Joel McCrea is Zachary Hallock, a farmer trying to make a new start with his son Joshua (Jimmy Hunt) in the town of Timberline, where a group of “regulators” have formed because of problems with holdups.
But it isn’t a very profitable life and, no sooner than Hallock thinks he’s turned the corner, a shot spooks his team of horses while his son is driving, wrecking his wagon and ruining the supply of feed he was sending to a neighbor to pay for a pair of riding horses. Now Hallock’s going to need a bank loan to suvive.
Soon after, the son notices his dad slipping off at odds hours and begins to suspect he’s in on the thievery; he even witnesses his involvement in a stage holdup. The trips to “take care of business” increase after he marries Sarah Skaggs (Barbara Hale), prompting her to leave him.
But there’s one big job coming up: A $160,000 shipment from the local mine. That just might allow Hallock to live a more comfortable life.
Review:
Typical McCrea Western, which means it’s pretty standard formula stuff, but still better than the average Western being cranked out at the time. There is a twist coming at the end, one that isn’t foreshadowed in any way and comes as a surprise as a result.
James Arness of “Gunsmoke” fame and Alex Nicol have early roles as two of the lead bandits. Young Jimmy Hunt already had several films to his credit, and this wasn’t his only outing with McCrea. They also teamed up in 1951’s “Saddle Tramp.”
Directed by:
George Sherman
Cast:
Joel McCrea … Zachary Hallock
Barbara Hale … Sarah Jane Skaggs
Alex Nicol … Jonah Varden
Charles Drake … George Hadley
Jimmy Hunt … Joshua Hallock
James Arness … Gus Varden
Roy Roberts … Mr. Skaggs
Frank Ferguson .. Mr. Dunn
Wesley Morgan … Daniel Skaggs
Runtime: 80 min.
Memorable lines:
Zachary Hallock, surveying his and his son’s new home: “Needs a woman to put this into shape. In fact, it might take two or three.”
Zachary Hallock: “What’s the good explaining things to a woman who don’t trust her man. She’d only suspect all the explaining.”
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