Something much more could have been made of this story, but apparently Henry Hathaway went ahead and directed this meandering tale without his usual enthusiasm for stark adventure laced with a morality tale about gold and its effect on men.
SUSAN HAYWARD rounds up three men to escort her through dangerous territory in Mexico, circa 1850s, so that she can redeem herself by rescuing her husband, hurt in a mining accident. Gold prospectors GARY COOPER, RICHARD WIDMARK and CAMERON MITCHELL agree to escort the woman, all of them aware of her allure and equally lured by the money she offers them for their help.
Once again, GARY COOPER gets to play his heroic man of a few words, rising to the occasion especially at the climax when he proves himself a true hero. Only fault here is that Cooper seems bored most of the time rather than just quiet.
SUSAN HAYWARD, on the other hand, gets to toss that mane of red hair frequently, striking poses that seem provocative while she remains as aloof as possible in the manner with which she treats the men. RICHARD WIDMARK plays the contrasting role to Cooper's hero, cynical and sneering when delivering his most pointed remarks. CAMERON MITCHELL gets to do some over-acting as an unpleasant man with his mind on seducing Hayward while chewing the scenery.
Although much of the film was shot on location in various Mexican locales, some of the night scenes have a strictly stagebound studio look that the CinemaScope camera cannot disguise. The talky script makes the story a lumbering one when it should be taut with suspense, although Bernard Herrmann's score captures some of the tension that should have been in the script.
Summing up: With neither Cooper nor Hayward at their best, there's something artificial about the whole thing.
SUSAN HAYWARD rounds up three men to escort her through dangerous territory in Mexico, circa 1850s, so that she can redeem herself by rescuing her husband, hurt in a mining accident. Gold prospectors GARY COOPER, RICHARD WIDMARK and CAMERON MITCHELL agree to escort the woman, all of them aware of her allure and equally lured by the money she offers them for their help.
Once again, GARY COOPER gets to play his heroic man of a few words, rising to the occasion especially at the climax when he proves himself a true hero. Only fault here is that Cooper seems bored most of the time rather than just quiet.
SUSAN HAYWARD, on the other hand, gets to toss that mane of red hair frequently, striking poses that seem provocative while she remains as aloof as possible in the manner with which she treats the men. RICHARD WIDMARK plays the contrasting role to Cooper's hero, cynical and sneering when delivering his most pointed remarks. CAMERON MITCHELL gets to do some over-acting as an unpleasant man with his mind on seducing Hayward while chewing the scenery.
Although much of the film was shot on location in various Mexican locales, some of the night scenes have a strictly stagebound studio look that the CinemaScope camera cannot disguise. The talky script makes the story a lumbering one when it should be taut with suspense, although Bernard Herrmann's score captures some of the tension that should have been in the script.
Summing up: With neither Cooper nor Hayward at their best, there's something artificial about the whole thing.