Robert Ryan and Rock Hudson star as brothers on opposite sides of the law in post-Civil War Texas. Neil Hammond (Hudson) returns from the war to his life of ranching, while older brother Dan (Ryan) returns with ambitions as outsized as the Lone Star State. When Dan loses his business seed money to gambler Cord Hardin (Raymond Burr), he turns to rustling. However, ill-gotten gains prove tenuous and Dans empire begins to crumble when brother Neil is named the new Marshall. Directed by Budd Boetticher, the film boasts a stellar supporting cast.