My name's Merrick. I'm United States Marshal here. Along the Great Divide was directed by Raoul Walsh and written by Walter Doniger and Lewis Meltzer. The film features Kirk Douglas, Virginia Mayo, John Agar, Walter Brennan, Ray Teal, James Anderson and Morris Ankrum. David Buttolph composed the music, and Sidney Hickox handled the cinematography. U.S. Marshall Len Merrick (Douglas) and two deputies pull suspected murderer Tim Keith (Brennan) from a lynch mob led by a local cattle baron who’s convinced Keith killed his son. The lawmen then begin a dangerous trip across rough terrain, determined to bring Keith to Santa Loma for a trial. Kirk Douglas' first Western is something of an overlooked gem. He didn’t enjoy making it; working in the desert with Raoul Walsh was difficult. But the director managed to get a strong performance from Douglas, establishing him within the genre and setting the stage for his future work. It definitely falls into the psychological Western category, which some critics at the time missed—there were complaints that it wasn't a typical Western! It shouldn’t have been surprising, though; Douglas had already made several excellent film noir movies, so he was likely cast because of his previous roles in those kinds of pictures. The movie is full of complicated father-son relationships, which keep the story tense. Merrick is a man with his own issues, and the people who travel with him will really push him to his limits—not just because of problems related to fathers or a lack of water, but also due to the presence of Keith’s daughter, Ann (Mayo), who isn't just there as some kind of decorative female character. She is spirited and has believable emotional reactions. The journey is difficult for many reasons, and Walsh, despite irritating Douglas, keeps everything moving well. The scenery adds to the trouble the characters face. Shot in beautiful black and white by Hickox, the Alabama Hills and Mojave Desert create barren landscapes that contrast with imposing rock formations. It often feels like something Anthony Mann and James Stewart might have made, which is high praise indeed. The cast all do a good job bringing the drama to life, benefiting from the careful research done by writers Doniger and Meltzer. The film’s biggest problem is that it doesn't offer much of a mystery. It reveals who did it too early on, which could have lessened the excitement at the end, and possibly damaged the story. However, there’s always uncertainty about whether things will turn out like in Ox-Bow Incident or something else entirely. This is definitely worth watching for fans of psychological Westerns; the many themes involving fathers and the harsh landscapes make it a worthwhile experience. 8/10

Source on TMDB