Clint Eastwood stars in this late Western by old master John Sturges (THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN), who brings his usual muscular style to the staging of some classic action sequences. Robert Duvall plays a wealthy land baron who hires bounty hunter Eastwood to track down a Mexican leader (John Saxon) fighting for reform. What seems like a simple job quickly becomes complicated for Eastwood as his allegiance starts to shift. Eastwood favorite Bruce Surtees brings his usual evocative touch to the imagery, while ace screenwriter Elmore Leonard provides the words.

Clint Eastwood directs himself as the hardboiled stranger hired by a town to protect it from outlaws - but this stranger may not be who he seems. As the hypocrisy of the townspeople is stripped away layer by layer, we learn Eastwood has his own tragic past there, which may just be the reason he’s returned. Suspense mounts to the surprising conclusion in Eastwood’s first Western as director and an affectionate tribute to the spaghetti oaters that brought him stardom. With cinematography by Bruce Surtees.