A good cast provides this moody western with some interesting dark elements. Sheriff Sterling Hayden is certain that his son, Darryl Hickman, is guilty of murder and must prove his innocence before he faces the hangman's noose. The whispered confession of a dying man seems to tighten that noose, but holes in the death statement (as well as the plot) seem to dissolve all the proof. Hickman, in love with the dead man's daughter (Kathleen Nolan) seems to be a motive of revenge, but Hickman's possession of a gold coin seems to seal his fate. Nolan's caretaker (Constance Ford) aids Hayden, whom she loves, in helping find the real killer, but a jealous journalist (Kent Taylor) stands in the way of justice, hoping to win Ford for himself.
Not terrible B western from the last year of B westerns has an interesting and dark edged performance by Hayden and a rare leading lady in Constance Ford, two years before her legendarily mommy dearest part in "A Summer Place" and a decade before she started her 25 year role as tough but loving mother Ada Davis (etc.) part on "Another World". Familiar character actors like John Dehner and Frank Ferguson are among those supporting players rounding out the cast. The ending is not at all surprising, and pretty much concludes with a wimper rather than the bang I wished for.
Not terrible B western from the last year of B westerns has an interesting and dark edged performance by Hayden and a rare leading lady in Constance Ford, two years before her legendarily mommy dearest part in "A Summer Place" and a decade before she started her 25 year role as tough but loving mother Ada Davis (etc.) part on "Another World". Familiar character actors like John Dehner and Frank Ferguson are among those supporting players rounding out the cast. The ending is not at all surprising, and pretty much concludes with a wimper rather than the bang I wished for.