During the 1892 blizzard, pioneer ranching magnate Phil Evarts dies. His Hatchet Ranch is inherited by brother John and daughter Celia. However, much of the ranch is on free grazing land. Many of the local ranchers and cattlemen try to take advantage of Phil Evarts' death by grazing on this land and using its water for free. Ranchers Harve Garrison, Russ Schultz and Ray Cavanaugh desire the Hatchet Ranch's rich grazing land and take it with impunity. Others, like greedy rancher Bide Marriner, want it all for themselves. Even cattle rustlers, like Red Courteen, get involved by rustling cattle from the Evarts family whose power they resent. Because the old rancher Phil Evarts isn't around to protect the Hatchet Ranch anymore, his trusted foreman, Will Ballard, steps-in to safeguard the interests of Phil Evarts' heirs, especially Celia's whom he adores. Celia's fiance, Sam Danfelser, is the jealous type but Celia assures him that she only loves him and she only considers Will a good friend.
When Celia's uncle is shot and killed by hired gunmen, sheriff Joe Kneen's help becomes essential to the Evarts. Sensing a difficult situation, the sheriff decides to send a wire message to Santa Fe, asking for federal Marshals' assistance. A panicked Bide Marriner shoots the sheriff in the back at the telegraph office. To make matters worse, Celia Evarts' fiance, Sam Danfelser, betrays her and sides with Bide Marriner's crew. He promises to kill Will Ballard out of jealousy and revenge. He rides in for the final confrontation with Hatchet Ranch's foreman, Will Ballard.
Ride the Man Down is an adult western, in a sense that there's no endless gunfights and colourful heroes or pencil moustache twirling villainy - the heroes and villain come across real, even their dialogues is so, and it comes across conversational, which can be a problem as the story is quite complex. You really have to pay attention. It's a fairly decent western with some good twists here and there, but it lacked that spark and an identifiable villain. It was a little confusing. Some of the characters weren't likeable, even Rod Cameron. He comes across too pushy. The scenery is great and the sense of time is well-etched.
