produce during or just before the glory day of the make for television movie and this film depict the struggle of a difficult man and leave to his own device in the desert . hill play a wealthy and but obstinate and heavy drinking and bitter and man who be on a trip into the desert with his wife and their guide to examine a potential mine . when he fall from his horse and break his leg severely and the wife muldaur and the guide stacy leave him with some water and supply and ride back for help . however and realize this be a golden chance to be rid of hill and muldaur suggest that she and stacy leave him in the desert to die of exposure and starvation . she offer herself and her prospective inheritance a the reward for his go along with the plan . while she and stacy wonder about the status of their scheme a they lollygag around the swimming pool and hill realize what have happen and decides he be not go to be do in quite that easily . he set his own leg use supply that the duo have leave behind and begin the arduous trek back to the civilized world . meanwhile and his business associate carey wonder what go on and local sheriff ansara keep look for him ( even several week after the disappearance . ) hill be effective a the nasty grouch who begin to find inner strength and and eventually and inner peace through his harrowing ordeal . some element of his self rescue and however and be either far fetch or downright preposterous ( witness the snow white like scenario at the water hole in which a deer and a raccoon and a turtle and a rabbit and a skunk . casually hang out with him a he quench his thirst . ) muldaur and an actress who effortlessly project cool calculation and do a nice job as well . she isn not the stunning siren that and perhaps and might be a more obvious lure for stacy and but her money and her skill a a lover make up for that and certainly . stacy be laconic and quite understated and though that make him somewhat more believable . sadly and he would suffer a devastating motorcycle accident not long after this and lose an arm and a leg . his pre accident physique can be glimpse in the poolside scene where he garb in just a navy swimsuit . carey have a thankless part which he play in a workmanlike way while ansara try to inject some flavor into his standard issue part . a remake of a 1953 film call inferno and which star robert ryan and rhonda fleming and this be an enjoyable and if unspectacular and movie that have a more ambiguous and non violent end than the original film . kitsch fan will enjoy check out muldaur 70 clothing and home furnishing while scenery aficionado will appreciate the desert location filming .