IMDb RATING
6.7/10
1.9K
YOUR RATING
Violent feud between Connie Dickason, the owner of the Circle 66 ranch and rancher Frank Ivey, the self-proclaimed boss of an otherwise public grazing land.Violent feud between Connie Dickason, the owner of the Circle 66 ranch and rancher Frank Ivey, the self-proclaimed boss of an otherwise public grazing land.Violent feud between Connie Dickason, the owner of the Circle 66 ranch and rancher Frank Ivey, the self-proclaimed boss of an otherwise public grazing land.
Charles Ruggles
- Ben Dickason
- (as Charlie Ruggles)
Houseley Stevenson
- George Smedley
- (as Housely Stevenson)
Ward Wood
- Link Thoms
- (as Robert Wood)
Victor Potel
- Burch Nellice
- (as Vic Potel)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAt the time of filming, Veronica Lake and director André De Toth were married. This film was their first screen collaboration.
- Quotes
Connie Dickason: From now on, I'm going to make a life of my own. And, being a woman, I won't have to use guns.
- ConnectionsReferenced in You Must Remember This: Veronica Lake (Dead Blondes Part 4) (2017)
Featured review
The story is told in a straightforward, understated manner, trusting the audience to connect the dots
Some reviewers complain of a slow pace, but that wasn't my impression. The story is told in a straightforward, understated manner, trusting the audience to connect the dots and not wasting thirty seconds on a scene if it can be done in ten. It moves at a good pace most of the time, even though, at the end, the payoff is a bit easy and conventional. Because of that, it turns out not to be as good as it promised during the first part, when there was plenty of tension and psychological work.
The unusual setup is a strong point, subverting the trope of the beautiful lady rancher harassed by the evil local despots who want to run her out of her ranch. In this case, the lady rancher is as evil and petty as them. She boasts "From now on, I'm going to make a life of my own. And, being a woman, I won't have to use guns." She may not use them personally, but plenty of men are going to die because of her war, which is more a vanity project than really necessary for her to live her life.
I'm not a big fan of McCrea or Lake, but they are helped by a capable supporting cast.
I also need to mention the stunning scenery, shot in black and white. The camera doesn't linger in it often, though. More than the traditional open spaces of a western, here the story is sometimes claustrophobic and dark. It's kind of a hardboiled noir film.
I find it underrated, although it could have stuck the landing better.
The unusual setup is a strong point, subverting the trope of the beautiful lady rancher harassed by the evil local despots who want to run her out of her ranch. In this case, the lady rancher is as evil and petty as them. She boasts "From now on, I'm going to make a life of my own. And, being a woman, I won't have to use guns." She may not use them personally, but plenty of men are going to die because of her war, which is more a vanity project than really necessary for her to live her life.
I'm not a big fan of McCrea or Lake, but they are helped by a capable supporting cast.
I also need to mention the stunning scenery, shot in black and white. The camera doesn't linger in it often, though. More than the traditional open spaces of a western, here the story is sometimes claustrophobic and dark. It's kind of a hardboiled noir film.
I find it underrated, although it could have stuck the landing better.
helpful•10
- alv790
- Nov 9, 2021
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $2,000,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 34 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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