Two top notch performances had me riveted to this with a great conflict. Pompous Victor Jory is a power hungry man with a huge chip on his shoulder, determined to amass power any way he sees fit. He creates an instant enemy in the title character, square jawed Howard Duff who is revealed to be the man who killed his brother the previous year, and when Jory goes after rancher friends of his to attempt to buy him out, Duff determinedly sets out to stop this reign of terror.
It's the well done script that makes Jory a fleshed out villain, one of the best western movie bad guys I've seen in a long time. Margaret Field (mother of the legendary Sally) and Sidney Mason are great as Duff's love interest and her father who give Jory a real battle, while Angela Stevens co-stars as the woman whose life was saved by Duff and accidentally spills the beans to Jory.
Definitely more of a psychological western than your typical oater, adding this onto similar westerns and outdoor films like "Pursued", "Blood on the Moon", "The Furies" and "The Big Cat" that have a touch of noir guiding their mood.
It's the well done script that makes Jory a fleshed out villain, one of the best western movie bad guys I've seen in a long time. Margaret Field (mother of the legendary Sally) and Sidney Mason are great as Duff's love interest and her father who give Jory a real battle, while Angela Stevens co-stars as the woman whose life was saved by Duff and accidentally spills the beans to Jory.
Definitely more of a psychological western than your typical oater, adding this onto similar westerns and outdoor films like "Pursued", "Blood on the Moon", "The Furies" and "The Big Cat" that have a touch of noir guiding their mood.