Visually, Howard Hawks’ The Big Sky (1952) is a shining example of studio era B&W cinematography. The film was shot on location in the Grand Teton National Park, and while its images are in many ways indicative of an unspoiled land of the past, this picture is, in its own way, also representative of a bygone era. Had this movie been greenlighted just a few years later surely it would have been given both the Cinerama and Technicolor treatments. Instead, its silvery images are held within a 4 x 3 aspect ratio. I believe that widescreen processes are some of the greatest advances in film history and that color pictures are vibrant and expressive, but there is a charm to the old boxy screen, and there was never anything wrong with black and white movies. The Big Sky was produced at the beginning of the end of two studio era staples, and while it is not a great film, it does have that unmistakable charm.
Set in 1832, the film concerns two Kentucky trappers, Jim Deacons (Kirk Douglas) and Boone Caudill (Dewey Martin), who make their way to St. Louis to meet up with Boone’s uncle in hopes of getting in on the lucrative fur trade west of the Mississippi. It is a movie with all of the drunken brawls and Indian chases and gun fights of later-set Westerns, but its unique setting separates it from many of the films of the genre.
The men arrive in the city only to start trouble with members of the major trading company, and they find themselves in jail. Serendipitously, they are thrown into a cell with Boone’s uncle. When the trouble cools off, all three men join up with a boat crew that is headed up the Missouri River, deep into Blackfoot country. Typically, such a journey would mean great danger, but the boat’s captain (Steven Geray) has a scheme to avoid it. He is holding a Blackfoot princess on the boat, and believes that her presence on board guarantees safe passage and friendly trading, once she is returned to her people.
Naturally, conflicts arise despite, and sometimes because of, the Indian princess’s addition to the small but surly crew. Storms and rough waters have no tribal loyalties and the two protagonists both seem to have eyes for the girl. There is also the ever-present threat from the ominous and ubiquitous “Company”, that believes a corner on the furs market should be theirs. With the perils of rival tribes looming as well, action sequences in The Big Sky often come about abruptly, sometimes disappearing then as quickly as they came with nothing but a fade and a bit of narration to justify their closure. Structurally the picture progresses with minimal logic, with little other than the characters to tie one scene to the next. The subplots of the relationships with the Blackfoot princess are ludicrous, and by the time she chooses between the two men I couldn’t have cared less who she picked. Both Douglas and Martin are better when on screen with each other anyway. The real focus here is the exterior cinematography; so good that occasional shots which are beyond the point of digital repair reinforce the strength of those that have been saved. DP Russell Harlan shot some of the best Hollywood films produced from the late 1940s to the early 1960s, including Hawks’ two great Westerns, Red River (1948) and Rio Bravo (1959). Both men however were able to adapt to different styles and genres. Hawks was perhaps the second or third greatest director of the studio era, and he worked on everything from gangster pictures to screwball comedies, making arguably the greatest picture of each genre. Not much information seems to have been published about his working relationship with rising star Douglas, but I’d speculate that he liked the also versatile actor.
Douglas shot The Big Sky between two of his best roles. He had finished work on the under seen Ace in the Hole (1951), perhaps the best work of his career, and was also filming The Bad and the Beautiful (also 1952) that same year. In the case of Douglas, Hawks, and Harlan The Big Sky doesn’t stand out amongst their solid repertoire, but on its own merit it is a good adventure picture, particularly for audiences looking for a twist on the Western premise. It’s not gold, but it may be worth your time.
Language: English (primary)/French
Runtime: 140 Minutes
Available temporarily on xfinity On Demand services
Grade: 2.5 Hats Off
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