That's what Brenda Marshall finds out when her husband Robert Preston has a falling out with life long pal Alan Ladd in this western where enemies of Ladd's seek to hurt him where it really counts: the blood lines of brothers not related through family ties. Ladd plays Whispering Smith, a railroad man who kills several members of the Barton clan, stirring up patriarch Donald Crisp against him, basically stirring Preston up to destroy their ties, and thus get revenge in a more vindictive way. Preston changes as a result of his association with the nefarious Crisp and his associates, lives a loose life while away from Marshall, and eventually finding his way to a life of illegal activities, destroying three people while really only after one.
When taken in a psychological context, this is interesting, if perhaps too analytical a theme for a western. Sometimes a script of too much intelligence can be boring, and this has some moments that are close to snoozefests. William Demarest is there for light comedy relief, with "Ma Hardy" Faye Holden his loving wife who plays welcoming mother figure to everybody she encounters.
There are a couple of key scenes that stand out: the opening scene on a train that sets up Ladd and Preston's past, the scene where Preston and a group of men clearing up the debris from a train crash decide they'd rather get drunk and work (setting up their falling out), and Ladd's attempt to talk some sense into the much changed Preston. It's what's in between that slows this down, although there's some might pretty color scenery along the way.
When taken in a psychological context, this is interesting, if perhaps too analytical a theme for a western. Sometimes a script of too much intelligence can be boring, and this has some moments that are close to snoozefests. William Demarest is there for light comedy relief, with "Ma Hardy" Faye Holden his loving wife who plays welcoming mother figure to everybody she encounters.
There are a couple of key scenes that stand out: the opening scene on a train that sets up Ladd and Preston's past, the scene where Preston and a group of men clearing up the debris from a train crash decide they'd rather get drunk and work (setting up their falling out), and Ladd's attempt to talk some sense into the much changed Preston. It's what's in between that slows this down, although there's some might pretty color scenery along the way.