Man Without a Star poster

1955·89 min·Released

Man Without a Star

“A love-bargain is like barbed-wire...fight it and you'll get hurt!”

Western

A wandering cowboy gets caught up in a range war.

6.5(122 votes)

Popularity2

Videos

Original Universal Trailer

Cast & Crew

Kirk Douglas

Kirk Douglas

Dempsey Rae

Jeanne Crain

Jeanne Crain

Reed Bowman

Claire Trevor

Claire Trevor

Idonee

William Campbell

William Campbell

Jeff Jimson

Richard Boone

Richard Boone

Steve Miles

Jay C. Flippen

Jay C. Flippen

Strap Davis

Myrna Hansen

Myrna Hansen

Tess Cassidy

Mara Corday

Mara Corday

Moccasin Mary

Eddy Waller

Eddy Waller

Tom Cassidy

Sheb Wooley

Sheb Wooley

Latigo

George D. Wallace

George D. Wallace

Tom Carter

Frank Chase

Frank Chase

Little Waco

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John Chard

Written on 5/28/2017

To fence or not to fence, that is the question. Man Without A Star is directed by King Vidor and adapted by Borden Chase & D. D. Beauchamp from the Dee Linford novel. It stars Kirk Douglas, Jeanne Crain, Claire Trevor, William Campbell & Richard Boone. Photographed by Russell Metty in Technicolor around the Thousand Oaks area in California, with the title song warbled by Frankie Laine. Dempsey Rae (Douglas) is easy going and a lover of life, so much so he has no qualms about befriending young hot head Jeff Jimson (Campbell). The pair, after a scare with the law, amble into town and find work at a ranch owned by the mysterious Reed Bowman. Who after finally showing up turns out to be a lady (Crain), with very ambitious plans. As sexual tensions start to run high, so do tempers, as the boys find themselves in the middle of a range war. It's all very conventional stuff in the grand scheme of range war Western things, but none the less it manages to stay well above average in spite of a tricky first quarter. For the fist part Vidor and Douglas seem to be playing the film for laughs, with the actor mugging for all he is worth. Add in the wet behind the ears performance of Campbell and one wonders if this is going to be a spoof. But once the lads land in town and the girls show up (Trevor classy, Crain smouldering), the film shifts in gear and starts to get edgy with Vidor proving to have paced it wisely. The thematics of era and lifestyle changes, here signified by barbed wire, are well written into the plot. While interesting camera angles and biting photography keep the mood sexually skew whiff. Boone lifts proceedings with another fine villain performance, and Jay C. Flippen in support is as solid as he almost always was. 7/10

Media

MAN WITHOUT A STAR "Lessons in twirling a gun" Clip

MAN WITHOUT A STAR "Lessons in twirling a gun" Clip

MAN WITHOUT A STAR "Go ahead, make your play" Clip

MAN WITHOUT A STAR "Go ahead, make your play" Clip

Original Universal Trailer

Original Universal Trailer

Masters of Cinema Trailer

Masters of Cinema Trailer

Man Without a Star (1955) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p]

Man Without a Star (1955) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p]