What could have been an intriguing little Enoch Arden tale of coming back from the dead and how that effects the goings on of a small western town turns out to be an overdone gory tale of inhumanity and revenge. A great cast is assembled, but many of them are wasted, as the story is dished out to United States census taker James MacArthur by local bartender Arthur O'Connell, the purpose of which is never explained. It seems that years ago, Chuck Connors, a guy from the wrong side of the tracks fell in love with pretty Kathryn Hays, but her ailing aunt Ruth Warrick was opposed to them being married, and after walking out on her, Connors goes to make his fortune, returning nine years later to find out that he is not so welcome in his community. On his way back, he is attacked by gamblers Bill Bixby, Michael Rennie and Claude Akins, and branded for allegedly stealing coffee from them, his money stolen, and left to die in the countryside. Upon seeing Hays when he arrives in his hometown (late at night), Connors is rejected by her in the darkened streets for being just another drunken bum making a pass, and later finds out that she's engaged to marry the wealthy Rennie. When Connors, who was believed to be dead, reveals himself for real, the town is turned upside down as a cloud of violence hangs over everybody for the wrongdoing done to him, leading to some ugly confrontations and some disgusting situations concerning his vengeance.
Certainly, practically every western town or city once started off just as a few buildings and businesses, and as they grew, became bustling metropolises or communities. The shot of Aunt Gussie's (Warrick) house decaying in the background is an interesting visual, but I wish there had been more character development for the various people involved in the story. The decision to brand Connors is disgusting and barbaric, and when one of the accused faced with being branded by Connors fearfully pulls the brand down on his own chest and runs off with it stuck in his guts, I had the urge to turn this off. It made no sense, as do many things in this vile film. Joan Blondell as a local "madam" and Gloria Grahame, as a local "easy girl", don't get much opportunity to do anything juicy, and poor Warrick (then one of the stars of "Peyton Place") has hardly any lines at all. The only thing I can say about her character is that the future Aunt Phoebe Tyler Wallingford of "All My Children" really reminded me of "Little House on the Prairie's" Harriet Olsen, a character I always compared to her wealthy matriarch anyway.
Future soap diva Kathryn Hays ("As the World Turns") is quite lovely here, and she is one of the saving graces of this unfortunate western. Chuck Connors isn't really all that likable other than the few early romantic scenes he has with Hays, and as dashing as Rennie is, he's given a character that is completely vile beneath the silk suits he wears. Bixby, too, plays quite an unlikable character, but the champion of vile here is the madman played by Claude Akins whom I'm surprised wasn't killed off by either Bixby or Rennie earlier just as a favor to the community. In keeping with his disgusting character, he gets in a shoot-out with Rennie and runs off like a coward when Rennie shoots his horse. I did want to shout out some praise to the theme song, "You Can't Ever Go Home Again". sung by Glenn Yarborough, which gives a different indication of the type of film you're going to see over the opening credits than what actually transpires on screen.
Certainly, practically every western town or city once started off just as a few buildings and businesses, and as they grew, became bustling metropolises or communities. The shot of Aunt Gussie's (Warrick) house decaying in the background is an interesting visual, but I wish there had been more character development for the various people involved in the story. The decision to brand Connors is disgusting and barbaric, and when one of the accused faced with being branded by Connors fearfully pulls the brand down on his own chest and runs off with it stuck in his guts, I had the urge to turn this off. It made no sense, as do many things in this vile film. Joan Blondell as a local "madam" and Gloria Grahame, as a local "easy girl", don't get much opportunity to do anything juicy, and poor Warrick (then one of the stars of "Peyton Place") has hardly any lines at all. The only thing I can say about her character is that the future Aunt Phoebe Tyler Wallingford of "All My Children" really reminded me of "Little House on the Prairie's" Harriet Olsen, a character I always compared to her wealthy matriarch anyway.
Future soap diva Kathryn Hays ("As the World Turns") is quite lovely here, and she is one of the saving graces of this unfortunate western. Chuck Connors isn't really all that likable other than the few early romantic scenes he has with Hays, and as dashing as Rennie is, he's given a character that is completely vile beneath the silk suits he wears. Bixby, too, plays quite an unlikable character, but the champion of vile here is the madman played by Claude Akins whom I'm surprised wasn't killed off by either Bixby or Rennie earlier just as a favor to the community. In keeping with his disgusting character, he gets in a shoot-out with Rennie and runs off like a coward when Rennie shoots his horse. I did want to shout out some praise to the theme song, "You Can't Ever Go Home Again". sung by Glenn Yarborough, which gives a different indication of the type of film you're going to see over the opening credits than what actually transpires on screen.