J.D. Cahill (John Wayne) is the toughest U.S. Marshal but an often-absent father to his sons angry Danny (Gary Grimes) and little Billy Joe (Clay O'Brien). Abe Fraser (George Kennedy) convinces the boys to let his gang escape to rob a bank and then return back to their cells. Abe promises not to hurt anybody but they kill the sheriff. When J.D. returns, the boys lie to their father and Abe's gang has an airtight alibi. Billy Joe had hidden the money. Abe and his gang are released. Then four innocent men are caught for the crime and about to be hung. Abe pressures Billy Joe to give him the money but he doesn't really remember where he left it.
I like the story of the boys and the conflict with their absent father. The problem in this movie is that the kids need to be great actors. Both boys are workable but nothing special. They don't have the charisma to be the center of the movie. Yet the story requires them to be. In many ways, Cahill is the least interesting of the three characters. This being a John Wayne movie, he has to be on screen a lot. He and Lightfoot keep having light banter which distracts from the more serious aspect of the story. Also if J.D. suspects the boys of the crime, he should have just taken the boys and squeeze the truth out of them.
I like the story of the boys and the conflict with their absent father. The problem in this movie is that the kids need to be great actors. Both boys are workable but nothing special. They don't have the charisma to be the center of the movie. Yet the story requires them to be. In many ways, Cahill is the least interesting of the three characters. This being a John Wayne movie, he has to be on screen a lot. He and Lightfoot keep having light banter which distracts from the more serious aspect of the story. Also if J.D. suspects the boys of the crime, he should have just taken the boys and squeeze the truth out of them.