Yellow Sky (1948)

One of the greats!

I do not know how I ever missed this movie, being the movie buff that I am. Gregory Peck and Richard Widmark were great. Gregory Peck was such a magnificent actor, and you add to that the the talents of Richard Widmark, with his trademark smile and laugh, along with the beautiful Anne Baxter and a good story; and you cannot lose. July 21, 2008

Really great movie

Yellow Sky is definitely a classic black and white western and well written and acted. Gregory Peck does a great job and plays his role well. Ann Baxter is also really wonderful in her part. Realism is added by the fact that she is not heavily made-up as was Marilyn Monroe in The River of No Return. Her natural and almost rugged look is refreshing. I especially like the ending and the good moral values that come out there. I highly recommend this movie. July 2, 2008

Yellow Sky

Gregory Peck was cast against type for his role in Yellow Sky. His character, Stretch, is the leader of a gang of outlaws. It's a gang of seven & they rob a bank in a small Western town getting away with about $6,000. As they're making their escape a cavalry patrol (don't know where they came from) gets in the chase. One outlaw is killed. They're forced to escape across a salt flat that's about 60 miles across. The cavalry patrol decides not to chase them. As Stretch & his band of outlaws trek across the salt flat one outlaw loses his horse. They finally get across the salt flat & stumble upon a ghost town by the name of Yellow Sky ("The fastest growing town in the territory" a sign proclaims). The only inhabitants of the town are an old man & his daughter. To make this short, they have been prospecting for gold & have about &50,000 worth. Of course, the outlaws want it.

Gregory Peck is good in the role of Stretch. Unlike most of Peck's portrayals that are urbane & suave, in Yellow Sky he has a beard & he's dirty. Anne Baxter portrays Mike, the granddaughter, & says Stretch smells bad, worse than an Apache. Other members of the gang include Richard Widmark as Dude, a gambler who wants only one thing: the gold. Dude causes an insurrection within the gang against Stretch. The gang wants the gold but Stretch is more worried about making an escape. John Russell (star of ABC's The Lawman in the late fifties) is a member of the gang also. It's a good role for him also sporting a beard. All he really wants is the woman. The only other member of the gang the general public will be familiar with would be Harry Morgan (Col. Potter of M*A*S*H) as Half-Pint. His role is minor & he also sports a beard.

This isn't a bad movie. It was filmed mostly in Death Valley. Unlike most Hollywood Westerns of this era (1948) it's stark, bleak & dirty. This isn't a romanticized account though the character of Stretch does have a change of heart & direction by the conclusion of the story. The other odd thing about the movie is the lack of a musical soundtrack. Only the beginning & conclusion of the film do we hear any music. This isn't a bad movie but it's not an outstanding one, either. The main attractions are Anne Baxter in an early role & Peck's casting against type. Yellow Sky is the type of movie, if it had been made in the seventies or later, would've really been a gritty & filthy portrayal of realism. The near rape scene of Anne Baxter's character would've been considerably more graphic. It's unfortunate, at times, that today's movie makers don't allow us to use our imaginations more instead of the graphic violence & sex scenes that they show us. April 23, 2008

Best Western Ever

Gritty, dirty and downright manly. The overgrown adolescents of today need to study this film and learn how to act like a man. No tattoos, ear-rings or other piercings to smother the Y gene. Little music is used; some of the 40s and 50s flicks were embellished with over the top, histrionic scores combating rather than complimenting the plot. The dialogue is short, cutting and to the point. I especially like the "he-girl" comment. Another William Wellman masterpiece; get this film. DVD transfer is superb. March 26, 2008

Some standout moments but not great

Gregory Peck was a marvelous actor, one of my alltime favorites. I had seen this movie many years ago and remembered loving it. I waited for years and years for it to come out on DVD and when it did, I bought it that day.

Sadly, it was not as terrific as my aging memory wanted it to be. There are some very good moments in the film but it doesn't really hold together all that well. The black and white photography is lovely in spots. Anne Baxter is ravishing as a six-gun-toting miner's daughter. Richard Widmark gives one of his less-grating performances (that's a compliment).

Overall, it's not one I'll watch over and over. June 27, 2007

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