Uggh! This film starts off very, very poorly with a sappy introduction that only can be believed if you see it. I really think it best if you skip the narration and singing and cut straight to the scene at the beginning of the film where the person is taking luggage off the stage coach! Unfortunately, the horrible singing returns at the 22 and 100 minute mark--and I found myself contemplating plunging a screwdriver into my ears to make it stop and I also felt rather envious of my deaf daughter! And, speaking of singing, at about the 29 minute mark, Barbara Stanwyck sings a song in a bar. It's obvious to anyone who's seen her movies and is familiar with her voice that this is NOT Stanwyck who is singing--the voice just isn't right.
The film is purportedly about the founding of the state of California. It begins on a wagon train where Barbara Stanwyck hitches a ride after she's driven out of town for her wicked ways. Once there, she meets up with an instantly hates Ray Milland--and you know that means that eventually fall in love (old movie cliché #16). But this trip is disrupted by news of the discovery of gold and the trek west degenerates into an "each man for himself" affair! Once in California, bad-girl Barbara lands on her feet very well. She makes a fortune running a saloon/gambling den. She's also very friendly with the ever-slimy George Coulouris--a man who ALWAYS plays the most weasel-like and unsavory characters. While Stanwyck is bad, at least her gambling joint is on the level--everything about Coulouris is crooked and he is the evil boss-man who is behind claim-jumpings and killings (cliche #12). Later, the evil boss-man decides he doesn't want California to become a state, as he loves lawlessness. So much of the rest of the film consists of his paid baddies making life tough for the good folks.
So what's going to happen next? Will Coulouris' reign of terror be ended? Will Ray break Barbara's evil spirit and make this philly his own (huh?!)? Will there be any major surprises in the film? By the way, there's one surprise in this film. Not only does Ray Milland play a cowboy(!), but he gets into a fistfight! This just seemed odd in light of the sort of person the Welsh-born Milland usually played. Fortunately for the sake of realism, Milland IS beaten to a pulp in this fight! I enjoyed his acting, but just could never picture him in westerns--let alone being a two-fisted brawler! Along for the ride are some nice character actors to give the film color. Barry Fitzgerald, Anthony Quinn and Albert Dekker are welcome supporting additions to the film.
The film is purportedly about the founding of the state of California. It begins on a wagon train where Barbara Stanwyck hitches a ride after she's driven out of town for her wicked ways. Once there, she meets up with an instantly hates Ray Milland--and you know that means that eventually fall in love (old movie cliché #16). But this trip is disrupted by news of the discovery of gold and the trek west degenerates into an "each man for himself" affair! Once in California, bad-girl Barbara lands on her feet very well. She makes a fortune running a saloon/gambling den. She's also very friendly with the ever-slimy George Coulouris--a man who ALWAYS plays the most weasel-like and unsavory characters. While Stanwyck is bad, at least her gambling joint is on the level--everything about Coulouris is crooked and he is the evil boss-man who is behind claim-jumpings and killings (cliche #12). Later, the evil boss-man decides he doesn't want California to become a state, as he loves lawlessness. So much of the rest of the film consists of his paid baddies making life tough for the good folks.
So what's going to happen next? Will Coulouris' reign of terror be ended? Will Ray break Barbara's evil spirit and make this philly his own (huh?!)? Will there be any major surprises in the film? By the way, there's one surprise in this film. Not only does Ray Milland play a cowboy(!), but he gets into a fistfight! This just seemed odd in light of the sort of person the Welsh-born Milland usually played. Fortunately for the sake of realism, Milland IS beaten to a pulp in this fight! I enjoyed his acting, but just could never picture him in westerns--let alone being a two-fisted brawler! Along for the ride are some nice character actors to give the film color. Barry Fitzgerald, Anthony Quinn and Albert Dekker are welcome supporting additions to the film.