Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

Devil's Doorway Blu-ray Movie Review

Home of the brave.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III May 2, 2024

Anthony Mann's first of many Westerns, the socially progressive Devil's Doorway was one of only a handful of classic Hollywood films told from a Native American perspective, even if its main character is anything but. Robert Taylor stars as "Lance Poole" (AKA "Broken Lance"), a full-blooded Shoshone Indian who adopted the ways of the White man and even earned the Medal of Honor for his service in the Civil War. Nonetheless, he encounters trouble in his hometown of Medicine Bow, Wyoming: the state has since been made an official U.S. territory, and as such his ethnicity makes Lance a non-citizen. Grazers have long had their eye on his expansive property known as "Sweet Meadow", where he resides along with a few dozen Shoshone who refuse to join reservations. After the locals band together to come for his land, Lance and his people must either fight back or become victims of the controlling majority.

Devil's Doorway takes almost no time to set up its central conflict, which begins when Lance rides into town for what should have been a hero's welcome. He's not met with outright disgust from everyone, of course: a few supporters still exist, but it's not long before sneers and side-glances turn into full-on staredowns. Lance's desperate pleas for the local doctor to treat his ailing father (Chief John Big Tree, the only Native American credited by name) go unanswered until he gets physical. A written notice appears above the local saloon restricting liquor sales to Indians, prompting a vicious brawl that almost turns deadly. Worse yet, a loophole in new homesteading laws is exploited by racist attorney Verne Coolan (Louis Calhern) to advertise Sweet Meadow as being up for grabs. Coolan soon organizes desperate shepherds and cattle ranchers to basically take the once-serene valley by force; this leads to a pair of brutal conflicts that pepper the second half of Devil's Doorway, which is named after the main entrance to Lance's prized land.

One potential wrench in Coolan's machine turns out to be Orrie Masters (Paula Raymond), a lawyer who reluctantly handles Lance's initial homesteading request yet soon has no moral choice but to take his side. Shrewdly calling in the U.S. Cavalry to attempt a truce, what should have been a diplomatic affair soon turns into the exact opposite, which gives Devil's Doorway a fatalistic edge cemented by an unforgettable conclusion. It's a film that presumably shocked audiences back in 1950; not just for its audacity to go against the tide of most cowboy-and-Indian Westerns, but to do so in a way that greatly humanized its central character -- played in forgivable "redface" by Taylor, because the film absolutely wouldn't have even been made otherwise -- in the process. The expressive cinematography by John Alton aids its visual impact greatly, and its pair of bracing showdowns on Lance's property are truly epic.

In most every respect, Devil's Doorway is a deep MGM catalog cut well worth revisiting, last seen on home video via Warner Archive's 2010 DVD edition. The boutique label digs deeper for this welcome Blu-ray upgrade, which is led by a careful new restoration that treats its fragile source material with care. Add in lossless audio and a few light extras, and you've got one of this month's best releases that'll surely appeal to die-hard hands and newcomers too.

Devil's Doorway Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Approaching perfection within limited boundaries, Warner Archive's careful restoration of Devil's Doorway, shot by the prolific John Alton, represents another leap forward from their previous DVD edition. According to a reliable source, this 1080p transfer stems from a recent 4K scan of best-available preservation elements; in this case, a second-generation preservation safety fine grain made from the camera negative in the 1960s -- long before that original source burned, along with countless other nitrate negatives, in the historically tragic 1978 George Eastman House fire.

It should come as no surprise, then, that absolute perfection can't be obtained in this case... but with this in mind, what we get here is a clean and very watchable presentation of this great-looking film. Fine details are quite good in the right conditions but tend to sporadically waver, as do black levels and image depth. Close-ups are quite striking, although a few intentionally soft ones (such as those featuring Paula Raymond's character, as seen in screenshot #14) take on a slightly more gauzy appearance than originally intended. Yet everything still enjoys a remarkable and healthy level of consistency in direct comparison to the older DVD release, and the film's stunning cinematography maintains composure on what's essentially a very stable-looking effort that tightens up at all the right moments. As usual, the disc encoding is very good with only trace amounts of posterization, which again may have been unavoidable under these circumstances, as the main feature gets plenty of room to breathe on this dual-layered disc.

The only downside to this renewed sense of clarity? Robert Taylor's (excusable) "redface" now looks more obvious than ever, especially when the whites of his eyes pierce through that thin layer of makeup. A worthwhile trade.

Devil's Doorway Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Warner Archive's DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track follows suit in quality (if not slightly outpacing the video for overall consistency) with this decently robust split mono mix, which I'm told came from a safety track positive made from the nitrate negative at the same time as that best-available source referenced above. Its native condition is unknown but looks to have been lightly polished here, as the film's dynamic range sounds quite potent -- the lower end of numerous dynamite explosions during a thrilling second-act showdown digs surprisingly deep -- while conversations are clean and intelligible throughout, with only a handful of scenes dipping in fidelity (usually, with visuals to match). But I've no real complaints at all here, as it seems to strike a good balance and again seems very true to its roots.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are offered during the main feature only, not the extras listed below.

Devil's Doorway Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with handsome vintage poster-themed cover artwork. Bonus features are mostly limited to a few era-specific MGM cartoon shorts, which are always fine by me.

• The Chump Champ (7:17) - This enjoyable Droopy short, taken from Warner Archive's excellent Tex Avery Screwball Classics: Volume 1 Blu-ray collection, continues the heated rivalry between Droopy and Spike (under the alias "Gorgeous Gorillawitz") in an anything-goes athletic competition.

• Cue Ball Cat (7:06) - More Tom and Jerry in HD? Yes please. This one, which features our duo duking it out in an otherwise empty pool hall, was last seen on WB's Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection: Volume 1 (now a 20-year old DVD set) but has been mercifully restored in beautiful 1080p and looks great.

• Original Theatrical Trailer (1:48) - "Starring Robert Taylor in the most unusual role of his career." You can say that again, bub. This (misleading) vintage promotional piece can also be seen here.

Devil's Doorway Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The first of many Westerns directed by Anthony Mann, Devil's Doorway was considered an extremely progressive and forward-thinking drama back in 1950, just one of many reasons why it still holds up well today. The others include a strong lead performance by Robert Taylor, a great supporting cast, beautiful cinematography, and an engaging premise that's executed with precision. Warner Archive's Blu-ray adds plenty of support including lossless audio and a rock-solid restoration sourced from the best-available preservation elements; under the circumstances, it's a great-looking effort that helps the main feature shine like new. This is yet another solid catalog release from the most reliable boutique label in the business and, for obvious reasons, comes firmly Recommended to fans and first-timers alike.