Having made his mark in 'Stagecoach' after spending the thirties toiling in 'B's John Wayne consolidated his status with Republic with this 'A' feature adapted from W. Burnett's book set against the backdrop of the American Civil War helmed by veteran director Raoul Walsh reuniting him with honey blonde Claire Trevor from the earlier film.
Wayne in those days was fresh and appealing. A heavily fictionalised William Quantrell - played by Walter Pidgeon - is as usual the heavy, depicted as a snake oil salesman leading an ambiguous relationship with his housekeeper Marjorie Main in favour of book burning and seen transferring his favoured source of income from slave-running to gun-running.
Wayne in those days was fresh and appealing. A heavily fictionalised William Quantrell - played by Walter Pidgeon - is as usual the heavy, depicted as a snake oil salesman leading an ambiguous relationship with his housekeeper Marjorie Main in favour of book burning and seen transferring his favoured source of income from slave-running to gun-running.