The Redhead and the Cowboy

"Gil" (Glenn Ford) doesn't really know whether he is coming or going in this quickly paced civil war western. He's been set up for a murder he didn't commit and needs to rely on "Candace" (Rhonda Fleming) for an alibi that might save him from the drop. Thing is, she's up to her pretty little elbows in a Confederate conspiracy to relieve the Yankees of some of their gold, and so has left town. He realises that fetching her back is his only option, but that's assuming he can find her amidst the lawless wilderness where his assertions of guilt or innocence are of no interest to anyone - unless he can pay or knows the secret code! There's not a great deal that's original here, nor is there really much jeopardy about how it will all pan out, but along the way both Fords, the feisty Fleming and the always reliable Edmond O'Brien seem to be enjoying their duplicitous antics as just about nobody turns out to be trustworthy. There is a little too much dialogue and I could have done with a bit more by way of action, but this is still enjoyable enough afternoon fayre and it's good to see Fleming get more of the substance of the plot to play with, too.