Once in awhile Republic Studios would release a little gem among all the mediocre B oaters that they put out, and this happens to be one of 'em.
William Elliott plays a Texas Ranger named Shadrack Jones who is trying to find out about the circumstances surrounding the brother's death. When he learns that his brother was shot in the back, he's so blinded by hate and revenge that he becomes ruthless and cruel. Even to the point of being rude to one of my favorite 50s scream queens, Marie Windsor. But Jones justifies his actions in order to get some answers about his brother who had stayed in Windsor's hotel, the night he was murdered.
The graveyard scene in the beginning where Jones is digging up his brother's freshly dug grave while Cap McKellar (Walter Brennan) and Rod Main (Henry Morgan) just happen to drop by, is excellent. Jones gives Rod a warning that he'll never forget. See, he believes someone in McKellar 's Circle-K outfit is responsible for what happened.
McKellar is about to take the Circle-K on a cattle drive to Montana and sell his beef to the army. He's so impressed with Jones that he hires him on as trail boss after Jones is forced to shoot his regular foreman, Big Mart (Leif Erickson) in an excellent gun duel in the saloon. Windsor goes along after selling her saloon for 1/3 of the cattle, which makes Jones even more hostile because he doesn't want a woman going along on the cattle drive.
Of course all the other trail hands would love to put a bullet in Jones' back because he misjudges everyone that's around him. We even get to a point where the viewer doesn't know whether Jones is the good guy or not. That's how distasteful he gets. He treats them all mean and sadistic, showing little compassion and mercy. Jones suspects everyone including Marie Windsor, but events will occur that'll prove him wrong.
First, Rod Main gets shot during an attempted gun duel with Jones by someone else. Then he suspects Bill has a derringer hidden in his boot and punches and humiliates him in front of everyone else until he finds out Bill's wearing a leg brace. Bill doesn't let anyone know about it because he's ashamed of being seen as a 'cripple'.
The ending is a real shocker. It's one that comes from out of nowhere, where the real culprit meets divine retribution without Jones having to do anything. You'll have to see the film to find out what I'm talking about because I ain't telling. (heh..)
It's a film that makes you wonder what's gonna happen next and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
7 out of 10
William Elliott plays a Texas Ranger named Shadrack Jones who is trying to find out about the circumstances surrounding the brother's death. When he learns that his brother was shot in the back, he's so blinded by hate and revenge that he becomes ruthless and cruel. Even to the point of being rude to one of my favorite 50s scream queens, Marie Windsor. But Jones justifies his actions in order to get some answers about his brother who had stayed in Windsor's hotel, the night he was murdered.
The graveyard scene in the beginning where Jones is digging up his brother's freshly dug grave while Cap McKellar (Walter Brennan) and Rod Main (Henry Morgan) just happen to drop by, is excellent. Jones gives Rod a warning that he'll never forget. See, he believes someone in McKellar 's Circle-K outfit is responsible for what happened.
McKellar is about to take the Circle-K on a cattle drive to Montana and sell his beef to the army. He's so impressed with Jones that he hires him on as trail boss after Jones is forced to shoot his regular foreman, Big Mart (Leif Erickson) in an excellent gun duel in the saloon. Windsor goes along after selling her saloon for 1/3 of the cattle, which makes Jones even more hostile because he doesn't want a woman going along on the cattle drive.
Of course all the other trail hands would love to put a bullet in Jones' back because he misjudges everyone that's around him. We even get to a point where the viewer doesn't know whether Jones is the good guy or not. That's how distasteful he gets. He treats them all mean and sadistic, showing little compassion and mercy. Jones suspects everyone including Marie Windsor, but events will occur that'll prove him wrong.
First, Rod Main gets shot during an attempted gun duel with Jones by someone else. Then he suspects Bill has a derringer hidden in his boot and punches and humiliates him in front of everyone else until he finds out Bill's wearing a leg brace. Bill doesn't let anyone know about it because he's ashamed of being seen as a 'cripple'.
The ending is a real shocker. It's one that comes from out of nowhere, where the real culprit meets divine retribution without Jones having to do anything. You'll have to see the film to find out what I'm talking about because I ain't telling. (heh..)
It's a film that makes you wonder what's gonna happen next and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
7 out of 10