The latest of a series of stagecoach holdups in the Arizona Territory takes place on a stagecoach in which Mike Ryan, undercover agent for the stage line, and Molly Jones, daughter of the local sheriff, are passengers. The bandana masking one of the robbers slips and he is killed by the gang-leader Velvet Clark. The latter masquerades as a respectable piano-playing citizen of the community.
The townspeople are aroused enough over the continued robberies that they ask Sheriff Tom Jones to resign but they agree to give him more time when he takes on Ryan as a deputy. Circumstantial evidence leads the sheriff to Clark, but the latter kills him and escapes. Ryan tracks him to Gunsight Ridge where there is a showdown.
Gunsight Ridge is a sort of a detective western but there's no mystery as we know from beginning that the culprit behind the robberies is Mark Stevens who plays a miner- he is quite a tortured character, especially when he tinkles the ivories. He had great ambitions to be a great piano player but he couldn't afford lessons to reach an "Amadeus" level. Stevens is excellent in his role, balancing between cold-blooded killer and a sympathetic character. In contrast, McCrea is more breezy, good-humoured yet tough and determined. There's some good action intersected here and there but a tense atmosphere is at the centre. It's a well-paced and engaging western with good performances all round.
The townspeople are aroused enough over the continued robberies that they ask Sheriff Tom Jones to resign but they agree to give him more time when he takes on Ryan as a deputy. Circumstantial evidence leads the sheriff to Clark, but the latter kills him and escapes. Ryan tracks him to Gunsight Ridge where there is a showdown.
Gunsight Ridge is a sort of a detective western but there's no mystery as we know from beginning that the culprit behind the robberies is Mark Stevens who plays a miner- he is quite a tortured character, especially when he tinkles the ivories. He had great ambitions to be a great piano player but he couldn't afford lessons to reach an "Amadeus" level. Stevens is excellent in his role, balancing between cold-blooded killer and a sympathetic character. In contrast, McCrea is more breezy, good-humoured yet tough and determined. There's some good action intersected here and there but a tense atmosphere is at the centre. It's a well-paced and engaging western with good performances all round.