Ronald Reagan plays Frame Johnson, a lawman who's worked long and hard to keep Tombstone law-abiding and decent. However, the citizens don't particularly appreciate the job he's done and Frame is tired. So, he decides to quit, buy a ranch and live a quiet life in a new town, Cottonwood. Unfortunately, he chose to live near a town controlled by an evil man, Kurt Durling (Preston Foster)...and what Durling says, goes. As a result, the town, while it has a sheriff, is lawless and the gutless sheriff does nothing. Some of the locals ask Frame to become their new marshal...but he repeatedly declines. After all, he wants to retire and live a quiet life...and he's earned it. But when his brother is made the new marshal, he's in over his head and Durling is determined to make him fail. Will this be enough to get Frame to reconsider his plans?
The whole boss who runs and ruins a town aspect of the film is one of the most familiar plots to westerns. Adding the tired sheriff retiring...well, that does breathe some life into an overused plot.
So is it worth seeing? Yes. While it's certainly not a brilliant or wholly original film, it ends very well (with an amazing fight scene you won't soon forget). It's a solid and entertaining movie and Reagan seems in his element here. It's also interesting to see Russell Johnson ("Gilligan's Island") playing a tough guy. Also, it's interesting to see Dennis Weaver in this one. While he played a good guy on "Gunsmoke" and "McCloud", here he's pure scum....and he does a good job of it.
The whole boss who runs and ruins a town aspect of the film is one of the most familiar plots to westerns. Adding the tired sheriff retiring...well, that does breathe some life into an overused plot.
So is it worth seeing? Yes. While it's certainly not a brilliant or wholly original film, it ends very well (with an amazing fight scene you won't soon forget). It's a solid and entertaining movie and Reagan seems in his element here. It's also interesting to see Russell Johnson ("Gilligan's Island") playing a tough guy. Also, it's interesting to see Dennis Weaver in this one. While he played a good guy on "Gunsmoke" and "McCloud", here he's pure scum....and he does a good job of it.