One of a series of color films starring Randolph Scott, directed by Bud Boetticher. Included the curvaceous Karen Steele, who costarred in several of these films, being Boetticher's lover during this period.
Bart Allison(Randolph Scott) has been hunting Tate Kimbrough (John Carroll) for 3 years, with the goal of killing him, since he blames Tate for his wife's suicide. Is this a legitimate goal? No! Bart's wife chose to accept Tate as a lover while Bart was a soldier in the Civil War, and she chose to kill herself. According to Sam, Bart's friend, this was not the first affair she had while Bart was away. But Bart doesn't want to hear this point of view. He's obsessed with blaming Tate for his wife's demise. When Bart left town, having finished his punishment of Tate, the residents generally credited him for catalyzing the downfall of the grasping Tate, thus thought of him as a hero. But he was a hero only by default. His pursuit of Tate and disruption of his marriage ceremony instigated the locals to rise up against Tate, which they had previously been afraid to do. Tate's girlfriend Ruby(Valerie French), performed a more heroic act when she shot Tate in the arm, as he was pulling his gun out of his holster, in a street showdown with Bart, causing him to fall to the ground. Bart was unwilling to shoot him under this condition, or any condition where Tate was defenseless.
Another aspect of the plot is the drama surrounding the question of whom Tate is going to marry. Ruby had been his closeted girlfriend for a couple years, and repeatedly asked him to marry her. But Tate opted for the more beautiful Lucy(Karen Steele), to become his 'trophy' wife. But, Bart broke up their marriage ceremony, saying "Ïf you marry this man, you'll be a widow by Sundown". Lucy chickened out, saying she now saw Tate as a town bully who was not to be respected.(Difficult to believe she didn't know this before!). In contrast, Ruby stuck by her man when he was down and, in the end, they are seen together in a carriage, riding out of town.
Certain parts of the film don't make sense to me, especially the first segment, when Bart is riding in a stage, then suddenly demands that the stage stop, firing his gun in the air. This signals his friend Sam to come out of the woods with an extra horse. Then Bart allows the stage to ride off.
See it at YouTube.
Bart Allison(Randolph Scott) has been hunting Tate Kimbrough (John Carroll) for 3 years, with the goal of killing him, since he blames Tate for his wife's suicide. Is this a legitimate goal? No! Bart's wife chose to accept Tate as a lover while Bart was a soldier in the Civil War, and she chose to kill herself. According to Sam, Bart's friend, this was not the first affair she had while Bart was away. But Bart doesn't want to hear this point of view. He's obsessed with blaming Tate for his wife's demise. When Bart left town, having finished his punishment of Tate, the residents generally credited him for catalyzing the downfall of the grasping Tate, thus thought of him as a hero. But he was a hero only by default. His pursuit of Tate and disruption of his marriage ceremony instigated the locals to rise up against Tate, which they had previously been afraid to do. Tate's girlfriend Ruby(Valerie French), performed a more heroic act when she shot Tate in the arm, as he was pulling his gun out of his holster, in a street showdown with Bart, causing him to fall to the ground. Bart was unwilling to shoot him under this condition, or any condition where Tate was defenseless.
Another aspect of the plot is the drama surrounding the question of whom Tate is going to marry. Ruby had been his closeted girlfriend for a couple years, and repeatedly asked him to marry her. But Tate opted for the more beautiful Lucy(Karen Steele), to become his 'trophy' wife. But, Bart broke up their marriage ceremony, saying "Ïf you marry this man, you'll be a widow by Sundown". Lucy chickened out, saying she now saw Tate as a town bully who was not to be respected.(Difficult to believe she didn't know this before!). In contrast, Ruby stuck by her man when he was down and, in the end, they are seen together in a carriage, riding out of town.
Certain parts of the film don't make sense to me, especially the first segment, when Bart is riding in a stage, then suddenly demands that the stage stop, firing his gun in the air. This signals his friend Sam to come out of the woods with an extra horse. Then Bart allows the stage to ride off.
See it at YouTube.