Slick gambler James Wylie is apprehended by the law and given the option to forgo a prison sentence if he poses as a bandit. His mission is to uncover the identity of the Poet, a notorious outlaw who has been holding up bank-owned stagecoaches and leaving verses at the crime scenes to taunt the authorities. James finds time to woo the Poet's lovely wife, Ann, who initially cold-shoulders him. But, as a romance develops, they partner up to find the robber.
Acting
Dennis Morgan's smirk could sell snake oil to saints.
Direction
Raoul Walsh stages chaos like a waltz—elegant, never messy.
Writing
Verse-leaving villain? Campy genius, actually works.
Director
Raoul Walsh
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Arthur Kennedy plays Sundance Kid here, years before Redford made him iconic—Warner Bros. loved recycling outlaws.
The 'verse-leaving bandit' trope briefly trended in postwar Westerns, blending cowboy grit with noir's theatrical villains.
US
