User Reviews

Vengeance Valley is pretty good for a western starring Burt Lancaster and Robert Walker as brothers, one of whom adopted, whose rivalry leads to betrayal later on. Also liked the women played by Joanne Dru and Sally Forrest and Hugh O'Brian and John Ireland as the brothers of Forrest who want to kill the man who impregnated their sister. Lots of good scenes of cattle rustling and some exciting fight scenes come every now and then but there's plenty of good drama concerning the characters too. The Technicolor stands out in this location-shot picture. Loved the narration by Carleton Carpenter as Hewie. Worthy entry for any old movie western fan.

The movie concerns about a cattle baron (Ray Collins) who takes a foreman named Owen (Burt Lancaster) as his own son , originating in the legitimate one named Lee (Rober Walker) an enormous resentment for the adopted brother . An illegitimate child of Lee and Lily (Sally Forrest) creates more problems when the brothers (John Ireland , Hugh O'Brian) from her , along with a mean gunslinger (Ted De Corsia) are looking for revenge . Lee married to Jean (Joanne Dru) is seeing an opportunity to obtain his father's cattle.

The movie is a good western with extraordinary landscapes that were shot on location in natural parks of Montana and Arizona territory . The picture has western action , drama , round-up , horseman pursuits and results to be quite entertaining . It carries a surprising feeling of authenticity for a Western of this M.G.M.'s classic period . Serious Western by Richard Thorpe and with Burt Lancaster as a foreman trying to live a pacific existence . The picture is produced in enough budget by Metro Goldwyn Mayer where director Richard Thorpe spent 33 years in the same studio and he was to become the longest-servicing filmmaker in their story . In time Thorpe became known as the studio's ¨one take¨ because of his rapid shooting schedules . It's the first Burt Lancaster's Western and , as always , he plays a honest and upright character , similar he subsequently played in ¨Unforgiven¨ (by John Huston). Robert Walker is fine in his last film because being early deceased at thirty two years old , he's specially known for ¨Strangers on the train¨ (Alfred Hitchcock). George Folsey's cinematography is glimmer and colorful like is well reflected on the breathtaking and spellbound outdoors ; however the photography is a little worn-out . In fact , this is one of a handful of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer productions of the 1950-1951 period whose original copyrights were never renewed and are now apparently in Public Domain , meaning that virtually anyone could duplicate and sell a VHS/DVD copy of the film . Therefore, many of the versions of this film available on the market are either severely and usually badly edited and/or of extremely poor quality, having been duped from second or third-generation or more copies of the film . Splendid art direction by Cedric Gibbons from Metro Goldwyn Mayer (film producer) , he's the greatest production designer by that time .

The movie attained lukewarm reception by the public , it achieved a limited success ; however a similar film titled ¨Red River¨ (by Howard Hawks), also with the same protagonist , the attractive Joanne Dru , was much better as reviews as box office . The motion picture was professionally directed by Richard Thorpe . He directed lesser Western and thrillers when he moved into features in 1924 and did little of note before joining MGM in 1935 . Thorpe made routine studio fare until 1950s when he was given more major assignment . He then made various big-budget productions financed by Pando S Bergman among his best known films are all the MGM Tarzans following his arrival at the studio in 1935 and a series of swashbuckling adventures in the early 1950s featuring Robert Taylor , the most successful of these were three swashbucklers made in England as ¨Knights of Round Table¨ , ¨Ivanhoe¨ and ¨Quentin Durward¨ . Thorpe was an expert on all kind of genres as Western as ¨Wild horse¨ , ¨Under Montana skies¨ and ¨Last challenge¨ but his specialty resulted to be adventures as ¨Prisoner of Zenda¨, ¨The prodigal¨ , ¨Challenge to Lassie¨ , ¨Malaya¨ , ¨Tarzan's secret treasure¨ , ¨Tarzan escapes¨ , ¨Tarzan finds a son¨ and Musicals as ¨Fun in Acapulco¨ , ¨Rainbow over Broadway¨ , ¨The prince student¨ and his biggest money-maker to date was ¨The great Caruso¨ and his last big box-office hit was ¨Presley' Jailhouse Rock¨ . He also worked briefly in television before retiring in 1968 , his last film was a Western : ¨The last challenge¨, also titled ¨The Pistolero of Red River ¨. The motion picture will appeal to Burt Lancaster fans and western genre enthusiasts .

