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Robert Wagner, thirty years before Hart to Hart. Here, he's young Jess Harker, waiting to leave his quiet little hometown, in one of his early roles. the stagecoach company lets him drive the stage, but of course, there will be obstacles along the way. when they get held up, they go after the gang. co-stars Dale Robertson and Rory Calhoun. Some scenes filmed in the hills east of modesto. GIANT trees on the ponderosa. Directed by Harmon Jones.. his first film as director was As Young As You Feel, with some huge hollywood names; he directed a bunch of big films, but moved into Television pretty quickly. It's good! no real surprises, but it's good.

Based on a novel from the author of "Shane" and "Monte Walsh" comes a much less substantial of western, but an entertaining one none-the-less. Robert Wagner plays a young cowboy who's getting restless in his small town, so to keep him from becoming a no-good drifter the local stagecoach owner hires him as an armed guard for a large gold shipment. After the stagecoach is robbed, young hotheaded Wagner learns from the stagecoach driver (Dale Robertson) and from the sheriff (Rory Calhoun) there are two kinds of justice and he has to decide which one is right. In the hands of a director like George Stevens, this story had the potential to be something really smart, but instead it's merely a diverting western that will entertain fans of sagebrush tales.

The script is well written, handling clichés very well. The direction is brisk and orderly. The actors are very professional, even the God-awful Robert Wagner. Watching Dale Robertson I am surprised that he didn't become a bigger star: he is at ease in front of the camera, charming when it is called for, and very realistic in his delivery. Rory Calhoun was quite adequate for an undemanding role. This really seemed to be a vehicle for the young Wagner. I must admit I have only enjoyed him in one movie in his career and generally find him uninteresting and sub-par. Was Zanuck gay and in love with him? I will never understand Fox pushing him; but the 50's did bring on the teenage girls in the audience. I guess that was it. Overall, this movie is a little gem that deserves more recognition. I recommend it.

Character-driven western whose guiding idea unfortunately is better than the result. Sheriff Tom, tough guy Race, and young man Jess, are friends in a small frontier town. Jess, however, wants a chance to prove himself a man, so he gets trial run as a stage driver. Trouble is he screws up by not driving off to protect doomed passengers when stage is ambushed at a way station. Instead he stays behind to help his friend Race. Now Jess needs to redeem himself by helping Sheriff Tom and posse track down stage robbers before vengeful Race guns them all down. Climax occurs in town when lynch mob gathers to head for Tom's jail.

It's really Wagner's film. As the untried Jess, he shows his acting chops in a vivid performance still early in his lengthy career. Robertson (Race) and Calhoun (Tom) also get a lot of screen time as self-assured westerners. Oddly, they look so much alike, I got confused at times. The oater's unusual since no bad guy gets focal time, while the girls are strictly peripheral. Instead, the highlight is a well-photographed and lengthy chase scene across scenic rocks and hills. There's one unexpectedly jarring occurrence that I guess Hollywood convention couldn't let stand without smoothing out. Had they instead let it go extreme, the movie would be memorable. One key point, I wish Robertson's ambiguous character (Race) were more intense. That would have injected needed emotion to the movie as a whole There's a dramatic potential in the key conflict between Race and Tom that's unfortunately underplayed.

All in all, it's an interesting western with an unusual plot and some riveting scenery, but drains too much story potential.

This film essentially begins with a young man by the name of "Jess Harker" (Robert Wagner) finally getting the opportunity to prove his mettle by driving the local stagecoach which, in this particular case, is also transporting a valuable shipment of gold as part of its cargo. For that reason, another cowboy named "Race Crim" (Dale Robertson)--who happens to be Jess Harker's friend and mentor-has also been tasked to ride alongside the stagecoach as well. Not only that but Race's girlfriend named "Waco" (Lola Albright) just happens to be riding in the stagecoach as a passenger. So, making sure the stage arrives safely and on time is extremely important to both Jess and Race. However, this becomes quite problematic once news of the gold shipment gets out as some local bandits quickly a devise a scheme to ambush the stage and steal the gold. Unfortunately, while carrying out their plan, they not only steal the gold but also accidentally kill Waco in the process. As might be expected, this infuriates Race who immediately off in search of these bandits with the intention of killing each and every one of them. The problem, however, is that the local sheriff named "Tom Davisson" (Rory Calhoun) wants them all brought back alive to stand trial. That being the case, this not only puts Race at odds with Sheriff Davisson, but it also places Jess in an awkward position as well. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was a solid 50's Western which benefited by good performances by all of the aforementioned actors. Admittedly, it is somewhat tame by today's standards but, even so, I enjoyed this film for the most part and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.