CLASSIC.

Possible Spoilers!

Excellent western by Wellman and Co., striking B&W cinematography with terrific compositions. I can't get enough of the oft-used Alabama Hills filming locations near Lone Pine, CA in the high desert just east of Mt. Whitney and the Sierra Mtns. Also the stunning desolate locales in Death Valley are used quite effectively. The cast is top-notch and is enjoyable to watch even though the story itself doesn't really break any new ground in the genre. Peck might have been a bit miscast as the tough leader of a band of outlaws but what the heck he still does a good job. His character reminded me a little of Randolph Scott in his string of 1950s westerns (filmed in the Alabama Hills as well)- a gentlemanly decent westerner/cowboy- so that's some high praise I would reckon!

I especially thought the opening half hour or so of the movie featured some beautiful and artfully done camerawork with limited dialogue in one stretch when they are crossing the desert. It was things like that throughout the film that puts it above the standard western.

LOL I mistook Anne Baxter for Anne Bancroft for most of the movie so here I was thinking I was looking at a very young Mrs. Robinson from The Graduate until I finally realized doh it was the gal who played Nefertiti opposite Chuck Heston in The Ten Commandments!