There isn't much about James Edward Grant's screenplay that is historical accurate, the film is 30 minutes longer than it should have been, the dialogue is frequently bombastic and cliched, and at times even preachy. But John Wayne was a competent action director, and the cinematography and score are good. Lawrence Harvey gives a decent performance, John Wayne is John Wayne. Richard Widmark supposedly felt he was miscast, but he does a solid job. The fact that Chill Wills was even nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar is ludicrous, and the fact that he took out ads campaigning for the award is embarrassing.
