This Western drama at first seems to be more about slice of life moments on the open range until Kirk Douglas's big moment where he reveals his reason for hating barbed wire. Douglas is first seen stowing away on a freight train, mentoring the sweetly dim bulb William Campbell, and sticking around with Campbell when they get jobs working for lady rancher Jeanne Crain, an early version of "The Big Valley's" Victoria Barkley. She's disgusted by him at first but when she witnesses him beating up the man she's invited to dinner (seemingly to just rile him), offers him a job as foreman. He thanks her with a steamy kiss, but it's going to be a tempestuous working relationship that often ends with a slap.
Certainly, Douglas's reason for hating barbed wire is justified, but as the wild west becomes less open and more ranchers arrive, something is going to be needed to mark property lines. Maybe not the strongest story, but one with a point to make of how time was marching on and nothing could be done to stop what those there first objected to.
Two strong supporting performances come from Jay C. Flippen as Crain's business manager and the Oscar winning Claire Trevor as the local tavern proprietor who obviously has a side business going on involving her saloon girls. She gets great lines in what few scenes she has, but she's basically a stereotype of every dolled up older dame who ever entered a bar. Douglas gets to sing, show off his gun twirling and fast shooting, but his best scenes are when he reveals his inner torment. It's colorful, action filled, but no different than dozens of other A list color westerns from the same era.
Certainly, Douglas's reason for hating barbed wire is justified, but as the wild west becomes less open and more ranchers arrive, something is going to be needed to mark property lines. Maybe not the strongest story, but one with a point to make of how time was marching on and nothing could be done to stop what those there first objected to.
Two strong supporting performances come from Jay C. Flippen as Crain's business manager and the Oscar winning Claire Trevor as the local tavern proprietor who obviously has a side business going on involving her saloon girls. She gets great lines in what few scenes she has, but she's basically a stereotype of every dolled up older dame who ever entered a bar. Douglas gets to sing, show off his gun twirling and fast shooting, but his best scenes are when he reveals his inner torment. It's colorful, action filled, but no different than dozens of other A list color westerns from the same era.