Tribute to a Bad Man

Robert Wise does a commendable job of keeping a strong cast under control in his western saga about a tough horse rancher (JAMES CAGNEY) who believes in swift justice whenever his horses are stolen or his ranch hands are murdered. He's ready with a hangman's knot and exerts control over everyone around him. Eventually, he's softened by the love of a woman (IRENE PAPAS) who comes to respect him when he spares the lives of three men he's bent on punishing--although he does treat them brutally for what they've done to his horses.

It's an interesting yarn with strong characters, but the plot isn't as strong as the characters who inhabit it. STEPHEN McNALLY is a nasty ranch hand determined to avenge Cagney for firing him and coming between him and Irene Papas. VIC MORROW does a standout job as a nearby rancher's son upon whom Cagney thrusts some strong punishment.

It's photographed in gorgeous Technicolor with its Widescreen lenses capturing magnificent landscapes. Miklos Rozsa's score is often given a muted treatment beneath the more intimate scenes and only occasionally veers into stronger flourishes for the darker moments. In other words, it's not one of his more memorable scores but the main theme has a robust flavor to it.

Cagney and Papas carry most of the weight as far as performances go, but DON DUBBINS (who looks like a Robert Redford clone in a boyishly handsome sort of way), does a standout job as the young ranch hand who saves Cagney's life and is rewarded with a job as a wrangler who comes to detest the brutality of the vigilante justice.

Summing up: A compelling western yarn that benefits from strong performances.