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How others will see it. Classic movie fans, and western buffs in particular, will enjoy this traditional western feature. Randolph's eventual good turn can be seen a mile away: he wouldn't want his last film to portray him completely as a villain.
How I felt about it. One of the most surprising speeches to be found in a movie is included here. The alcoholic justice of the peace in mining camp Coarse Gold has this to say during a rowdy whorehouse wedding ceremony:
"Now, I'm not a man of the cloth, and this is not a religious ceremony. It's a civil marriage. But it's not to be entered into unadvisedly, but reverently and soberly. A good marriage has a kind of simple glow about it. A good marriage is like a rare animal. It's hard to find. It's almost impossible to keep. You see, people change. The glory of a good marriage doesn't come at the beginning. It comes later on, and it's hard work."
That's a fine speech, almost Shakespearian in its unexpected eloquence. Unluckily, the rest of the film is less remarkable. It is engaging, however, thanks to the chemistry between old hands McCrea and Scott. Scott, in particular, seems delighted to finally be part of a movie with a decent script.
Another advantage offered by the movie is a couple of entertaining scenes between the film's best characters, five uncouth miners with more gumption than sense. The comedy scenes involving this quintet are better because the characters are unrestrained. On the other hand, Hartly in particular is bound by "good girl" expectations. And McCrea certainly isn't going to let anyone steal the gold, or the girl, over his dead body.
In the last scene, McCrea tells Scott, regarding his honor, "You just forgot it for a while, that's all." One wonders whether his character believes this, that Scott would prove heroic rather than opportunistic in the end. Or, was that statement simply an expression of forgiveness. I suspect it is the latter.
Hartley presents a dilemma for Scott and McCrea. Should they do the right thing (rescue Hartley from a marriage she already regrets) or do they leave her behind, and concentrate on their assignment (delivering or stealing the gold)? After all, Hartley is of age, and married of her own free will. But these elements are nearly irrelevant to Scott and McCrea, while Ron Starr is actually eager for a fight to prove his manhood, and win Hartley for himself.