I don't agree with the title because Cagney is not a bad man at all. He is just a man that in order to manage his business of breeding horses has to take the law in his own hands where there was no law at all. This western probably did not get the box office results it deserved because James Cagney and Irene Papas are not the actors you would expect in this genre. But Cagney has a superb performance in what is above all a love story, where he is a man with a hard character which becomes more human with the influence of his mistress, Irene Papas and Steve Millar(Don Dubbins, the narrator of the story.), who works for him. Irene Papas's acting reminded me a lot of Katy Jurado. Cagney and Papas are very similar to the couple played by Tracy and Jurado in Broken Lance. The efficient direction of Robert Wise, and the two main actors make this an above average film.

Steve Millar(Don Dubbins)narrates how his life changes when he meets a tough, hardened, vengeful rancher, Jeremy Rodock(James Cagney)who will stop at nothing to hang those who wish to steal or harm his horses. Another thorn always pressing in Rodock's side is those who wish to adorn themselves with his woman, Jo(Irene Papas, quite good). Steve eventually completely falls for her, but Jo has made it quite well known she owes everything to Jeremy who gave her shelter and a place to live when she had absolutely nothing. Jo tries her best to ward Steve off the ranch back home to Pennsylvania's city life where he ultimately belongs. But, Steve is an ornery sort who really wishes to learn his craft at breaking horses and ranching. But, as certain thieves gather together(using an old partner of Jeremy's named Peterson played by James Bell), Jeremy will again twist in rage to get those responsible for trying to steal his horses and take the lives of he and his men. Then, in a later development, a past acquaintance of Jo's, McNulty(Stephen McNally), will try for Jo, fight with Jeremy when he is fired for such a deed, and find Old Man Peterson's son, Lars(Vic Morrow, turning in the typically good performance)to try and again steal Jeremy's horses. What McNulty does do is harm the horses by bleeding their shoes and this will ultimately challenge Jeremy's will to choose..Jo's desires for him to stop hanging men or losing her.The theme of lynching is nothing new, but Cagney is fascinating to watch because he plays Jeremy quite conflicted. I felt Jeremy just wants to breed his horses and run his massive ranch, but anyone who who desires to take what is his shows a sign of disrespect to what the man and his men accomplished through hard labor and sweat. I think that rage isn't just for him, but for all his men who work hard and put in the time..not just to lose their horses to no-good greedy interlopers looking for a quick buck through another's hard labor. But, the film is through-and-through a love-triangle melodrama with Jeremy having to accept the crossroads in his life. Jo is certainly the woman he loves and we see this when others even dare try and attempt a go at her. Like those who steal his horses, Jo is, in a modest way, his property also. He brought her up from nothing, gave her more than she would've ever gotten at her current state, and provided her with warmth. But, she wanted the killing to stop even though the ones he does the hanging to are ripe for it. A better-than-average film even if it basically deal with standard elements often over-used in the genre.

This is a western without Indians, gun draws, foul language or sex. It is squeaky clean as one would expect of a film from Robert Wise, "The Sound of Music" director. Even the clothes of the lead actor James Cagney are clean.Morality, which set the tone to early Hollywood westerns, is emphasized here: the hero gets the girl, the interlopers who attempt to pull them apart are the losers. The anti-hero, warts and all, is not allowed to appear as an anti-hero--Wise transforms him into the traditional hero at the end. Had Wise retained the Cagney character's build-up as a misfit to the end, he would have made a great film. I guess the Studio bosses and Wise preferred a conventional end to a dramatic, unusual one. How interesting it would be to see the outcome of Peterson boy's anger (doused by his mother) towards the hero--but Wise chose to close the story than drag it on. Wise, who went on to make "The Sound of Music", chose Miklos Rozsa to provide the music. The Hungarian musician is a legend. Yet I was surprised that several bars of music were repetition of Rozsa's work in "Quo Vadis", "Ben Hur" and "King of Kings" or very similar variants.The squeaky clean film has beautiful blue skies and white clouds that produce a picture-postcard effect(the stamp of Robert Surtees)--rarely repeated in westerns made towards the end of the century.Irene Papas is a talented and mesmerizing actress. Her films with Michael Caccoyannis bear testimony to her remarkable abilities. Wise allows Cagney to do what he wants, but seems to have reined in Papas in her first Hollywood film. Papas is great to watch when she plays impetuous and tortured characters in other movies. Even in this tepid role, Papas imbues her character with strength and vitality. Papas and Cagney dominate the film, relegating even Lee van Cleef (playing a good guy) to the periphery.

You simply must see Vic's riveting portrayal as the young disillusioned, but still proud Lars Peterson stands up to a cruel and ruthless land baron. Vic has the pivotal role of this top-rated James Cagney western. Vic's show down with Cagney will hold you spellbound!