There was a time, particularly during the 1950s, when Americans (including me) were addicted to Westerns. We'd watch just about any Western that came along. Our love of Westerns faded as the 1960s rolled in, and today a Western is a relatively rare commodity. Now I will watch only the exceptional Western. I'm saying this is one of the great Westerns, but it is a cut above the average Western, and it is unique enough to earn some extra points there. It isn't as good as "Rio Bravo" or "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence", but it's pretty darned good.
So what is different about it? Two things, really. First that you have a bounty hunter taking in a murderer...but along they way they cooperate to bring a herd of cattle from Mexico to Texas. But more importantly -- although it sure surprised me when it fell into my lap -- it has undertones about potential incest. Yes, you read that right. Some may have guessed it. I didn't. And when it appeared, I was just a little stunned.
But I'll let you discover all the twists and turns here. Instead, I'll focus on the cast.
Rock Hudson is the nominal lead here over Kirk Douglas...and yes, Douglas does play the sort of "bad guy". Both are very good here, though I'd give the edge here to Douglas. I've never been able to quite decide on how good an actress Dorothy Malone was; here she does rather nicely as the love interest, particularly of Hudson. In his prime, Joseph Cotten was a better actor than either Hudson or Douglas. His role here is rather small, but pivotal. I kinda hated seeing him relegated to such a small role. Carol Lynley...well, nothing very special here from her. Worth mentioning is a small character role for dependable Regis Toomey.
Some have criticized the shadows in the last scene. I probably wouldn't have thought of it if it hadn't been mentioned. But yes, it was sloppy film-making to see noon-time shadows at sunset.
Great, no. Very good, however. Worth watching...once.
So what is different about it? Two things, really. First that you have a bounty hunter taking in a murderer...but along they way they cooperate to bring a herd of cattle from Mexico to Texas. But more importantly -- although it sure surprised me when it fell into my lap -- it has undertones about potential incest. Yes, you read that right. Some may have guessed it. I didn't. And when it appeared, I was just a little stunned.
But I'll let you discover all the twists and turns here. Instead, I'll focus on the cast.
Rock Hudson is the nominal lead here over Kirk Douglas...and yes, Douglas does play the sort of "bad guy". Both are very good here, though I'd give the edge here to Douglas. I've never been able to quite decide on how good an actress Dorothy Malone was; here she does rather nicely as the love interest, particularly of Hudson. In his prime, Joseph Cotten was a better actor than either Hudson or Douglas. His role here is rather small, but pivotal. I kinda hated seeing him relegated to such a small role. Carol Lynley...well, nothing very special here from her. Worth mentioning is a small character role for dependable Regis Toomey.
Some have criticized the shadows in the last scene. I probably wouldn't have thought of it if it hadn't been mentioned. But yes, it was sloppy film-making to see noon-time shadows at sunset.
Great, no. Very good, however. Worth watching...once.