A weird Western by the maestro Robert Aldrich , it deals with Brendan O'Malley,(Kirk Douglas) a previous gunslinger, arrives in Mexico to meet her old lover Belle Breckenridge ( Dorothy Malone) ,married to alcoholic rancher, John Breckenridge (Joseph Cotten), as he is hired and prepares to lead a flock to Texas. In the footsteps of O'Malley goes Dana Stribling,(Rod Hudson), a vindictive sheriff who seeks revenge because O'Malley killed his brother-in-law. Both of them are joined on a cattle drive to Breckenridge , his wife Belle and daughter Missy. The tension will enhance when Stribling starts to woo Belle and O'Malley his daughter Missy (Carol Linley).
This is a typical but amazing Western with romantic touches, it's well written by the blacklisted Dalton Trumbo and led by Aldrich with an impressive agility , harmony and strength . This interesting film keeps afloat by the skills of their all star cast , but driven along by powerful direction which compels and sustains interest by careful concentration of the interpretations themselves. The relationship between Kirk Douglas and the adolescent girl marvelously played by Carol Linley is wonderful , with some moments that result to be deeply sensible and the chemical between Hudson and Douglas is also evident, and Kirk Douglas comes out in its action. Douglas makes the best interpretation of the film , laughing, dancing and singing Mexican songs , but his role is really impulsive and tragic. Rock Hudson as Stribling also makes a nice character , he plays an exciting cat-and mouse game with O'Malley. Both females , Dorothy Malone and his daughter Carol Lynley show an amazing beauty, they play pretty well their characters. And of course, phenomenal Joseph Cotten who steals the show as a veteran confederate drunk. Filmed in colorful cinematography by Ernest Laszlo , perfectly remasterized, it is shot on locations in Aguascalients and Mexico City Distrito Federal. It contains an atmospheric and appropriate musical score by Ernest Gold .The motion picture is well directed by Robert Aldrich , an expert on violent Western such as he proved in ¨ Veracruz ¨, ¨Apache¨and ¨Ulzana's raid ¨, but also on humorous Western as ¨Four for Texas¨ and ¨the Frisko kid¨ . The talent for vigorous Western/tragedy that Aldrich shows was never as evident again. Rating : very good, better than average and wholesome watching.