Robert Walker plays Lee Strobie, a sleazy greedy son gone bad. His adopted brother Owen Daybright (Burt Lancaster) is always covering for him. Strobie gets Lily Faskin (Sally Forrest) pregnant and Lily's brothers (John Ireland & Hugh O'Brien) come gunning for Daybright since they found out he was the one who paid money to Lily for her trouble. They think Owen is the father when in fact it was Lee who got Lily pregnant in the first place. Lee also tries to hide this fact from his wife Jen (Joanne Dru) but she finds out about it, anyway.

Sound convoluted enough? Well it actually it works. This is an 'adult' western, not your average B programmer.

There's little gunplay except at the end when the Faskin brothers try to ambush and kill Owen during a cattle drive. Lee gallops away leaving Owen at the mercy of the Faskins. It's only then that Owen realizes Lee was in on this ambush too because he wants Owen dead so he can have the ranch all to himself.

The other ranch hands come to Owen's rescue and kill the Faskins, leaving Owen free to pursue Lee to the river where the inevitable showdown occurs. If you want to see what happens next, see the movie.

I love the scenery in this one. It's beautiful. Looks like Colorado but I could be mistaken and the IMDb doesn't give the location. I'd love to go out there, though.

It seems this MGM western is in the public domain since there are a lot of bootleg DVDs of it out there of mediocre quality. I saw it on TCM and it looks like it could use a remastering job since the Technicolor is all washed out and the sound fades out at times.

Unlike some of the viewers below, I liked it since it had a slightly sleazy element to the story. May even be worth getting on DVD if Turner ever decides to release an official version.

7 out of 10

I didn't read many westerns growing up, but more devoted readers of the genre spoke well of writer Luke Short, on whose novel this film is based (screenplay by Irving Ravetch). Another reviewer points out that Short was a city boy who didn't know the west, but the movie is full of cattle ranching and driving lore (more than the otherwise superior Red River).

Above all the story has an impressively complicated plot--lots of moving pieces, with a large cast of characters variously related. A nice surprise was the voice-over narration by a somewhat marginal character who is nonetheless present at many crucial scenes. Add an outstanding cast: Burt's always a convincing action stalwart; Robert Walker plays just the kind of attractive weasel that people fool themselves into believing; John Ireland brings an air of implacable menace to the heavy; Joanne Dru and Sally Forrest make you want them to be on screen more often.

The limits of the film's running time squeeze the women out from fuller development especially at the end, but their issues drive the plot with surprisingly adult themes: Dru's character raises questions about what the Old West did about divorce, and Forrest's character Lily finds a way to raise her illegitimate child even while her no-good brothers make trouble.

The direction of the cattle drives against spectacular outdoor scenery and some good riding scenes are the film's best testimony for director Richard Thorpe. Otherwise the direction seems by-the-book, and the story concludes in a gun showdown that violates what we've learned of the characters involved. Other reviewers are correct that MGM's bland production values prevail. But within those limits, the various parts of the plot worked together well, and the excellent acting added depth and urgency.

Burt Lancaster usually played parts with a lot of depth to them, especially after From Here to Eternity. In fact other than Vengeance Valley, the only other film where he played a totally upright hero is Gunfight at the OK Corral.

He's the orphan kid that gets taken in by rancher Ray Collins who grows up and becomes foreman and companion to Robert Walker, Collins's real son. Walker is a spoiled kid and Lancaster is constantly cleaning up after him. Some of the same plot elements were used later in Man From Laramie and The Big Country.

Walker is both coming home to his wife,Joanne Dru and another girl he's fathered a kid with, Sally Forrest. Lancaster is caught taking hush money over to Forrest by her no-account brothers, John Ireland and Hugh O'Brian. They come to the conclusion that Lancaster has done the deed. That's where the action starts.

Good western with some adult themes. Cattle drive scenes are tough and gritty, they don't have the epic quality of Red River, but are nicely done. The players all give a good account of themselves.

"Vengeance Valley" (1951) is not just a great title for a western, but a well-made, intelligent feature that should please Burt Lancaster and Robert Walker fans. A cattle baron (Ray Collins) takes in an orphaned boy (Owen Daybright) and raises him. His own son (Lee Strobie) is about the same age. Although Lee resents Owen they generally get along and share a lot of coming of age adventures on the ranch. But as they mature Lee's (Robert Walker) resentment causes him to become a slacker and the classic prodigal son. After a long absence he returns with a wife, appears to have cleaned up his act, and reconciles with his father.

