Jake and Emma Breslin head West with their four children, determined to carve a large farm in the wilderness. But tragedy strikes when Jake is suddenly killed in a barroom brawl.
Faced with the choice of turning back or going on, Emma (Maureen O’Sullivan) decides for the latter, at the prodding of her eldest sons, Dirk and Hugh. They never reach their destination, but wind up settling down in a valley where their wagon breaks down.
Their next door neighbors are the Bascombs, a family they met on the trail West. When a cattle drive crosses their land, rustlers strike. And the rustlers include two familiar faces — the men who killed Jake Breslin.
The youngsters can’t do anything about it yet, but vow to one day. Months later, the rustlers strike again, this time stealing the cattle belonging to the Breslins and Bascombs. Dirk and Hugh trail them to town, along with Jesse Bascomb (Troy Donahue) and younger brother Talbot. The situation looks bleak, until they get assistance from an unexpected source.
Review:
Pretty well done family Western. Will Rogers Jr. — one-time Congressman and son of the famed humorist — plays Judge Copeland in a rare film role. He’s interested in Emma and always ready to lend the family a helping hand. He gets top billing, though he’s hardly the focus of the film.
Ex-Major League ballplayer John Beradino plays one of the rustlers. Young George Winslow has one of the best part, that of young Talbot, the brains of the Breslin family. And this marked a very early film appearance for Troy Donahue.
Directed by:
Charles F. Haas
Cast:
Will Rogers Jr. … Judge Copeland
Maureen O’Sullivan … Emma Breslin
Rod McKuen … Dirk Breslin
George Winslow … Talbot Breslin
Gary Gray … Hugh Breslin
Paul Birch … Jake Breslin
Gigi Perreau … Missouri Breslin
Jeanette Nolan … Ma Bascomb
Judi Meredith … Callie Bascomb
Troy Donahue … Jesse Bascomb
Casey Tibbs … Rusty
Runtime: 78 min.
Memorable lines:
Mr. Jansen, offering to fix the Breslin’s wagon wheel: “Hugh, my tools are in the wagon. Hilda (his pretty daughter) is not one of them.”
Emma Breslin: “In this land, everyone needs the help of everyone else foolish enough to come here.”
Dirk Breslin: “If we want anything around here, we have to fight hard to get it and twice as hard to keep it.”
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