The Big Sky (1951)

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The Big Sky (1951) – H. Hawks

I think I was ready for a boffo adventure story and this Howard Hawks picture, featuring a group of men traveling up the Missouri River to the Pacific Northwest to do some trading with the Blackfoot Indians, hit the spot.  Kirk Douglas and Dewey Martin star as a couple of rough and ready young guys who join up with Uncle Zeb (Arthur Hunnicutt) and a band of French outdoorsmen for the long journey.  Hawks is great at creating a sense of community and his combination of sets and location shooting make the drama feel almost real.  There are a number of different exciting episodes along the way and of course a love interest in the form of a Blackfoot maid, brought along on the trip.  The relationship between Douglas and Martin – and with the woman Teal Eye – doesn’t always hold together properly.  Viewers likely prefer the adventure story and perhaps Hawks did too.