Brothers Dan and Neil Hammond and best friend Tiny McGilligan return to Texas after the Civil War, in which they fought on the losing side. That’s when the real brother-to-brother showdown begin.
Neil (Rock Hudson) and Tiny (James Arness) are content to return to ranching on the Hammond homestead. Dan (Robert Ryan), used to the excitement of war, takes one look at the wealthy men in Austin and decides he wants to be wealthy too.
After entering a high-stakes poker game in an attempt to make business connections and losing his shirt, Dan decides to switch to the other side of the law. He becomes leader of a band of riff-raff left destitute by the war and forms his own army of sorts, rustling cattle, strong-arming ranchers with high tax burdens into selling him their land and generally building a fortune with dreams of turning it into an empire.
His first target: rich speculator Cord Hardin (Raymond Burr), who’s been accusing him of welching on that gambling debt and happens to have a very pretty young wife named Lorna (Julie Adams).
Finally, the folks of Austin have had enough. They decide to fight back, and Neil accepts the job of temporary sheriff, hoping to bring Dan back alive.
Review:
Spirited and action-packed early Western from Budd Boetticher featuring strong performances by Robert Ryan and Raymond Burr as dueling heavies.
There are lots of nice little touches. Like Rock Hudson’s character pretending he’s never tasted whiskey before when he realizing his mother is watching him down a shot. And like Julie Adams flinching at her husband’s touch, tipping us off right away to his abusive tendencies.
The film also benefits from a cast full of familiar faces. The Hammonds parents are played by John McIntire and Frances Bavier (later to achieve fame as Aunt Bee on The Andy Griffith Show). Dan Hammond’s right-hand man is Dandy Taylor, played by Dennis Weaver in his film debut. And, of course, there’s a pre-Matt Dillon James Arness, who has the film’s best line when he proclaims he’s going to do his part in rebuilding Texas by becoming “populatin’ poppa” upon his reunion with his wife.
Directed by:
Budd Boetticher
Cast:
Robert Ryan … Dan Hammond
Rock Hudson … Neil Hammond
Julie Adams … Lorna Hardin
Judith Bruan … Sally Eaton
Raymond Burr … Cord Hardin
James Arness … Tiny McGilligan
Dennis Weaver … Dandy Taylor
Frances Bavier … Martha Hammond
John McIntire … Ira Hammond
Tom Powers … Frank Tarleton
John Hubbard … Sam Hunter
Rodolfo Acosta … Gen. Jose Escobar Lopez
Douglas Fowley … Ed Tompkins
Walter Reed … Layton
Raymond Greenleaf … Eli Dodson
Runtime: 81 min.
Memorable lines:
Tiny McGilligan: “When Tiny McGilligan gets back to Texas, I’m gonna be known as the populatin’ poppa.”
Dan Hammond: “I’m one of the vanquished. Back home and broke. You know, a fella gets back, starts looking at all this wealth and begins thinking.”
Sam Hunter: “About making money?”
Dan: “About making big money. Fast money.”
Dandy Taylor: “Me — I’m gonna have me clothes, rich cigars, the best liquor. tastiest vittles. I’m gonna pick money off bushes like I used to pick mesquite beans when I was a kid. You don’t have to reach very high — just soft and easy.”
Dan Hammond: “I’m building an empire. And when I’m on top, people will swear I’ve done nothing wrong. Nothing wrong at all.”
Martha Hammond: “I don’t know what to ask for in my prayers anymore.”
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