Devil's Doorway

1950

1h 24m

Western

List

100%

Tomatometer

6 Reviews

67%

Audience Score

100+ Ratings

Lance Poole (Robert Taylor) is a Native American who left his tribal homelands to fight for the Union in the Civil War. Despite earning the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroic duties in the line of fire, when he returns home he's still faced with hatred and racism from the white community that neighbors his village. Unable to own property because he's not considered a citizen of the United States, he fights a lawyer's (Louis Calhern) attempts to take over his tribe's hard-earned land.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Devil’s Doorway has been forgotten over time, but it’s no less important and actually bests Broken Arrow in one respect.

Rated: 3/4

May 14, 2024

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Dave Giannini

InSession Film

Devil's Doorway has some unsubtle touches, but is impressive in that it puts himself almost solely on the side of the Native character, and painting the white men as evil at worst, and ineffectual at best.

Feb 20, 2024

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Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

Mann in his first western is a good two decades ahead of the game

Aug 31, 2015

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Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

Mann somehow creates a brutal tension simply from this visual presentation of themes, perhaps because the issues at stake here are so emotional.

Jun 10, 2011

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Michael E. Grost

Classic Film and Television

Bleak, bitter attack on racial discrimination.

Aug 9, 2007

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

The film marked an important turning point in the growth of the Hollywood Western.

Rated: A-

Nov 15, 2006

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Audience Member

Really good restaurants here James Welch, Henderson Arkansas over 22nd 2023

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/22/23

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deke p

Very serious movie. Very 'pro-Indian', anti-'racist'. Read the synopsis. Robert Taylor very good as an INDIAN (wouldn't be allowed these days), speaking perfect english and having served in Union Army. Never heard of until on tv 8-2022 Givin it 3 1/2 RT stars, good/rec. Note to sef, watch again and pay more attention to it all.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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dave j

Thursday, June 6, 2013 (1950) Devil's Doorway SOCIAL COMMENTARY WESTERN According to movie historian Robert Osborne, this was the first film that took a serious look on the mistreatment of Native Americans. The fictional plot has Native American Robert Taylor as ex-decorated officer Lance Pool coming back from cavalry to visit his Indian tribe, only to find out that he has to deal with a scrupulous lawyer who's intending to buy up all the property before booting the Indians out, and of course they clash. Directed by Anthony Mann is well intentioned but unsatisfying ending. 2 out of 4stars

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

probally the first in a series of psychological westerns from director anthony mann

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Audience Member

I need to see this again to give it a more accurate rating. It's hard to decide whether it's the movie that I loved or its message. Robert Taylor was never known for being a particularly good actor, but this is one of the early examples of a western that considers the possibility that the American Indians weren't always the bad guys, and that itself is enough to make it noteworthy.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

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Audience Member

Anthony Mann's revisionist western about a native american fighting for his land is a fantastic piece of cinema and easily one of my favorite westerns. The script is really fantastic and intelligent while also being an action packed bad-ass film. Besides possibly Budd Boetticher, Anthony Mann owns the western genre.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

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Anthony Mann

Director

Robert Taylor

Lance Poole

Louis Calhern

Verne Coolan

Paula Raymond

Orrie Masters

Marshall Thompson

Rod MacDougall

James Mitchell

Red Rock

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Synopsis

Lance Poole (Robert Taylor) is a Native American who left his tribal homelands to fight for the Union in the Civil War. Despite earning the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroic duties in the line of fire, when he returns home he's still faced with hatred and racism from the white community that neighbors his village. Unable to own property because he's not considered a citizen of the United States, he fights a lawyer's (Louis Calhern) attempts to take over his tribe's hard-earned land.

Director: Anthony Mann
Producer: Nicholas Nayfack
Screenwriter: Guy Trosper
Production Co: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Genre: Western
Original Language: English
Release Date (DVD): Jul 20, 2010
Runtime: 1h 24m