Trama

Former gunslinger Steve Sinclair is now a peaceful rancher, but things go wrong after his wild brother Tony arrives with his new gun--and his new fiancée, former saloon girl Joan Blake.

Granted a small plot of land in a lush valley and a start with cattle by generous landowner and cattle baron Dennis Deneen (Donald Crisp), the once-feared gunslinger Steve Sinclair (Robert Taylor) has renounced violence, intent on keeping the peace in the community. However, the sudden arrival of Steve's much younger brother Tony (John Cassavetes) with his saloon-singer fiancée Joan Blake (Julie London) paves the way for a bitter rivalry between siblings, as the volatile young gunfighter craves to prove his mettle. More and more, Tony's tricked-out custom six-shooter demands blood. Is Tony destined to be the lord of the rich valley?—Nick Riganas

In the late-19th century American frontier, Steve Sinclair (Robert Taylor) owns one-third of the land in the relatively quiet and peace-loving valley in which he ranches. He was once the trail boss for Dennis Deneen (Donald Crisp), who opened the valley, owns the other two-thirds, and runs it under the rule of no gunfights, anyone breaking that latter rule not welcome in his preference never to see a friend again than to need to bury him. The rest of the land is considered open range. After being away for a couple of weeks in Muletown, Steve's wild, irresponsible much-younger brother Tony Sinclair (John Cassavetes), full of bluster, returns with a woman on his arm, Joan Blake (Julie London), whom he has only known a few days but intends to marry. Despite her finery, Steve can tell that she hasn't had a proper young lady's upbringing, so he's suspicious of her intentions with Tony. Joan owns up to him about her past and says she only wants a chance to prove that she's an honorable woman. Tony, who has always been trigger-happy, also brings with him a gun with a filed-down trigger; seeing himself as the next best quick-draw in the region after his older brother, he wants to be Steve's protector if on the off chance Steve's gunslinger past catches up with him. The arrival of two sets of strangers threatens not only the peace of the valley, but the dynamic among Steve, Tony, Joan, and Deneen--that is if they survive the actions triggered by the mere existence of those strangers.—Huggo