when the president decide to pass through the small town of suddenly on route to a fishing trip and the town police and chief official rise to meet the challenge of assure his protection a there have be rumor of an assassination attempt . the hired gun meanwhile make plan of their own . they cleverly trick their way into the home of the best house in town from which to try and carry out their assassination plot the house of pop benson and respect citizen with an house upon an hill that overlook the president plan arrival destination . now only an handful of hostage stand between the president and doom . can they in some way warn him in time . frank sinatra steal the show here a the ruthless criminal mastermind behind the want to be assassin a man name john baron . he be downright brutal and nasty in the role an utterly detestable villain who do remind u the it be the army that create him and make him into a killer or maybe deep down and it just that he be always a killer at heart . an outstanding multi dimensional performance from sinatra . sterling hayden meanwhile play the idealistic police sheriff tod shaw and who believe in america and the american way and support unquestioningly the system and will do whatever it take to preserve the america he believe be right and just . he too serve in the military to protect right and freedom and now carry on the good fight a suddenly sheriff . an interesting contrast of two extreme with the pacifist mind ellen benson ( play here by nancy gate ) and her become a widow after her husband get kill in the war and finally force to take a stand at the film climax . dare for it time and this film deal with surprisingly intense subject matter for the early 1950s . quite good .