"The Proxy" opens with Johnny Yuma forming a trio of civilians assigned by Major Lipscott (William Bryant, eighth of nine) to return from Mexico with disgraced bank president Houghton (Vaughn Taylor, the bank manager from Hitchcock's "Psycho"), who is responsible for homesteaders being robbed of their land by greedy cattle barons. Jess Wilkerson (Vic Damone) and Ben Crowe (Royal Dano, previously seen in "Yellow Hair") are his two comrades in shady business, all three risking death to perform a humanitarian service. Crowe served as a $300 proxy during the Civil War, in place of a man too cowardly to fight, losing his left arm in the process. Wilkerson signed on to save his spineless brother from a hanging, preferring to get him a lifelong prison term in exchange. Face to face with Houghton, who believes that money can buy anything, Crowe reveals that the fugitive was the man who paid him to be a proxy. Royal Dano's solid performance is no surprise, but the fine work from crooner Vic Damone certainly is, not many acting roles on his resume, which came to an end by the mid 60s (George Sawaya would return for "The Found").
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