The Big Sky (1952) | Region-Free (DVD) | Directed by Howard Hawks | Starring Kirk Douglas

Title: The Big Sky (1952)

Genre: Western, Adventure

Plot Synopsis:
In 1832, two Kentucky frontiersmen, Jim Deakins and Boone Caudill, embark on a perilous journey up the Missouri River. Joining a trading expedition led by Boone’s uncle, Zeb Calloway, they aim to trade whiskey for furs with the Blackfoot Indians. Along the way, they face treacherous landscapes, hostile tribes, and internal conflicts, all while protecting Teal Eye, a Blackfoot princess who holds the key to their mission’s success.

Cast and Crew:

• Director: Howard Hawks
• Writers:
  • Dudley Nichols (screenplay)
  • A.B. Guthrie Jr. (novel)
• Cast:
  • Kirk Douglas as Jim Deakins
  • Dewey Martin as Boone Caudill
  • Elizabeth Threatt as Teal Eye
  • Arthur Hunnicutt as Zeb Calloway
  • Steven Geray as ‘Frenchy’ Jourdonnais

IMDb Link:
The Big Sky (1952)

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Peter Labuza – ★★★☆☆
   “Before a screening last week, my friend asked me about some of the Cukors we had seen during the recent retro. She asked me my response to Sylvia Scarlett, which I responded as ‘a very appropriate choice for the Jonathan Rosenbaum Alt-100 List, for better and for worse.’ The Big Sky also appears on that list, and it makes sense for Rosenbaum to champion this one over the film’s more canonical cousin, Red River.”
2. Scott Nye – ★★★★☆
   “What with the men pulling the boat and a catapulting animal carcass, I can safely say this is the first Howard Hawks film to make me think of Werner Herzog. Even acknowledging Red River, Hawks is uncommonly adventurous here, trying to master the unstable elements and convey that same attempt through film.”
3. Kevin Jones – ★★★☆☆
   “Nowadays, RKO Radio Pictures’ iconic opening logo is burned into the minds of old film lovers. Yet, even now, their film catalog suffers. Having been poorly stored or just mistreated in general, many RKO films are in need of restoration help. For films like The Big Sky, the need may be even greater as the studio went over director Howard Hawks in cutting out 20 minutes from his film after it attracted considerable buzz upon release.”

Meta Description:
The Big Sky (1952) is a Western adventure directed by Howard Hawks, featuring Kirk Douglas and Dewey Martin as Kentucky frontiersmen navigating the treacherous Missouri River to trade with the Blackfoot Indians. The film explores themes of friendship, survival, and cultural encounters in the American frontier.