"Yellow Sky" (1948) now on blu ray

YELLOW SKY

Directed by William Wellman. Cast: Gregory Peck, Anne Baxter, Richard Widmark, Robert Arthur, John Russell, Harry Morgan, James Barton, Charles Kemper. Released December, 1948. Running time: 98 minutes.

Gregory Peck did not believe he was right for the role of a bank robber who leads a gang in this well written, nicely directed western feature. But, in fact, he offers his usual strong grounded performance. Peck’s gang robs a bank in a small town, then are chased by a posse into the desert and, after a lack of water, stumble desperately upon a town that appears to deserted. They find that an old prospector who has been mining gold, lives there with his granddaughter. They plan to rob them, until Peck’s character falls for the woman, resulting in a showdown.

Based on the 1950 W.R. novel “Stretch Dawson,” “Yellow Sky” is a western feature that has the right amount of action, the correct amount of romance, solid performances and insightful direction. Without the expanse of a widescreen image or color cinematography, veteran directors like William Wellman became experts at the marriage between visuals and the narrative. When the men are crossing the desert, he uses long and medium shots to advantage, with negative space framing the actions of the central characters. The black and white cinematography is more effective here, with the grayish whites in the background showing how bleached and desolate the area is. Richard Widmark is at his sinister best, and Anne Baxter at her most stunning. And the romance between Peck’s and Baxter’s characters is never distracting from the seriousness of the narrative’s drama, offering another element to the story’s conflict.

The film’s opening scenes draw the viewer in very quickly. There is enough story told to arouse curiosity, as Widmark’s character points out how far they are from civilization, and that the land south of them is so bleak “a rattlesnake couldn’t cross it alive.” It is precisely this area onto which the posse chases them after they rob a bank. The several minutes of desperation they suffer without water, how they come just on the verge of cracking up completely, is expertly handled, especially with Peck anchoring the proceedings with his steady, controlled presence, enhanced by the Widmark character’s underlying wickedness.

Commentary by William Wellman jr as a special feature helps to enhance Kino Lorber’s blu ray, that offers the usual magnificent sound and picture quality. Wellman’s directorial craftsmanship, the cast’s fine performances, and some good writing all combine to make this Kino Lorber blu ray a real must.