Edward Dmytryk directed this Western, with an all-star cast, headed by Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Anthony Quinn and Dorothy Malone.
The screenplay by Robert Alan Aurthur is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by American author Oakley Hall.
Fonda portrays Clay Blaisedell, a freelance marshal in the fictional town of Warlock, skilled with implacable methods of dealing with troublemakers.
A subplot centers on Blaisedell’s club-footed assistant, Tom Morgan, played by Anthony Quinn, who has sublimated his relationships and ambition into a warped devotion to Blaisedell, the only person Morgan thinks doesn’t look down on him for his disability.
The supporting cast includes DeForest Kelley, Frank Gorshin, and Tom Drake.
Parts of the film were shot at Dead Horse Point, Kings Bottom, Professor Valley, Arches National Park, and Sand Flats in Utah.
Released by Fox on April 1, 1959, the film was a commercial disappointment, despite the illustrious cast.
Running time: 122 Minutes.
