One of the all time great and criminally underrated Westerns of American cinema. Certainly one of John Wayne's best films and he's been in some of the greatest films ever made ( See ' The Searchers ' ' The man who shot liberty valance ' ). John Farrow was a remarkable director who died too young and was too good at too many different genres and styles to qualify as an " Auteur " . Consequently he's one of the great unsung masters. Jacques Tourneur being another one that immediately comes to mind.