Man Without a Star

Man Without a Star is a 1955 American Western film starring Kirk Douglas, Jeanne Crain, Claire Trevor, William Campbell, Richard Boone, Mara Corday, and Myrna Hansen. Directed by King Vidor, it is based on the novel of the same name, published in 1952 by Dee Linford (1915–1971). A remake was made for television in 1968 entitled A Man Called Gannon. In February 2020, the film was shown at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival as part of a retrospective dedicated to King Vidor's career. On a train from Kansas City to Wyoming, the brakeman throws Jeff Jimson off for freighthopping, and he is saved from being run over by Dempsey Rae. 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, Idonee, in town, 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.