anthony mann westerns with jimmy stewart be slowly gain for that director a position with john ford and howard hawk a the best film director in that genre . he certainly know how to give dimension to nice guy stewart in mann film there be an edge to jimmy that be slowly demonstrate to the audience . in winchester 73 it be the relationship of stewart to his brother and how it twist him into a figure of vengeance . here it be a i trust only myself attitude and which lead to one complication after another . even before the film properly begin he ( a jeff webster ) kill two of his hired cowboy who be help on a cattle drive to seattle because of some dispute ( we never be clear about it either they want to leave the cattle drive and or they try to steal the cattle ) . he meet his match in skagway and the port he have to get to in order to take his herd to dawson . skagway bos be a so called law man name gannon ( john mcintyre ) who remind one of the real bos of skagway in the gold rush jefferson soapy smith and judge roy bean . the problem be that neither smith nor bean would have get quite as sleazy a gannon in turn every opportunity into a chance to make some money . stewart herd interrupt a public hanging so ( a a penalty fine ) the herd be confiscate ( to be sell later for gannon profit ) . stewart be partner with ben ( walter brennan who oddly enough win his last oscar play judge roy bean ) . they be also join by rube morris ( jay c. flippen ) and also meet two woman and the sophisticated rhonda castle ( ruth roman ) and the friendly and helpful renee vallon ( corinne calvert ) . rhonda work closely with gannon and but have help jeff earlier in flee the authority in seattle . however and she have a similar i only trust myself attitude to jeff . she do offer him employment to get supply for herself to dawson . he and ben and and rube go but at night ( while the others be asleep ) they go back and steal back their cattle . renee follow and warn them that gannon and his associate be follow . jeff hold off gannon long enough for the cattle herd to be bring over the canadian border and although gannon point out that since jeff have to return by way of skagway gannon can wait until he do to hang him . the reunited party of rhonda and jeff split over the trail to take to dawson and jeff opt for a long and safer route . after he be prove right and they go by his route and reach dawson only to find there be a lawless element threaten the community due to the gold field . the herd be sell to rhonda and and jeff and ben and rube and and renee start prospect . there be soon two group in the town of dawson . one lead by connie gilchrist and chubby johnson want to build a decent town . but the mountie would not be set up a station in dawson for month . the other and center around the dancehall run by rhonda and be in cahoot with gannon who have a vast claim jump scheme use his gang of gunslinger ( robert j. wilke really scary in one sequence with chubby johnson and jay c. flippen and jack elam and and harry morgan ) . jeff wish to steer clear of both and and head with his new wealth and ben for a ranch they want in utah . but will they get there . and will jeff remain neutral . the performance be dandy here and include stewart a a man who be willing to face all comer and but would otherwise be peaceful enough . brennan be play one of his patented old codger and whose love of good coffee have unexpectedly bad result . flippen be a drunk at first and but tragedy and responsibility shake him into a good frame of mind and one who have a chance to verbally stab stewart in the heart use stewart own word against him . mcintyre would achieve stardom on television in wagon train replace ward bond and but his work in mann film show his ability a a villain ( such a his trade post opportunist who outsmart himself in winchester 73 ) . he be and a be say elsewhere on this thread and really sleazy but he have a sense of humor . roman be an interesting blend of opportunist and human be and whose fate be determine by her good feeling . and calvert be both a voice of conscience and a frontier gigi aware that she be more than a young girl but a budding woman . best of all be the canadian rockies background a wonderful in it way a the use of monument valley by john ford . mann certainly do a first rate job direct this film and and the viewer will appreciate the result .