On a train to Wyoming from Kansas City, Dempsey Rae (Kirk Douglas) rescues young Jeff Jimson (William Campbell) from being run over by the train wheels after the brakeman throws Jeff off for freighthopping. Later that night, Dempsey and Jeff watch as another train hopper kills the brakeman. When the authorities try to arrest Jeff for the crime, Dempsey proves the other man was guilty. He is given half of the $100 reward for finding the murderer.
Dempsey has a female acquaintance in town (Idonee) and both men decide to stay, after being hired to work (as alleged fellow-Texans) by Strap Davis, on a 10,000 head ranch for its new owner Reed Bowman. Dempsey tells Jeff that many men follow a star to set their destination. When asked by Jeff what star he follows, Dempsey tells him that he follows no particular star. Dempsey teaches Jeff how to shoot, rope, ride, and herd cattle.
When Bowman finally arrives, Dempsey is surprised to find that he has been working for a very attractive woman (Jeanne Crain). Bowman has plans to triple the size of her herd, which will crowd out the other ranchers on the available range. Dempsey falls for her, but the inevitable range war Bowman creates prompts him to defect to the other side. He has a deep hatred for barbed wire, but he finds that there is no clear moral side to the fight.
After being estranged from his protégé, Dempsey finally comes to peace with Jeff before riding off to a new life.
In the scenes where Kirk Douglas's character is standing next to the cattle train, the car's identification marks state it was built in December 1923 (BLT 12-23) which was well after the film's late 1800s time period (there were no railroads Out West in 1823).
Reception
Douglas later estimated he made over a million dollars from the film.[3]
