Devil's Doorway (1950)

A decorated Civil War hero (Robert Taylor) returns home with hopes of prospering as a cattleman on his family's land. But he is a Native American and thus has no citizenship, no property rights and so with no recourse, he must fight to hold on to his land. Directed by Anthony Mann (FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE), this is a startling film to come out of 1950s Hollywood and from MGM yet! The film is decidely pro Indian as it examines the racism against Native Americans who are forced to give up their lands with no rights as "civilization" encroaches on their domain. The Indians aren't condescended to and the downbeat ending is a reminder of the genocide of indigenous people by the white man. As if that wasn't enough, there's a touch of feminism as the lawyer (Paula Raymond) helping the Indians is a woman. It's a strong enough indictment that one can overlook how Robert Taylor is miscast as a full blooded Indian. Considering its subject matter, the movie turned a modest profit. The one minor flaw is Louis Calhern who overdoes his villainous racist lawyer who sets the wheels in motion that will leave death and destruction in its wake. With Spring Byington, Marshall Thompson, James Mitchell, Edgar Buchanan and Rhys Williams.