Sterling Hayden plays a sheriff in the West whose son is accused to holding up the stage and murdering the driver. So many facts seem to point to this being true but what makes it so tough is that the sheriff needs to testify against his own kid! However, despite this, he spends his time trying to prove that, perhaps, this is still a mistake and some other person is actually responsible.
I watched this movie for one reason--Sterling Hayden. He was an amazingly talented and underrated actor who managed to bring a lot of toughness and realism to the parts he played--why he's pretty much forgotten today is beyond me. I am not just talking about his roles in bigger films like "The Asphalt Jungle", "The Killing" or "Dr. Strangelove"--but even his appearances in seemingly smaller films where he managed to make ordinary material seem extraordinary. However, this is a rare case where no matter the talents of Hayden, the film was a lifeless mess--thanks to a confusing and overly wordy script. It should have been a lot better and they should have trusted the actors to have been able to make the film work without all the needless twists and turns.
I watched this movie for one reason--Sterling Hayden. He was an amazingly talented and underrated actor who managed to bring a lot of toughness and realism to the parts he played--why he's pretty much forgotten today is beyond me. I am not just talking about his roles in bigger films like "The Asphalt Jungle", "The Killing" or "Dr. Strangelove"--but even his appearances in seemingly smaller films where he managed to make ordinary material seem extraordinary. However, this is a rare case where no matter the talents of Hayden, the film was a lifeless mess--thanks to a confusing and overly wordy script. It should have been a lot better and they should have trusted the actors to have been able to make the film work without all the needless twists and turns.