Mitchum is ♥♥lovely (he’s my favourite Hollywood actor of the era) in this quite dark western playing Jeb, a decent man haunted by an unknown past with the aura of the “bad seed” hanging over him. The film is unusual at the time in that it pays attention to psychological torments and uncertainties, he is a lost soul and wants desperately to learn the truth about himself so he can feel whole. The film is not predictable and I liked the way there’s both negative and postive things going on in Jeb’s life, and within the portrayal of the characters of his adopted family. It is somewhat let down by not providing a stronger rationate for the sudden hatred the previously adored Jeb cops from his step sister/mother after a self defence killing which got me a bit impatient with it..but a minor quibble, it’s a great western well worth a watch.