But Lee's past includes a girl named Lily that he got pregnant. Owen covers for him, but this causes Lee to resent his stepbrother even more. When he suspects that his father's ranch and his new wife are slipping away from him, he sets up Owen to be killed by Lily's two brothers. Although this prodigal son-Cain and Abel stuff is hardly original, the two stars are excellent in their respective parts. Lancaster reins in his excesses and gives a nice controlled performance, with his suppressed energy just visible enough to give Owen a nice dimensionality.

Walker in convincing as a two-faced villain, still motivated by childhood jealousy but able to conceal it from everyone but the audience. Walker is relatively forgotten today, but was the 1940's version of James Dean; although his looks and style are more like a young Robert Vaughn.

When not occupied with its melodramatic story, "Vengeance Valley" has the look of an extremely well-produced documentary, going into great detail about the process of a spring roundup and providing a lot of very scenic backgrounds. A ranch hand named Hewie (Carleton Carpenter) provides an informative voice-over. The film features some great cattle scenes, a lot of good riding sequences, and a couple well staged fights. Watch for an early appearance by young Hugh O'Brian-just a few years away from starring in television's "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp".

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

The prolific and dependable director Richard Thorpe directs Burt Lancaster in his first western. Not your typical sagebrush drama. This "adult" western deals with family dysfunction and illegitimate birth. An "up and up" ranch foreman(Lancaster) and his half-brother(Robert Walker)who both are in love with a cafe waitress(Sally Forrest)go gunning for the man who fathered her new born child. Well photographed on location outside Canyon City, Colorado. The interest in this film fades as the story progresses. Standout supporting cast features: Joanne Dru, John Ireland, Hugh O'Brian and Carleton Carpenter. Of note: One fourth of Lancaster's career would be westerns.

This really isn't the most exciting or original western ever made. It's a fair enough attempt and the frame work for many other later '50's westerns is already slightly present in this movie.

Real problem with the movie is its story, though its concept definitely sounds intriguing and strong on paper, it just doesn't ever become so in the movie. The drama is almost soap-like, with uninteresting affairs and other personal drama's. It's a muddled mess, that above all is uninteresting to watch. Luckily toward the end the movie and its story gets better, when the more soap-like drama makes place for better developed and layered drama. The movie gets more solid and it doesn't allow any of the earlier weaker drama to distract from it. It makes this movie still a decent one to watch, though it's not one that I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone.

Despite the simple drama, characters and dialog, Burt Lancaster still shines in this movie. He gives away a great performance and also plays a likable main character. Good to see that he also did westerns in his career. The genre fits him well. None of the other characters or actors are really good enough to leave a lasting impression.

It takes awhile for the movie to take pace and from the beginning on it isn't clear were the movie is trying to head to. It takes too long for the movie to take form, which makes the movie drag at points and also make it rather dull, to be frank. Not even some good old fashioned fight sequences can change anything about this.

The settings on the other hand look fine and the nature suits the movie and its atmosphere. The cattle driving sequences are without doubt the best parts of the movie.

Not bad enough to consider it unwatchable but not really good enough to consider it a recommendable movie either.

6/10

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(The Bad): If there is any short coming to this film, it's the fact that it is an adaption of a Luke Short western short-story (Short is a city boy who never saw the west and pretends to be a native westerner - how he ever made it as a western writer is beyond me). Screenwriter Irving Ravetch improved the tale via his screenplay.

(The Good): Burt Lancaster, Joanne Dru, Sally Forrest and Carleton Carpenter gave not only excellent performances, but made you believe that they were real people, with real values, of the old school. The supporting cast of "good guys" were great as well.

(The Ugly): Robert Walker (of Ensign Pulver fame) was well cast as a spoiled, immature bad boy, using everybody around him, especially those closest to him, and spitting in their faces. Walker has always been a natural for these roles. Hugh O'Brian is barely recognizable . . . his natural looks well disguised behind an unshaven face, does a good job of playing a very sinister, meddling and not too bright bad guy, along with John Ireland, as the Fasken brothers.

The title of the movie is a total misnomer . . . maybe "Justice in the End" would have been better. The "good guys" are good - the bad guys are really bad - and the women are beautiful and tough! A very good movie!

