Its low budget shows, but this somehow makes it better. Whereas most westerns of this ilk show the towns in a glamorous light, with noisy saloons and street fights, they perhaps reflect the bawdy cattle towns that formed the Sante Fe Trail and others like it. The town in this film is some forgotten dusty little place, and the film somehow captures perfectly how it must have been to live in a quiet dead-end of a place at that time.

It is a great little piece. Kirk Douglas acts Johnny Cash off the screen, but still Johnny manages to act himself and come across well.

As an alternative to the usual gunslinging type of western,I would recommend this film.


Great and original western starring the greatest cowboys!   November 1, 2000
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

I saw this movie on TV back in 1978, and though I have never seen it again, it made a deep impression. Its originality, in addition to being just about born a die-hard fan of Johnny Cash, made it a must-see.

Johnny Cash makes one of his very few real performances with more than historical interest. Both men get themselves involved in a bet-on gunfight. They decide to meet on the local arena like wild-west gladiators. However, a special friendship starts growing between two rivals set up to kill each other. The end of the story leaves us thoughtful.

Why this movie has been so much overlooked is a mystery to me.