Anthony Mann and James Stewart’s first collaboration is a touchstone of the western genre.

With such a strong cast, the film almost turns into an ensemble film instead of a star vehicle for Stewart in his first of many collaborations with Mann.

Strikingly photographed in black & white, the film is directed with an eye to realistic detail, an ear for the script's frequently natural dialogue and a knack for building suspense.

James Stewart's generally affable screen persona melded with the tougher sensibility required of his character, thus helping to forge a new kind of Western protagonist, one who could inflict violence while also reflecting vulnerability