A noble foster brother (Burt Lancaster) on a ranch in Northwest Colorado is accused of making a woman pregnant (Sally Forrest) by her two violent brothers (Hugh O'Brian & John Ireland), but this was actually the work of the questionable natural brother (Robert Walker). Joanne Dru is on hand as the wife of the latter, but might understandably have eyes for the former.

As the plot blurb suggests, "Vengeance Valley" (1951) is just as much a soap opera as it is horse opera, but it doesn't skimp on the typical Western staples with gorgeous Western locations (Colorado), saloon confrontations, fistfights, gunfights, steam engine trains, breaking horses, rustling and cattle drives.

Speaking of the latter, the movie features an interesting narration by one of the ranch hands, Hewie (Carleton Carpenter), which offers vital information about the exploits of cattle wanderings during Winter, Spring round-up, cattle drives and buying & selling.

The film doesn't overstay its welcome at 1 hour, 23 minutes, and was shot at Coal Creek & Oak Creek in Northwest Colorado.

GRADE: B

Since watching a number of vintage albeit minor efforts from recently-deceased Hollywood legends (such as Richard Widmark and Charlton Heston), I have been on the alert in seeking out similarly ‘neglected’ outings featuring contemporaneous stars; this, then, is an early Burt Lancaster vehicle – a pleasant (especially in Technicolor) but perfectly ordinary Western, his first of numerous stints in the genre and which include a number of genuine classics (VERA CRUZ [1954], GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K. CORRAL [1957], THE PROFESSIONALS [1966]).

Anyway, as far as I can tell, this is Lancaster’s sole film for MGM (which gives the film typical gloss by also their customary blandness!): he plays a stoic ranch foreman, foster-son of crippled owner Ray Collins, who continually has to intercede for the latter’s ne’er-do-well offspring (Robert Walker) – married to a woman (Joanne Dru), but who has impregnated another (Sally Forest). For this reason, Lancaster goes out of his way to ease Forrest’s current predicament – a situation which, however, is misunderstood by the locals (and even more so by the girl’s revenge-seeking brothers, played by John Ireland and Hugh O’Brian); naturally, Dru herself doesn’t really love her husband but, rather, harbors affection for Lancaster – which he’s reluctant to return for fear of hurting both Walker and Collins (on the other hand, Forrest is admired from afar by timid ranch-hand Carleton Carpenter).

Still, as it turns out, Walker is beyond redemption: he’s jealous of his father’s affection for Lancaster, accuses the latter of wanting to usurp the inheritance which is rightfully his (when Lancaster proposes that Walker leave town and start afresh elsewhere in view of the scandal) – to the point that he coerces Collins to appoint him co-proprietor sooner rather than later (a position he exercises immediately when, hard-up for cash, he sells off a herd of cattle!); worst of all, he connives with Forrest’s brothers and a cattle-rustler (Ted de Corsia) – all of whom had fallen foul with Lancaster at some point – in order to get rid of the latter once and for all. Of course, his plans are foiled eventually – which sees the two ‘brothers’ facing off at the climax (a strikingly-handled scene coming from journeyman Thorpe); incidentally, Lancaster’s sturdy physique gets adequate mileage here: the star, in fact, is involved in a number of vigorous scuffles throughout.

Mind you, VENGEANCE VALLEY – scripted by Irving Ravetch, soon to become a genre stalwart, from a novel by popular Western scribe Luke Short – is brisk and reasonably enjoyable, and the performances surprisingly committed (giving the whole, if anything, an air of professionalism). Nevertheless, the film doesn’t amount to a memorable enough outing to secure much of a reputation for itself within the vast scope of this most ‘abused’ of American genres – incidentally, the fact that this particular title has unaccountably fallen into the Public Domain has only dampened its chances in this regard all the more…

Lavish MGM was not a studio for Westerns. That king of studios excelled at big-budget, star-studded drawing-room dramas. On the other hand, Westerns tend to do better with small casts, tight stories, and good outdoor locations. Nonetheless, this MGM Western is generally underrated. On the plus side, is a fine male cast among the supporting players (Collins, Wright, Ireland, de Corsia, Carpenter {surprisingly},and Jim Hayward as the sheriff), some striking Colorado locations, and good attention to detail (note how injured persons do not quickly recover, and how the trail drive is treated in realistic detail). My guess is that the producers were following up on the success of Red River (1948), with another trail-drive Western, but without the latter's notable dramatic tensions.

