the cast alone tell you this will be a notch above the usual italian western . veteran actor robert ryan and arthur kennedy team up with alex cord who and at the time and seem on the verge of stardom . the result be a movie that both off beat and down beat and yet it will satisfy those who seek more from a western than just gunplay . especially interest here be the character play by alex cord . one expect the hero in these western to be taciturn and introspective and but clay mccord be an extreme example and and surprisingly enough and he often shine in a passive and even weak position . much be make of the fact that he fear fall prey to the epileptic fit which immobilize his father and and in these moment of helplessness he either at the mercy of those who wish to harm him or those who wish to help him . to emphasize his passivity and clay mccord do not you love that name . be often shone strip to the waist a if he be little more than an attractive plaything be put on display . there even a strong masochistic streak in his nature and most in evidence when he use a a punching bag by his enemy and then suspend by his wrist and leave hang above the middle of a street . not only do he often fail to protect himself and but mccord be equally ineffective in protect those around him . nearly everyone who help him be kill . while a minute to pray and a second to die be far from be a complete success and it have a depth and a tone which set it apart and cause it to linger in the memory . it also a good showcase for alex cord whose career tend to decline after this point follow a few promising year in the mid 1960s . he must have be about 36 year old when he film this in his physical prime and the scene of him hang by his wrist and bare chested and sweaty and be a memorable piece of cinematic beefcake .