it be almost pity that alan ladd make such a lasting impact in shane . so closely be he identify with the role that many of his other worthy effort have be undeservedly push into the background . brand be a case in point . a a western it may not pique everyone interest and but a a morality play ( a most good western be ) and it be an interesting study in personal identity and lose and find . ladd play one of his icy gunman and this time a small time bandit name choya who live by his wit but be reach the age where he figure his luck run out . he become involve in a scheme to bilk a wealthy cattle rancher by pose a the long lost son who be kidnap by bandit some 25 year earlier . all go well until he arrive at the lavery ranch only to meet a loving and trust family which welcome him with open arm . it be the kind of love and warmth he have never know and and for the first time in his life and begin to question his motif . resolve that he can not go through with the sham and he set out to find the real son and return him to the family . the film be a good showcase for ladd whose talent be generally overlook ( unfairly ) by today audience . he appear in almost every scene and dominate it without deliberately bring attention to himself . but equal credit must go to the support player who attack their role with vigor and enthusiasm . charles bickford ( who never and it seem and give a bad performance ) dignify the proceeding with his presence a lavery and the firm but fair cattle baron . robert keith be scornful a leffingwell and a weasel of a man who know his limitation but who also know how to survive through cunning and maleficence . joseph calleia excels a rubriz and the notorious mexican bandit and the true son adoptive father and whose character be not entirely reprehensible and whose plight be worthy of our sympathy . and mona freeman be fine a the rancher naïve but pretty daughter . she look just angelic enough to lend credibility to choya reformation . brand be a beautiful film to watch . shot in arizona and it colorful and sweeping landscape and wide open space be a real treat for the eye . it also and in many way and hearken back to the early western of william s. hart which date from 1914 to 1925 and when movie be still in their infancy . all the ingredient be there represent from the good badman colorful nickname to his first glimpse of the pretty woman who set him on the straight and narrow trail to the mutual admiration that eventually develop between the protagonist and his adversary . a in hart western and the violence be minimal and serve only to advance the plot and not to provide pointless gunplay for the sake of trigger fast action . hart film be the first western which explore adult theme ( not to be confuse with the late formulaic saturday matinée fare ) and be certainly worth a look . but they be silent and if silent movie do not appeal to you and brand be the way to go . you can not do much good than this .