Several factors work against Vengeance Valley. One is that critical lack of tension. The scenes don't really build to a dramatic conclusion, but simply follow one another in rather slack style. That results in a final showdown between Lancaster and Walker lacking the impact it should have given their family history together. Crucially, Director Thorpe adds nothing to the screenplay, and most importantly, adds nothing to Lancaster's performance which lacks the kind of shading that would normally build tension. I don't know whether to fault Thorpe or Lancaster for that one-note performance. But, unlike Wayne's character in Red River, Lancaster's Owen Daybright comes across as a rather dull and uninvolving character. He doesn't even seem angry or anguished during the showdown. Then there's Joanne Dru who appears unengaged with her part as Walker's wife. Many ambitious Hollywood actresses viewed the male-dominated Western as a come down, but whatever the reason, her scenes come across as emotionally flat, at best.

On the other hand, the screenplay is both well developed and unusual for its day. Wedlock babies simply didn't turn up in movies during that Production Code era. Here, Forrest's fatherless baby sets off the chain of events leading to the climax, and also provides unusual motivation for the bad guys. There's also the terrific Colorado locations and trail herds big enough to be believed. Clearly the studio put real money into the project. Too bad they didn't hire a more inspired director. With better guidance, Vengeance Valley had the potential to be a memorably epic Western. Even as things stand, the movie remains highly watchable and generally underrated.

From the film's title you would think the story in the film has something to do with revenge, yet it's really more to do with opportunism. The idea that the son of a self made wealthy rancher would grow up spoiled has been explored in other westerns, while the adopted son would truly appreciate the values of hard work and sacrifice and thus earn more of the respect of the father than his own true son ever could. This of course drives the true son to want to get rid of the adopted one, even if they grew up the together and the adopted one always tried to cover for the numerous deficiencies of the true son. In this case wayward Sally Forrest has a child which is fathered by true son Robert Walker, while adopted son Burt Lancaster voluntarily takes the so-called blame. Walker is married to attractive Joanne Dru, who seems to instinctively know who the real father is, and after witnessing Walker take a whip to a horse, decides to dump him. Forrest's two brothers (Hugh O'Brien and John Ireland) are mistakenly after Lancaster's character instead of Walker's. Maybe it's their revenge that is at the heart of the film's title, though why they should want to kill the father of their sister's illegitimate child is not clear, other than being a typical Hollywood plot utilized in order to move things along. In any event, Walker does decide to take advantage of the two brothers' misplaced hatred for Lancaster and the plot actually isn't half bad once it gets going, when everyone is out on the range rounding up the cattle. Dru looks especially good, Lancaster is solid in his part, but Walker's character is the most interesting, with whatever vengeance he may feel towards Lancaster well concealed beneath a cool exterior.

Foreman Burt Lancaster, the mature responsible adopted son of a wealthy rancher, tries to protect the reputation of his sniveling adoptive brother Robert Walker, who recently fathered a son out of wedlock. This leads to a case of mistaken identity and his running afoul of the mother's family, including her violent brother John Ireland.

To make things worse, the heartless Walker is scheming against his father and brother.

A decent frontier melodrama for grown-ups, this has an immensely likable performance by Lancaster with effective support by Walker and Ireland, their characters truly nasty creatures.

Though never boring, things sag a bit in the middle. A good final act features some great cattle-drive scenes, some nice scenery, and a serviceable climax.

This film begins with two cowboys named "Owen Daybright" (Burt Lancaster) and his foster brother "Lee Strobie" (Robert Walker) riding into a small town after spending several months in an isolated area tending cattle during the winter. Naturally, having been away from civilization for so long, the first thing they do is to venture into the local saloon to have a drink before heading out to the ranch a few miles further out. It's then that they learn that a young woman by the name of "Lilly" (Sally Forrest) has just given birth to a baby out of wedlock. Not only that, but her refusal to identify the father has further inflamed the situation as well. In any case, recognizing how difficult things must be for her, Owen rides out to see her and, while there, gives her $500 to help her out. Unfortunately, Lilly's brothers misconstrue his generosity and--figuring that he must be the person who fathered the baby--take it upon themselves to avenge their sister's dishonor by killing him. In the meantime, Lee's father "Arch Strobie" (Ray Collins) has just learned that $500 has been withdrawn from Lee's bank account and assumes that it was due to a gambling debt he incurred while playing poker. Lee's wife "Jen Strobie" (Joanne Dru), on the other hand, immediately realizes the truth and, after a fierce argument, decides to leave her unfaithful husband once and for all. Further exasperating the problem is the fact that, when Owen convinces her to stay, Lee gets the false impression that the two have been having an affair--and this results in even more serious consequences for all concerned. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this movie turned out to be much better than I originally expected due in large part to the acting of Burt Lancaster and the intriguing storyline. Admittedly, it might not interest some viewers who prefer action above everything else, but I enjoyed it for the most part and I have rated it accordingly. Above average.

