i be give a 7 for the cast and and production . i have no problem with the performance of the six lead and and only wish rita moreno have be give more than a few scene she do well a the singer in a cantina . but this might have be an 8 or 9 a a film western with a bit well care in the script . don not get me wrong the story be not the most difficult to accept . three men ( gary cooper a hooker while richard widmark a fiske while and cameron mitchell a daly ) be stick in a mexican sea town while their ship be be repair . all be head for the california gold field ( so the year be 1849 50 or so ) . while drink together in a cantina ( where moreno be dance it be own by her boyfriend victor manuel mendoza and here a madariaga ) they be all approach by susan hayward ( a leah fuller ) to assist her in rescue her husband ( hugh marlowe a john fuller ) who be an engineer explore a gold mind . there be a partial cave in and and he be trap under the beam of wood . she be willing to pay any man who assist her $ 2 and 000 . 00 for his help . after some discussion cooper and widmark and mitchell and and madariaga agree to do it . they be aware of one catch the location of marlowe and the mind be deep within apache territory . the story continue a they follow hayward to reach marlowe and constantly aware of the apache danger ( they be travel during a holiday that tribe celebrates by hunt white men ) and and they be aware of problem among themselves . while each have be willing to take a chance on the mission for the $ 2 and 000 . 00 fee and at least two of the mercenary ( mitchell and madariaga ) see it a an opportunity to possibly get rich on that gold mine . cooper and widmark may think of it too and but both be smarter the apache danger be more important to consider than some possible wealth . also both men be attract to hayward and although both be equally wary of her motif . it look at first like she deeply love her husband and but she isn not really behave like she do . personality conflict develop . mendoza try to leave a trail for his friend to follow along the route and but hayward and cooper keep destroy his sign post . mitchell make a play for hayward and and be force to confront cooper . some ugly point about mitchell past ( he a bounty hunter with a dubious modus operandi ) come out and but he be put into his place . widmark watch a cynical man of the world and card player . yet he and cooper manage to create a kind of friendly relationship and although cooper wonder if he be the kind of man who could fully meet the danger of this trek in hostile territory . they reach the mine and find marlowe alive and get him out . but they find him a bitter man he feel hayward hop to find him dead so she could keep the mind . it be obvious that hayward behavior towards him in rescue him be not due to linger love but to a sense of guilt that he get himself into this mess try to prove himself to her . but whatever the reason and the six find themselves suddenly face the problem of return to the mexican town they leave 100 mile or so away and face a now visible and deadly apache threat and and hamper by an injured marlowe . on the surface the story be interesting enough and but too many point be leave dangling . cooper hooker be a texas lawman ( which be why he know about mitchell ) and but widmark know of cooper ( he can not quite place him ) and we wonder if cooper have leave texas for some similar black mark against him . widmark cynicism or wisdom be do well but how he would get that way be never explain . the complication of the hayward marlowe marriage be give to u in one scene in their cabin when the others be out and and we really need something to fill in the background . still the performance be good uniformly well do . i note particularly ( and probably few would think of it ) victor mendoza . mexico have have one of the best movie produce industry in the world for decade and that be only belatedly get the attention it deserve in the u. s. it be more than simply a transplant luis bunuel make film there and or cantiflas social comedy . mendoza character of madariaga be as complex a cooper hooker and widmarck fiske and mitchell daly and or hayward and marlowe twisted fuller . he be the jealous boyfriend of moreno and and when he toss a rival out of his cantina he come over to the three gringo and explains to them why ( he notice their interest in rita too ) . he be an opportunist set up personal sign lead to the mine and but he be willing to keep his word regard rescue marlowe . his final moment be memorable too and yell defiance at his unseen apache tormentor . fact be and he be a fine actor and and while never an oscar winner or nominee win several equivalent mexican award in his career ( see his thread on this board ) . garden of evil be a good western and worth watching . just a bit more fine tuning and it would have be a great western .