Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Man Without a Star Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 16, 2022

King Vidor's "Man Without a Star" (1955) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary by critics Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw; new program with critic Neil Sinyard; and vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Welcome to Wyoming

Man Without a Star is an unusual western. It was made by a legendary director who worked with a legendary cinematographer. It has one of old Hollywood’s greatest stars, in his prime, surrounded by a terrific supporting cast. It was produced by a man who had a history of delivering very big, now considered classic westerns. However, Man Without a Star looks like a pretty small, almost intimate project that was done very quickly and with a surprisingly modest budget.

The director is King Vidor, who won an Oscar statuette with War and Peace (1956) and made the excellent Duel in the Sun (1946), Texas Rangers (1936), and Billy the Kid (1930). Vidor worked with a screenplay that adapted original material from a not-so-well-known novel written by Dee Lenford. However, the two writers that adapted the novel were amongst the best in the business: Borden Chase, who reworked his original story for the iconic Red River (1948), and D.D. Beauchamp, who scripted multiple episodes for the popular Wanted: Dead or Alive (1958-1961) TV series. The big star is Kirk Douglas, who had already done Ace in the Hole (1951) and The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), and was surrounded by the likes of Richard Boone, Jay C. Flippen, George Wallace, Claire Trevor, and Jeanne Crain. The legendary cinematographer is Russell Metty, whose credits feature such iconic films as Touch of Evil (1958) and Spartacus (1960). The man who hired Vidor was Aaron Rosenberg and he had already delivered Winchester ‘73 (1950) and Bend of the River (1952).

It is an impressive gathering of all types of different talent, isn’t it? And with such diverse talent, one should rightfully expect Man Without a Star to be a pretty big film, correct?

My very first viewing of Man Without a Star occurred just a few weeks ago and this is precisely the type of expectation I had. After seeing Vidor and Douglas’ names attached to it, I scanned the rest of the cast and looked up the name of the man that had operated the camera, so mentally I was prepared for a grand story and equally impressive visuals. However, Man Without a Star surprised me in so many ways that my experience with it was almost as strange as the one I had when I first viewed Johnny Guitar (1954). Before I describe some of the ways in which Man Without a Star surprised me, however, here’s a quick summation of its plot:

Texas cowboy Dempsey Rae (Douglas) travels on a freight train bound for Wyoming where he hopes to get employed as a cattle herder. On the train, Rae bumps into Jeff Jimson (William Campbell), a young drifter who wants to be like him, and saves his life. Later on, the two end up at the ranch of Reed Bowman (Crain), a very pragmatic and unusually tough lady from back East, who employs them and then casually begins flirting with them. For a while, the three enjoy the romantic game, but when Bowman’s growing herds become too big and she clashes with other ranchers who have divided the area’s fertile land, Rae and Jimson are forced to rethink their commitment to Bowman. While they do, violence erupts and they become enemies.

The entire first half and a small portion of the second half create the impression that Man Without a Star would be a lighthearted western that mixes well comedy and romance. For example, Douglas never misses a chance to be cheeky and while in the local saloon frequently grabs a banjo as if to prove that the Old West knew how to party hard. (Douglas holds the banjo like an ax and his singing is awful, so he isn’t fooling anyone that his character is a great showman, but it is the enthusiasm and energy that count). Campbell is the typical rookie whose inexperience almost daily makes him look quite silly, so each new ‘lesson’ is usually a hilarious situation as well. But once the ranchers clash, Vidor quite dramatically resets all major relationships and the tone of the film. As a result, the previous image of the Old West is effectively destroyed.

But this shift also hurts the integrity of the key characters. Indeed, Douglas’s past with barbwire suddenly becomes a major theme and demands that he reveals a stronger, more uncompromising side of his character that at very least feels underdeveloped. Campbell then suddenly acquires the macho personality that feels entirely scripted. And some of the supporting actors become classic meanies that somehow managed to behave properly until it was time for Douglas’ crucial transformation.

The highlight of Man Without a Star is a giant, brilliantly filmed stampede in the middle of which Douglas guns down a couple of opponents.

Man Without a Star Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.00:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Man Without a Star arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.

The release is sourced from an older master that was supplied by Universal Pictures. I think that this master can be described as decent, but its limitations easily show. As far as I am concerned, its greatest strength is the lack of traces from recent attempts to digital repolish it. (For reference, it is pretty much identical to the one the major supplied for Anthony Mann's Bend of the River).

Daylight close-ups can look rather good, but like the rest of the footage even they reveal some small fluctuations. Typically, it is the wider panoramic shots where delineation, clarity, and depth are most underwhelming, though I would say that they make these visuals look dated rather than bad. Considering the nature of the master, I think that it is fair to say that density levels are surprisingly good. Color saturation and color balance can be improved. In some areas, there are minor registration issues that tend to have an effect on delineation and clarity. Image stability is good, but you will almost certainly notice a few shaky spots and transitions. There is no serious surface damage. However, a couple of specks and blemishes pop up here and there. All in all, this release offers a serviceable presentation of Man Without a Star, but it is very easy to tell that a proper restoration will instantly make the film look drastically better. My score is 3.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Man Without a Star Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The lossless audio is surprisingly strong. Aside from a few slightly uneven spots, I think that it reveals a very nice range of nuanced dynamics. In the upper register, it is very healthy, too. The dialog is always stable, sharp, and easy to follow. So, if one day Man Without a Star is fully restored and the audio remastered, I think that virtually all of the improvements will turn out to be cosmetic.

Man Without a Star Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Neil Sinyard on "Man Without a Star" - in this exclusive new program, critic Neil Sinyard discusses Man Without a Star, its unique qualities, and the exact period in which it emerged. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• Trailer - an vintage trailer for Man Without a Star. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw.

• Booklet - a collector's booklet featuring a new essay on the film by film writer Rich Johnson, and a new piece by critic Richard Combs about the Western films of King Vidor, as well as technical credits.

Man Without a Star Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I saw Man Without a Star for the first time a few weeks ago and I have to admit that it surprised me a lot because it did not turn out to be an old-fashioned western with powerful performances and grand visuals. (The stampede looks great, but I expected a lot more). There is a tiny subversive element in this film, one that is very difficult to properly define, which produces a string of unusual developments and character transformations. Some work quite well, but some feel underdeveloped, so I am unsure what was the original intent for it. I just viewed the film for a second time and my final take on it is that it works. However, it is hard to ignore the strange fact that a pretty large group of incredibly talented people were brought in to do it and yet the end product feels very modest. Needless to say, the speculator in me is pretty confident that in 1955 producer Aaron Rosenberg and Universal International weren't too happy with it. Eureka Entertainment's release is sourced from an older but mostly decent master. RECOMMENDED.