A cattle-vs.-sheepman feud loses Connie Dickason her fiance, but gains her his ranch, which she determines to run alone in opposition to Frank Ivey, "boss" of the valley, whom her father Ben wanted her to marry. She hires recovering alcoholic Dave Nash as foreman and a crew of Ivey's enemies. Ivey fights back with violence and destruction, but Dave is determined to counter him legally... a feeling not shared by his associates. Connie's boast that, as a woman, she doesn't need guns proves justified, but plenty of gunplay results.
Acting
Veronica Lake's ice-cold calculations behind those famous waves
Direction
de Toth's shadow-drenched valleys, violence as exhaustion not excitement
Cinematography
Western noir lighting: dust motes in gunsmoke, faces half-buried in darkness
Director
André de Toth
Joel McCrea
Dave Nash
Veronica Lake
Connie Dickason
Don DeFore
Bill Schell
Donald Crisp
Jim Crew
Preston Foster
Frank Ivey
Arleen Whelan
Rose Leland
Charles Ruggles
Ben Dickason
Lloyd Bridges
Red Cates
Nestor Paiva
Curley
Ray Teal
Ed Burma
Houseley Stevenson
George Smedley
Ward Wood
Link Thoms
Ian MacDonald
Walt Shipley
Wally Cassell
Virg Lea
Sarah Padden
Mrs. Parks
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
de Toth lost an eye in a childhood accident, yet directed some of the most visually striking Westerns of the era—his depth perception challenges allegedly forced more innovative camera placement.
Veronica Lake was already drinking heavily during production; her on-screen control contrasts brutally with her off-set chaos, making Connie's calculated performance feel almost meta.
US
