able to be a lawyer. Lance himself, has a tinge of such prejudice at first. Spring Byington as Orrie's mother, Edgar Buchanan as Zeke Carmody, and Tom Fadden as the saloon keeper, Bob Trammell, are symbols of many other people - probably a large majority of the human race. They are those who aren't prejudiced by nature, but are subject to the wiles and whims of the culture and time. There are some, of course, who are gullible and easily swayed to violence or destruction by lies, manipulation and subtle coercion.

With filming done around Grand Junction and Aspen, Colorado, the movie has some very good scenery that depicts the area around the Medicine Bow National Forest, from mountainous areas to the grassy valleys and stretches of high plains. But, there are some anomalies about locations and settings in this story and film. While it doesn't alter the plot overall, for some who study and enjoy history and know the U. S. geography quite well, these anomalies are a little puzzling.

The town of Medicine Bow is just north of the Medicine Bow national Forest, where Lance's land was likely located. But the Wind River Range that Zeke mentions having trapped in with Lance's father, starts 150 miles to the Northwest of Medicine Bow. And, when Lance herds his cattle to market, they go all the way to Bozeman, Montana. That would be more than 500 miles over some rough terrain, including mountains. And what would the cattle market be there? He could have gone 100 miles or less to Cheyenne or 180 miles to Denver over much easier terrain. Even Salt Lake City, at 350 miles would have been a much easier cattle drive. And there surely would have been bigger markets for cattle in those places. This is before the transcontinental railroad reached across this territory. Lance tells Zeke that he had seen the U. P. (Union Pacific Railroad) 75 miles East of Old Fr. Kearny. That would have been about 100 miles West of Omaha. So, there were no railroads to ship cattle out of Bozeman or any of the other places, but the bigger towns surely had more sizable markets for beef.

And, who knows what the Indian reservation is that the movie refers to. The Wind River Reservation would be established in 1868 by agreement with the U. S. government and the Eastern Shoshone Nation. It covers 2.2 million acres just about in the middle of Wyoming - more than 3,500 square miles of land and water that includes mountains, grass land and high desert country.

What this film shows is how one man or a few people with strong prejudices can spread their venom among some people. I noted that sheepmen were not riled up or anxious to try to take land from the Shoshone. Calhern's Coolan kept calmly steering them toward a battle. Even then, Rod MacDougall (played by Marshal Thompson) wanted to negotiate with Poole and talk to attorney Masters. Coolan had promoted the sheepmen coming to the area in the first place, obviously to cause a battle and/or drive the Shoshone away. And, but for needing water and grazing land for their sheep, these men had no animus against the Indians. But, with some help from his errant troublemaker, Ike Stapleton (played by James Millican), Coolan finally succeeds in rousing the sheepmen and some town people to confront the Indians.

The story has a poignant ending. Had the Indians been considered American citizens in the first three centuries of the settlement of North America, their plight would surely have been quite different. It wasn't until 1924 that Congress granted citizenship to all native Americans. And, that was spurred on by the high number of American Indians who enlisted in the Armed Forces during World War I. There's some interesting history about this film and it's being held back for release until after the 20th Century Fox film, "Broken Arrow" came out that year. "Devil's Doorway" is a different film and superior to that one in some ways, but has not enjoyed the recognition that the other film has had.

Still, this is a very good film about the plight of native Americans, and especially about prejudice and how good but uninformed and ignorant people can be manipulated and coerced into prejudice, and be led into biased and unjust behavior. It happens still in the 21st century where it can be so easily disguised under false notions of justice, liberty and freedom. Would that everyone become more vigilant so as to respect others and their differences, and not become bigots, hypocrites or promoters of prejudice.

This movie is in a remarkable contrast to Broken Arrow (released in the same year) insofar that in this movie one bad man (lawyer Verne Coolan) leads a whole community on the wrong path. It's not that the others are innocent sheep that can be led anywhere, but the racial, cultural prejudices are the preying grounds for the Devil to feed upon. And what better agent or instrument of the Devil than an evil lawyer, and an unjust law as the weapon? The hook or by crook manner in which the Native people in the new World were looted and stripped of all their rights is nowhere better exemplified than in this movie. Of course in this fictional (although in reality it was typical) case, the methodology is crude and overt because all that was needed was to push over one man who wanted to hold on to his land and to hold on to it even if he has to buy his own land if need be. But even that is denied to him because a new law framed by the government does not recognize an Indian as a valid citizen (and therefore cannot legally own any land even if bought by him). The far more sophisticated method was to simply pay a few dollars and bottles of whiskey to just one weak and drunkard Indian of the tribe, in return get a piece of paper signed by him selling all the land the tribe was living on, and loudly claim that they were now the owners of the land and the Indians had better push off or get killed by the 'volunteer army'. A further level of sophistication was required when the tribe was united under a strong Chief. In that case a treaty was made that promised protection to the Indians from further encroachment if the Indians gave up a large chunk of the land. Once that was accomplished, a slow process of gradual encroachment would begin, along with provocation upon provocation that would eventually elicit a retaliatory response. Once again a hue and cry would be raised that the Indians had broken the treaty. Naturally, the 'poor innocent settlers' were under grave threat to their lives and 'fully paid-up' property, and the 'poor innocent government' had no choice but to call in the 'highly disciplined' army to restore order in the land by wiping out the remaining Indians, and if some had still managed to survive, they would be confined to a 'reservation' where they would be slowly starved to death. Much later, even Hitler expressed his admiration for these sophisticated methods and advanced political science techniques used to find a 'solution' to the 'problem' of sub-humans. Such is the legacy of the 'conquest' and on such foundations 'the birth of The Nation' took place, The Nation that would claim to be the champion of 'human rights' and 'freedom of the individual' all over the world. Such ill-gotten power carries a terrible burden, and the telling of the story truthfully (in the general context) as this movie does, has substantial redeeming value, although what is done cannot be undone. Try to ignore it, try to forget it, and even that little window of redemption is shut for ever.

