Kip Davis (Joel McCrea), Charlie Burns (Zachary Scott) and Lee Price (Douglas Kennedy) are best friends and partners in the Three-Bell Ranch, but the Civil War breaks out and their home is destroyed by Union raiders led by Luke Cottrell. Kip tracks down Cottrell in the local saloon and beats him. It won't be their last meeting.
But with the Three-Bell ranch gone, the partners split up. Lee joins the Confederate army. At the urging of saloon singer Rouge de Lisle (Alexis Smith), Kip becomes a gunrunner and Charlie joins him in the gun-running business.
Kip just wants to get enough money to restart the Three-Bell Ranch, however Charlie is more interested in the money than the ranch. Meanwhile,Lee winds up being more interested in Deborah Miller (Dorothy Malone) - the girl Kip planned to marry - than a renewed partnership with his two friends.
Turns out the close bond between the Three-Bell partners is going to be severely tested, during the war and after.
A decent Joel McCrea western highlighting the turbulence that war can cause by splitting three friends apart, but it's the rousing action scenes that drives this fast-paced western splashed in Technicolor. Great stunts, horse riding and gun smoke! Plus you get two hotties Alexis Smith and Dorothy Malone. The performances are great too, especially from McCrea who is an honourable character, something he would continue to play later in his career. Zachary Scott does what it's expected, and sneers in bad guy fashion. So does Victor Jory. It's a well- directed colourful western, but that's what you expect from the director of the superb Coroner's Creek!
But with the Three-Bell ranch gone, the partners split up. Lee joins the Confederate army. At the urging of saloon singer Rouge de Lisle (Alexis Smith), Kip becomes a gunrunner and Charlie joins him in the gun-running business.
Kip just wants to get enough money to restart the Three-Bell Ranch, however Charlie is more interested in the money than the ranch. Meanwhile,Lee winds up being more interested in Deborah Miller (Dorothy Malone) - the girl Kip planned to marry - than a renewed partnership with his two friends.
Turns out the close bond between the Three-Bell partners is going to be severely tested, during the war and after.
A decent Joel McCrea western highlighting the turbulence that war can cause by splitting three friends apart, but it's the rousing action scenes that drives this fast-paced western splashed in Technicolor. Great stunts, horse riding and gun smoke! Plus you get two hotties Alexis Smith and Dorothy Malone. The performances are great too, especially from McCrea who is an honourable character, something he would continue to play later in his career. Zachary Scott does what it's expected, and sneers in bad guy fashion. So does Victor Jory. It's a well- directed colourful western, but that's what you expect from the director of the superb Coroner's Creek!