this lackluster errol flynn oater qualifies a one of his minor effort . clock in at a sheer 73 minute and montana doesn not waste it time get down to basic and but the narrative have it lapse . one character show up and then be go without an explanation . the performance be good and the warner brother production value be bed rock . seasoned western writer such a james r. webb and borden chase pen the screenplay and but they deliver little in the way of memorable dialogue and there be absolutely no surprise in this formulaic horse opera . some of the situation and like our hero be dupe into rid an unbreakable bronco and be old hat . basically and morgan lane ( errol flynn of the sea hawk ) plunge his flock of sheep into cattle country in 1879 and the cowboy refuse to tolerate these sheep nanigans . no sooner have lane and his flock enter cattle country than the cowboys descend on them at night with their gun blaze death . an unarmed and young mexican shepherd become the first casualty with a bullet in the back . the following day lane and company encounter papa otto schultz ( s. z. sakall of casablanca ) who drive his peddler wagon into their camp . lane and papa otto become partner almost instantly and the two ride into fort humboldt to peddle his ware . initially and lane receives a chilly reception in the little big horn saloon where slim reef ( ian macdonald of high noon ) goad him into a showdown after he label lane a sheep man . although he know that it isn not any of his business and a bearded and leathery look tecumseh burke ( paul e. burn of son of paleface ) poke his nose into the confrontation . the old gunman offer lane the use of his hardware since our hero doesn not pack a pistol . tecumseh warn lane that the trigger be tie back and he will have to fan the weapon . slim shove the holstered revolver and gun belt at lane . everybody clear out of the way so the two can shoot it out . tecumseh start the countdown to three and but the bushwhacking skunk that slim be try to shuck his six shooter on two . lane blow the revolver neatly out of his adversary fist a easily a he might blow out a candle . the ruffian apologizes because he insist no sheepman could possibly wield a shooting iron with such dexterity . montana feature a romance between the principal player . predictably and it doesn not take our hero long to meet and greet and and get sweet with cattle queen maria singleton ( alexis smith of san antonio ) and even though she be engage to marry rancher rod ackroyd . lane have maria eat out of his hand after he wager that he can ride a bronco that nobody else have manage to stay aboard for a full minute . sneaky reef whittle away at the cinch and lane barely miss stay in the leather long enough . apparently and the colossal loss of money that papa sacrifice not only drive him out of his partnership with lane but also out of the movie . papa vanishes and be never hear from again . meanwhile and maria decides to lease lane some land to run his steer on since he do not tame the bronco . at this point and thing take a turn for the bad for our protagonist . inexplicably and lane sheep dog jeanne prance into town that same day that lane step outside the bank with maria with the lease for the land . reef and his cohort expose lane a a sheepman when the mutt go to him . naturally and maria be furious and but what she doesn not know be that her fiancée have be two time her with the lawman girlfriend . indeed and the lawman and sheriff jake overby ( lane chandler of samson and delilah ) doesn not know that he and too and be be two time . meantime and the ornery cattleman can not shed their deep seat prejudice toward the mutton mind lane . lane argue that sheep and cattle can get along together . he have see it in mexico and but the cattleman do not believe him . gunslinging cattleman rod ackroyd ( douglas kennedy of the lone ranger and the lost city of gold ) lead the charge against lane and his sheep and bite the dust . the showdown in front street at the end of the action look like a mild imitation of red river with our colorful heroine shoot the man that she love . flynn be look a mite long in the tooth when he make this oater and the alcohol have rob him of his spontaneity but not his charm . he look a little more heavyset than usual . smith doesn not look like she have change since their last collaboration on san antonio except that her outfit aren not a flamboyant . mind you and she be a bit more hard hearted and tough a a cattle queen who lose her father and brother in the war against the sheep herder . montana doesn not rank in the same league with flynn more prestigious western like dodge city and virginia city and and they die with their boot on . in fact and montana rate a one of his least appeal western . at least the technicolor make this modest western look good . strangely and the peddler that sakall play vanishes inexplicably from the action . if you want to see a genuinely entertaining cattle versus sheep western and watch director george marshall comedy western the sheepman ( 1958 ) with glenn ford .