Devil's Doorway is directed by Anthony Mann. It stars Robert Taylor as Lance Poole, a Shoshone Indian who returns home to Medicine-Bow from the American Civil War after a three year stint, and a veteran of three major conflicts. Awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor he rightfully expects to be able to retire to a peaceful life back on the family land. However, all his hopes and dreams are shattered by bigotry and greed as new laws are ushered in to deprive the Native Indians land rights.

Biting and cutting, Devil's Doorway is a Civil Rights Western that, boldly for its time, looks at the injustices done to Native Americans. Very much grim in texture, it's no surprise to see Anthony Mann at the helm for this material. Mann of course would go on to become a Western genre darling for his run of "Adult Westerns" he would do with James Stewart. Prior to this Mann had showed himself to have a keen eye for tough pieces with dark themes in a few well regarded film noir movies. So this was right up his street, in fact a glance at his output shows him to be something of a master when it comes to showing minority groups sympathetically. MGM were nervous tho, unsure as if taking the Western in this direction was the way to go, they pulled it from release in 1949. But after the impact that Delmer Daves' similar themed Broken Arrow made the following year, they ushered it out and the film promptly got lost amongst the plaudits for the James Stewart starrer. That's a shame because this is fit to sit alongside the best work Mann has done.

Filmed in black & white, the film has beautiful landscapes that belie the bleak road the movie ultimately turns down. Shot on location at Aspen and Grand Junction in Colorado (the talented John Alton on cinematography), the film also manages to rise above its obvious eyebrow raising piece of casting. Robert Taylor always had his critics, hell I'm sometimes one of them, but here as he is cast against type as a Shoshone Indian, he gives the character conviction and a stoic nobility that really makes it work. Some of his scenes with the beautiful Paula Raymond (playing his lawyer Orrie Masters) are a lesson in maximum impact garnered from emotional restraint. You will be aware of the fluctuating skin pigmentation he has throughout the movie, but honestly look into his eyes and feel the confliction and loyalty and you really will not care.

Scripted by Guy Trosper (Birdman of Alcatraz), the screenplay is unflinching in showing how badly the Native Americans were treated. Throw that in with Alton's other gift, that of the dusty barren land shot, and you got a very film noir feel to the movie. Something which not only is unique, but something that also showed a shift in the Hollywood Oater. We now get brains to match the action and aesthetics of the Western movie. Not that this is found wanting for action, Mann doesn't short change here either, with a dynamite led offensive purely adrenaline pumping.

A fine fine movie, an important movie in fact. One that is in desperate need of more exposure. Still awaiting a widespread home format disc release, I quote Orrie Masters from the movie..."It would be too bad if we ever forget".... that applies to both the theme of the piece and the actual movie itself. 9/10

In Wyoming, Native American Indian and Civil War hero Robert Taylor (as Broken Lance Poole) faces discrimination. When his father appears ready for the "happy hunting ground," Mr. Taylor can't get a doctor because he's an "Injun". White lawyer Louis Calhern (as Verne Coolan) wants to take away the land Taylor inherits. Taylor hires female attorney Paula Raymond (as Orrie Masters) to help and they are mutually attracted. Taylor learns that, as an Indian, he is not a United States citizen and has no right to his own land. Sheepherding homesteader Marshall Thompson (as Rod MacDougall) moves in, and the conflict gets violent...

"Devil's Doorway" opens with some serious reservations about Taylor's portrayal of a Native American. It doesn't help that his make-up shades up inconsistently in different scenes. But, after about thirty minutes, when he's in full "red-skin" dress, Taylor creates an appealing and believable character. Taylor's stoic mid-life screen persona matches the role perfectly, and he responds with one of his best performances. Also lifting this film from the doldrums is director Anthony Mann, who gets photographer John Alton under your skin with some beautifully framed and staged scenes. The "pro-Indian" theme was not new, but had become rare.

******* Devil's Doorway (9/15/50) Anthony Mann ~ Robert Taylor, Paula Raymond, Louis Calhern, Marshall Thompson