Brashly handsome Burt Lancaster (as Owen Daybright) and little brother Robert Walker (as Lee Strobie) return from a cattle round-up as their western town celebrates the arrival of a newborn baby. The kid is illegitimate, and sexy Sally Forrest (as Lily Fasken) isn't identifying the papa. You can bet it's either Mr. Lancaster or Mr. Walker, though (it's not much of a secret). Walker, by the way, is married to neglected Joanne Dru (as Jen); and, both women seem to be in competition for both men.

It's also important to know that Lancaster is supposed to be the older "foster brother" of Walker, and helped their disabled father Ray Collins (as Arch Strobie) "raise" the little guy. Moving the plot along is the arrival of new mother Forrest's angry brothers John Ireland (as Hub) and Hugh O'Brian (as Dick); naturally, they want to kill the father of their new nephew. Though done well, this all comes across as dull. Lancaster and Walker are fine actors, but do not fit the story; Ms. Dru is underused.

Also ill-served by the story is young ranch-hand Carleton Carpenter (as Hewie). He serves as the film's "narrator" and guide. Coincidently, Mr. Carpenter had a surprise multi-million-selling hit during this film's original release, as his "Aba Daba Honeymoon" recording with Debbie Reynolds outdistanced its introduction in "Three Little Words (1950). "Vengeance Valley" doesn't serve its personnel well, but Lancaster rode on to successfully mix western genre films in with his impressive repertoire.

***** Vengeance Valley (2/6/51) Richard Thorpe ~ Burt Lancaster, Robert Walker, Carleton Carpenter, Sally Forrest

In his later films Robert Walker was becoming increasingly cast as a black sheep. This time he's bad news as the foster brother of Burt Lancaster who gets the two of them embroiled in a bitter squabble with two other brothers played by John Ireland (who's saturnine presence - along with Joanne Dru - further stokes memories of 'Red River') and a young Hugh O'Brian over the paternity of their sister's new addition to the family.

The outcome can be guessed by anyone who's seen 'Gunfight at the O. K. Corral', set against an incongruously picturesque Technicolor backdrop which provides a very rare opportunity to see Walker in colour.

Burt Lancaster carries this film that has several adult themes. Good supporting cast and fantastic scenery make it a good watch. Like most Westerns made in the 50s the pace is fast and the 83 minutes fly by.

Enjoyed this great Classic 1951 film since Burt Lancaster was born and raised in New York City and since this was his first western film, he had to learn how to ride horses and took plenty of instructions from professionals. Burt plays the role as Owen Daybright who was adopted by a very rich cattle baron and he was very much loved. However, Lee Strobie, (Robert Walker) was the real son of the cattle baron and he was spoiled rotten and a big trouble maker. Owen always protects him from trouble and fought his battles whenever they occurred. Lee marries Jen, (Joanne Dru) and they live happy for a few years and then Lee has an affair with Lily Fasken, (Sally Forrest) and he gives her a baby. This is when the trouble starts and Owen is accused of being the father of the child and Owen takes the rap and is hunted down by Lily's brothers and family. Great film with plenty of drama and a great Burt Lancaster Western. Enjoy.

Feckless cowboy, married but also semi-secretly the father of an infant born to an unwed neighbor girl, allows his foster-brother to take the rap when the vengeful brother of the tight-lipped lass comes to town packing heat. Oater opens with a laughably clichéd narration by a Jimmy Stewart sound-alike informing us this is a yarn about "cow country and cow punchers, cattle, and men. Worn leather, saddles, blisters and branding irons!" Unfortunately, it turns out to be a rather wan, dim horse-opera, with Robert Walker's rotter one-dimensionally written and portrayed (he whips a horse that won't let him ride, a signal to us that his wife--who only has one Sunday dress--is miserable at home). Burt Lancaster, occasionally unshaven and cat-like in his movements, broods sexily and is the only reason to watch the picture. *1/2 from ****