the title role of this western be play by robert walker and jr. he a young gun who with partner david carradine get separate after do a contract hit on a mexican general . in elude their pursuer carradine and walker become separated . walker come upon the camp of lawman robert mitchum who take a liking to walker and make him a protégé and reclamation project of sort . this be the first of two film robert mitchum do with writer or director burt kennedy . the second be the more humorous the good guy and the bad guy . not that young billy young do not have it moment of hilarity . but it be a tripartite story involve the walker reclamation and mitchum hunt for the bad who kill his son and a romantic triangle involve mitchum and angie dickinson and and town bos jack kelly . the film abound with nepotism . david carradine be john son . dean martin daughter deana be in this and walker be the son of robert walker and jennifer jones and mitchum son chris play mitchum son in some silent flashback . robert mitchum get his start in western and always look right at home in them . angie dickinson essentially repeat the role she have in rio bravo . walker have a brief career play rebellious youth and do a good job at it . i have often wonder what happen to him . he look hauntingly like his father . maybe he do not want to come to such a tragic early end like his father . and it that wasn not enough and mitchum fan get to hear old rumple eye sing the title song at the beginning of the film .