Probably considered a "lesser John Wayne," this movie shows once again that John Wayne was a great actor.
He is given more opportunity to show emotional facets of a character, and grabs that opportunity.
Yes, he is the prototypical tough lawman he played often, but with additional and different pressures: His character's sons are being ignored, being raised by a family retainer while Marshal Cahill is trying to make the West a better place, a safer place.
Wayne is backed by a superlative cast, including the always mesmerizing George Kennedy, whose character slides from vicious to fake-gentle in such terrifying fashion.
In a much softer role than she was often given is the fascinating and beautiful Marie Windsor, still looking lovely after such a long career -- in fact looking even more lovely than often. Her character is a motherly type rather than the hard-bitten toughie she did so well.
I don't know why I have never watched this entire movie until now, January of 2019, but I found it on YouTube and am I glad I did. Director Andrew McLaglen and score composer Elmer Bernstein give us some of their best work, and their best was usually in partnership with John Wayne.
Others of the "John Wayne stock company," including Paul Fix, Chuck Roberson, Hank Worden, and Harry Carey, Jr., are joined by the outstanding veterans Jackie Coogan and Royal Dano to create a motion picture joy.
He is given more opportunity to show emotional facets of a character, and grabs that opportunity.
Yes, he is the prototypical tough lawman he played often, but with additional and different pressures: His character's sons are being ignored, being raised by a family retainer while Marshal Cahill is trying to make the West a better place, a safer place.
Wayne is backed by a superlative cast, including the always mesmerizing George Kennedy, whose character slides from vicious to fake-gentle in such terrifying fashion.
In a much softer role than she was often given is the fascinating and beautiful Marie Windsor, still looking lovely after such a long career -- in fact looking even more lovely than often. Her character is a motherly type rather than the hard-bitten toughie she did so well.
I don't know why I have never watched this entire movie until now, January of 2019, but I found it on YouTube and am I glad I did. Director Andrew McLaglen and score composer Elmer Bernstein give us some of their best work, and their best was usually in partnership with John Wayne.
Others of the "John Wayne stock company," including Paul Fix, Chuck Roberson, Hank Worden, and Harry Carey, Jr., are joined by the outstanding veterans Jackie Coogan and Royal Dano to create a motion picture joy.