This Western drama at first seems to be more about slice of life moments on the open range until Kirk Douglas's big moment where he reveals his reason for hating barbed wire. Douglas is first seen stowing away on a freight train, mentoring the sweetly dim bulb William Campbell, and sticking around with Campbell when they get jobs working for lady rancher Jeanne Crain, an early version of "The Big Valley's" Victoria Barkley. She's disgusted by him at first but when she witnesses him beating up the man she's invited to dinner (seemingly to just rile him),offers him a job as foreman. He thanks her with a steamy kiss, but it's going to be a tempestuous working relationship that often ends with a slap.

Certainly, Douglas's reason for hating barbed wire is justified, but as the wild west becomes less open and more ranchers arrive, something is going to be needed to mark property lines. Maybe not the strongest story, but one with a point to make of how time was marching on and nothing could be done to stop what those there first objected to.

Two strong supporting performances come from Jay C. Flippen as Crain's business manager and the Oscar winning Claire Trevor as the local tavern proprietor who obviously has a side business going on involving her saloon girls. She gets great lines in what few scenes she has, but she's basically a stereotype of every dolled up older dame who ever entered a bar. Douglas gets to sing, show off his gun twirling and fast shooting, but his best scenes are when he reveals his inner torment. It's colorful, action filled, but no different than dozens of other A list color westerns from the same era.

Dempsey Rae is a cowboy, who has a fear of barbed-wire.He has scars all over his chest, and his brother got killed by barbed-wire.Now he wanders into town with a young friend, Jeff Simson.They're hired to work for an absentee rancher called Reed Bowman.He soon finds out the rancher is an attractive woman.She's a tough woman, whose plans may hurt the neighbor harmony.Man Without a Star (1955) is a western by King Vidor.It stars Kirk Douglas, who turned 94 last Thursday, as Dempsey Rae.He's just the right guy for the part.He's got enough toughness for the role, but has also a soft and tender side.Jeanne Crain is certainly the right woman to portray Reed Bowman.William Campbell is terrific as Jeff "Texas" Simson.Claire Trevor is marvelous as Idonee.Richard Boone is great as Steve Miles.Jay C. Flippen is superb as Strap Davis.Myrna Hansen is very good as Tess Cassidy.And so is Eddy Waller, who plays Tom Cassidy.Mara Corday gives a fine portrayal of Moccasin Mary.Frank Chase is terrific as Little Waco.Great work by Sheb Wooley, who plays Latigo.Jack Elam gives a short but great performance as Knife Murderer.Frankie Laine is behind the catchy theme song.This may not be the most classic western, but I sure liked it.One of the greatest scenes in this movie is where Dempsey, instead of fighting with Miles, starts singing and playing his banjo in the saloon.It brings some lightness to this western.And one memorable scene is where Dempsey shows his scars.All the western fans should see this movie.

In 'Man Without a Star' Kirk Douglas as Dempsey Rae, gives a great performance; an outgoing cowboy, unstable and with fits of euphoria. This film is able to capture the beauty of the west, of the big herds of cattle, and the daily life of the cowboys. Dempsey is running away from barbed wire, which to him means the end of freedom. He calls himself a man without a star because he is obsessed about his freedom of choice, whereas following a star will bind him to a predetermined life. His affair with Jeanne Crain, with plenty of sexual innuendo, but far from being explicit, is one of the great things about this film. William Campbell has a very important part as an easterner who wants to become a cowboy and Douglas is there to teach him.