In this poorly constructed Western epic, megger Wesley Ruggles tries in vain to recapture the historic sweep of his early talkie success CIMARRON/'31. Back then, the stolid pacing & clunky plotting could be excused as part of the silent-to-sound transition; what’s the excuse here? Jean Arthur overplays her frontier businesswoman as if compensating for the odd costuming & hair-styling she has to put up with (is she prepping for her ‘50s Peter Pan perf?), while a lusty supporting cast hams it up in reponse. Only a sensationally young William Holden & a sensationally villainous William Warren (he’s a veritable Snidley Whiplash) manage to get a rhythm going. But this one’s a dud.
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