Before Oscar Boetticher, Jr. (Ride Lonesome, the Tall T) helmed the westerns that were his signature, he spent his early years at Columbia learning his trade in small B-pictures, slight little programmers where economy was the rule. Here, he builds suspense through atmosphere and clever camera placement, making this outing more fun than a plot outline might suggest. Throw in the exceptional George Macready as a wrongfully convicted man on death row, pardoned in the nick of time (through the efforts of a whip-smart newsman named Keats, played by Jim Bannon), and you have the makings of an interesting crime drama. Beautiful blonde Janis Carter (Night Editor, Framed) adds class to the proceedings.