Review of Along the Great Divide

Raoul Walsh does make a very solid Western here with a great cast. Kirk Douglas is very solid in one of his earlier roles. Walter Brennan is always good in a western and this one is no exception as his experience shows. One surprise is Walter is not as thin in this movie as he seems to be in other films.

Virginia Mayo is excellent as Brennan's daughter. The plot has to do with a Marshall (Douglas) trying to bring in a father (Brennan) and his Daughter (Mayo) fighting him all the way. Dad is charged with murder. I really envy Douglas getting to ride in several scenes on a horse with Mayo nearly on his lap. That had to take some acting to keep his hands off her (I'd have been finding reasons to touch myself).

There is plenty of action and a trial at the end. There is a little singing which is worked into the plot seamlessly though an aggravation to the Marshall (Douglas). I saw this on TCM for the first time and I appreciate them running a lot of Walsh's films on television as I think some of his lesser known ones like this movie deserve more recognition.

There are a scene or two which take advantage of Mayo's great figure and her thighs. Even in black and white these scenes are a sinful pleasure.