Pine-Thomas were known for their low budget action films but after the war they began to think that you needed to spend money to make money so the budgets rose - this was their first million dollar movie and their first with John Payne, with whom they would often collaborate.
It's not a bad Western, with Payne as a former Confederate officer and lawyer who goes out west after the war to visit a town and discovers it's under the thumb of landowner Sterling Hayden. He falls for Gail Russell whose father Henry Hull is a drunken judge. There's also Gabby Hayes.
The colour is gorgeous, the locations are fine - it's not a spectacle but there's impressive production values. Payne is a strong action hero - sensitive but also virile. Hayden is an effective villain though his part is surprisingly limited - they probably should've given him more to do. Russell brings her fragile beauty - it's not really much of a role, to provide a conscience, but she's fine. Hill hams it up. So does Hayes, Dick Foran is an effective villain.
There's interesting themes and moments here. It's about Payne wanting to bring law and the importance of the rule of law - though he wants to get revenge and so gets to kick arse (having it's cake and eating it too). Payne gets to kill Hayden and spare Dick Foran. Payne kills an innocent person. A kid is orphaned.
There's a fantastic final shoot out in a dust storm. I like the way Payne is mentored by a Mexican friend - who tells him how to shoot but also urges caution.
The film never quite clicks into top gear. The drama feels muddled somehow - as if the film isn't living up to its potential. There's a decent running time but I kept wanting to see more Payne-Russell, more fleshed out stuff for Hayden and Foran, more of the thief Mary Beth Hughes.
So it's frustrating.Lots of good things about it though.
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