Dick Powell reserved some of the best of his Zane Grey Theater stories for himself. The screenplay was written by future television mogul Aaron Spelling who apprenticed with Powell's Four Star Productions.
Paul Richards who usually played rather craven villains is especially craven as a drunken loser who murders the town's richest citizen in front of his fiancé Joan Taylor. With Taylor leading the lynch mob on, they're fixing to give Richards a necktie party.
Powell plays the sheriff of their small town and it is one of the noblest parts I've ever seen him play. He's a true western hero in this one with Deputy Willard Sage standing up to the mob. He also has a wonderful scene with Virginia Christine the wife of Richards who is resigned to her husband's fate. She only asks that he not be strung up. Beautifully played by both of them.
In his big screen career Dick Powell only went west three times. He did two musicals set in the modern west, Riding High and Cowboy From Brooklyn. He also did a very dark western noir type film Station West that is also outstanding. Seeing some of his work on Zane Grey Theater I wish he had done a few more westerns in his career.
One of the best of the Zane Grey features.
Paul Richards who usually played rather craven villains is especially craven as a drunken loser who murders the town's richest citizen in front of his fiancé Joan Taylor. With Taylor leading the lynch mob on, they're fixing to give Richards a necktie party.
Powell plays the sheriff of their small town and it is one of the noblest parts I've ever seen him play. He's a true western hero in this one with Deputy Willard Sage standing up to the mob. He also has a wonderful scene with Virginia Christine the wife of Richards who is resigned to her husband's fate. She only asks that he not be strung up. Beautifully played by both of them.
In his big screen career Dick Powell only went west three times. He did two musicals set in the modern west, Riding High and Cowboy From Brooklyn. He also did a very dark western noir type film Station West that is also outstanding. Seeing some of his work on Zane Grey Theater I wish he had done a few more westerns in his career.
One of the best of the Zane Grey features.