Review of Devil's Doorway

This is one of the most underrated of all the westerns of the decade. Much before its time in the realm of bigotry and racism, it is truly a masterpiece. The black and white photography is magnificent, the scenery amazing, and Robert Taylor with very little makeup, is truly the Shoshone he plays, his features perfect for the part. Lance Poole comes back from the war fighting side by side with whites in the Union forces and winning the Congressional Medal of Honor. He has changed, thinking that the world has changed with him. He returns to Sweet Meadows, the land of his father, and only wants to build upon the land a cattle ranch. He does so successfully for 5 years until the white settlers come to homestead and he finds that because he is an Indian, he is not entitled to his own land. He hires a lawyer, played well by Paula Raymond, but she is also unable to change the laws which lead to bloody battles over the land, headed by another lawyer, Louis Calhern, a total bigot and instigator. Calhern is convincing as the lawyer who hates the success of the Indian, and plans his demise. As time goes along Lance realizes that nothing has changed and that he must make a last stand. Raymond tries to stop him, because she is drawn to him, and I suspect loves him, but the times would never allow her to be with him. She goes to him at the burned out ranch, and he embraces her telling her that she could never be with him, but maybe 100 years from now it would have been possible. The film was much ahead of its time, and I consider it to be one of the finest westerns ever made, and Taylor's performance one of sensitivity and strength. So overlooked it is a crime.