It's the Fourth of July and Silver Lode is not only celebrating Independence Day. It's celebrating popular John Payne getting married to Lizabeth Scott. But then Dan Duryea rides into town with four companions. They US Marshals, he says, and here's his warrant for Payne for murdering Duryea's brother and stealing $20,000. At first the town doesn't believe it, and it's hard for the audience to figure out. But as time goes on, the opinion shifts from Payne's side to Duryea's. Even as the audience discovers the truth, Payne's position in the town weakens, and it looks like Duryea may not even get the chance to take him out of town; the town may lynch Payne.
Allan Dwan directs a good A western for Benedict Bogeaus, and the performance are excellent, as is John Alton's typically fine camerawork. Duryea oozes unlikability, Payne plays bewildered very well, and the cast is ably eked out with Robert Warwick, Harry Carey Jr., Alan Hale Jr., Frank Sully, Stuart Whitman, and Dolores Moran in her last screen role. She was married to Bogeaus at the time. Dwan's handling of the story includes some obvious though telling symbolism . He was fond of doing that in his serious pictures at the time.
Allan Dwan directs a good A western for Benedict Bogeaus, and the performance are excellent, as is John Alton's typically fine camerawork. Duryea oozes unlikability, Payne plays bewildered very well, and the cast is ably eked out with Robert Warwick, Harry Carey Jr., Alan Hale Jr., Frank Sully, Stuart Whitman, and Dolores Moran in her last screen role. She was married to Bogeaus at the time. Dwan's handling of the story includes some obvious though telling symbolism . He was fond of doing that in his serious pictures at the time.