Big Sky The (1952) – full review!

Produced and directed by Howard Hawks (Sergeant York (1941)) based on the novel of the same name by A.B. Guthrie Jr. (Shane (1953)) with a screenplay by Dudley Nichols (The Informer (1935)) this above average yet somewhat unusual Western is almost documentary-like in its storytelling which is narrated by one of its main characters Zeb Calloway (Arthur Hunnicutt who earned his only Oscar nomination (Supporting Actor) for his dual role. It’s about a Lewis & Clark-like trip from St. Louis to Montana via the Missouri River in 1832. The other lead characters are played by Kirk Douglas and Dewey Martin. Supporting roles are played by: Elizabeth Threatt in her only screen appearance as an Indian princess; Hank Worden who also plays a Blackfoot Indian; Steven Geray & Buddy Baer who plays crew members on the boat; and Jim Davis perhaps best known as Jock Ewing on the TV series Dallas who plays a rival fur trading company employee. Iron Eyes Cody recognizable from the “Keep America Beautiful” ads appears uncredited as a Blackfoot sub-chief. The quality of the print I saw on TCM was uneven; perhaps the best quality footage was that which was filmed on location in the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming whereas the studio scenes seemed to be shot with film of lesser quality.

Outdoors-men Jim Deakins (Douglas) and Boone Cardell (Martin) meet on their way to Louisville and becoming fast friends decide to go on to St. Louis together to meet up with Boone’s uncle Zeb Calloway (Hunnicutt). After a scrap with the dominant trading company chief Sam Eggelston (Fred Graham uncredited) both land in jail where they find Calloway who has a plan to travel 2000 miles up the Missouri river into Montana to trade with the Blackfoot Indians. Louis MacMasters (Paul Frees also uncredited and not seen until late in this 2+ hour film) owner of the aforementioned trading company has an outpost which isn’t quite as far up river since he’s yet to strike any kind of trade agreement with the Blackfoot. Since Calloway has found a dislocated Blackfoot princess Teal Eye (Threatt) he plans to return her to her tribe using her as leverage to strike just such an arrangement. Frenchy (Geray) is the money man who finances the trip paying for the necessary oar & pole boat and its crew; Romaine (Baer) is his strongman who manages its over-sized rudder.

Once on their journey they meet a straggler Blackfoot hunter named Poordevil (Worden) who helps them per his interest in their whiskey and then for fellow Blackfoot Teal Eye. Their journey is interrupted by MacMasters’s hirelings which include Streak (Davis) per a blonde lock in his dark hair and a normally docile tribe of Indians. Of course Cardell and then Deakins must fight through injuries along the way and the two become involved in a love triangle of sorts with their passenger Teal Eye. Both Blackfoot Indians become valuable members of the group and its mission. While Poordevil Deakins Cardell and Calloway hunt for food and stave off attacks by MacMasters’s company Frenchy Romaine and the rest of the crew pole & paddle their boat upriver. Despite its length I found this drama to be compelling enough to watch without yearning for its end.