if the world be make of gold men would die for a handful of dirt . so go the theme of this somewhat unusual western direct by henry hathaway in 1954. with lovely location in mexico this be fox first western in the then new process of cinemascope and stereophonic sound and boast a top notch cast in gary cooper and susan hayward and richard widmark . from a fine screenplay by frank fenton cooper and widmark together with cameron mitchell and victor manuel mendoza be four adventurer contract by leah fuller ( hayward ) to go back with her into the wild of mexico to rescue her husband ( hugh marlowe ) who be lie trap and injure in a gold mine . they journey to the mine and perform the rescue but on their way back they be pursue by apache ( a brilliant chase sequence ) and must ward them off in a well stag attack on a hazardous cliff face trail . a good adventure yarn if a tad slow in part but the widescreen picture look great and the small cast be excellent . cooper a hooker be at his laconic best and hayward be as gorgeous a ever and mitchell in a good part a a temperamental and impatient young gun and mendoza a the likable and amiable mexican companion and widmark shine a fiske the droll and garrulous gambler who cut for high card to see who go and who stay behind . beautifully photograph in cinemascope and colour by milton krasner it be all excitingly handle by hathaway . the picture also have an excellent score by the ubiquitous bernard herrmann . this be the only real western herrmann ever tackle if you discount burt lancaster early frontier epic the kentuckian ( 1955 ) and some obscure episode of tv the virginian in the sixty . herrmann score the film rather a a conventional adventure story and avoid the usual clichéd style of write associate with western except perhaps the theme for hooker ( cooper ) where the composer hint at a cowboy tune with it wonderful long loping americana ting melody . but the score be mainly an intense and strident work full of suspense and foreboding . the main theme and first heard over the credit and be a brilliant defiant statement for full orchestra and be play in different guise throughout the movie . particularly clever be the ominous figure on the octave flute which point up the unseen but ever watching apache . there be no love theme a such but tender music in the composer gentle manner underscore the hayward character . all the stop be pull out for the brilliant climactic music cue for the chase sequence ( where the apache be in hot pursuit of the interloper ) . it be a sensational swirling and thunder piece call for some virtuoso playing from the magnificent fox orchestra which they zealously deliver . garden of evil be available in a small fox western box set along with two other western classic the wonderful rawhide ( 1951 ) and henry king the gunfighter ( 1950 ) . enjoy .