1956 - MGM
Directed by Robert Wise
SYNOPSIS
A naive young man (Don Dubbins) heads west and finds work wrangling horses on a ranch run by Jeremy Rodock (James Cagney.) Rustlers are always threatening the ranch and Rodock strikes back with extreme force. The young man finds fault with Rodock's harsh methods... and falls in love with his woman (Irene Papas.)
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MY THOUGHTS
One of Hollywood's greatest unsung and most versatile directors tackles the western genre.
Robert Wise was a director who could do anything. Sci-fi (The Day The Earth Stood Still, The Andromeda Strain,) film-noir (The Set-up, Born To Kill,) musicals (West Side Story, The Sound Of Music,) as well as horror (The Haunting) and action (The Sand Pebbles.) His direction here is good, but doesn't stand up to his best.
The CinemaScope really adds much to the overall beauty of the cinematography. The film is nearly completely shout outdoors and the setting is beautiful.
The script doesn't offer up much originality. It seems like the screenwriter wasn't interested in putting anything new on the screen. It seemed like a perfectly average script... that was boosted by some good performances.
James Cagney delivers another strong performance as the hard-ass ranch owner. Cagney was always best at playing tough guys and this is no different, though the character itself isn't as interesting as others he played in his career. The film/his performance out succeeds his other notable western, The Oklahoma Kid, which is just about terrible.
Don Dubbins plays the naive Steve well and the role seems perfectly cast. Many familiar faces show up to fill small supporting roles like Vic Morrow and Lee Van Cleef.
Overall, not a bad film, but it's nowhere near the best film Robert Wise or James Cagney ever made.
This film is not available on DVD.
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