Dan Ballard, a respected citizen in the western town of Silver Lode, has his wedding interrupted by four men led by Ned McCarty, an old acquaintance who, as a US Marshal, arrests Ballard for the murder of his brother and the theft of $20,000. Ballard seeks to stall McCarty while tracking down evidence that will prove his innocence.
Direction
Dwan's real-time tension in 81 ruthless minutes.
Acting
Duryea's charming menace as the false Marshal.
Writing
McCarthy-era allegory sneaked into a Western.
Director
Allan Dwan
John Payne
Dan Ballard
Lizabeth Scott
Rose Evans
Dan Duryea
Fred McCarty
Dolores Moran
Dolly
Emile Meyer
Sheriff Wooley
Robert Warwick
Judge Cranston
John Hudson
Michael 'Mitch' Evans
Harry Carey, Jr.
Johnson
Alan Hale Jr.
Kirk
Stuart Whitman
Wicker
Frank Sully
Paul Herbert, Telegrapher
Morris Ankrum
Zachary Evans
Hugh Sanders
Reverend Field
Florence Auer
Mrs. Elmwood
Roy Gordon
Dr. Elmwood
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during McCarthy's reign, the film's mob-justice plot was read as thinly veiled political commentary on blacklisting and hysteria.
Dwan shot this in 10 days for Republic Pictures, part of his prolific late-career run where he directed 30 films in 15 years—most forgotten, this one surprisingly not.
US
