Hired bounty hunter Howard Kemp (James Stewart) has tracked Ben Vandergroat, wanted for a murder in Abilene, Kansas, to the mountains of Colorado. He encounters a lone prospector Jesse Tate and hires him as a guide for $20. They run into former soldier Roy Anderson who insists on joining them when they corner Vandergroat on top of a cliff. They find Vandergroat who has run out of bullets and the daughter of his friend Lina Patch (Janet Leigh). When Vandergroat reveals the bounty on him is $5000, the other two demand an even split. Along the way, Anderson reveals the normally friendly Blackfoot Indians in pursuit are following him seeking revenge.
There is great tension with Kemp's mistrust of the other two for good reason. It's a solid western with a standard wipeout of an Indian war party. I wish Anderson start scheming against Kemp early in the film without the need of Vandergroat's interference. It's more compelling to have those two looking side-eyed at each other because of their characteristics. There is also the final climatic gunfire at the river. The location is compelling and the stunts may be dangerous. It is however not visually intense. The location has great visual potential but the cinematography lacks inventiveness. The action also feels disjointed. It's a small complaint in an otherwise compelling traditional western.
There is great tension with Kemp's mistrust of the other two for good reason. It's a solid western with a standard wipeout of an Indian war party. I wish Anderson start scheming against Kemp early in the film without the need of Vandergroat's interference. It's more compelling to have those two looking side-eyed at each other because of their characteristics. There is also the final climatic gunfire at the river. The location is compelling and the stunts may be dangerous. It is however not visually intense. The location has great visual potential but the cinematography lacks inventiveness. The action also feels disjointed. It's a small complaint in an otherwise compelling traditional western.