Perhaps the most interesting thing about this film is that it is about very common people, a singing bar hostess at a sultry bar, an old eccentric raising turkeys in the desert, and a helpess fugitive from a madhouse crippled by his loss of memory, but these very common and casual types are being enacted by very outstanding actors, and they make a stunningly great job of it. This could be both John Ireland's and Mercedes McCambridge's best performance and film. Mercedes is always outstanding with a voice out of this world in its suave almost shrill intonation, but I never saw her sing before - her perfomance here is more than equal to that of Ida Lupino in "Road House". John Ireland was always a difficult actor, always somewhat untouchable for his detachment in both gangster and serious roles, but here he is the front page all over the film. Emlyn Williams makes a difficult role as his friend and doctor but also comes through well in the end, although anyone could see him through from the beginning. But the most enjoyable character is the glorious James Barton as Ezra Thompson, the eccentric turkey farmer, who is the greatest treat and saves the show from the beginning. It's a great script, the dialog is enjoyable throughout, and above all Mercedes McCambridge's diction is always honey to the ears. They all contribute to make this off-the-track B-noir into actually a major masterpiece of the genre.
