This is such a thoughtful western programmer from the folks at Columbia, it feels wrong to call it a B-picture. It's at least a B-plus, and upon further reflection, an A-minus. It should be graded highly, because it takes standard conventions of the genre, adds some creativity and gives the two main performers a chance to offer inspired performances.
The two leads are a casting office dream. On one side we have Charles Bickford as a ruthless land baron (is there any other kind in these types of movies?) who not only stole property and cattle from countless individuals, he also shot a man fifteen years earlier in cold blood, then took that man's son (John Derek) and raised him as his own. Yes, Mr. Bickford is not playing a saint; and only a tough-minded actor like this can take such a gritty role and still manage to make us watch him in awe.
The other lead role is assigned to Broderick Crawford. He's the opposite of Bickford, a man of integrity, who has upheld the law for years as a once-respected sheriff. However, his inability to arrest Bickford for murder years ago has haunted him. He knows he has let Derek down, and in weakness, he turns to the bottle. In real life, Crawford was an incorrigible alcoholic; so, he's right at home playing this type of character...a good guy with plenty of demons.
The story begins with a posse returning to the town of Roswell, New Mexico. The men haven't come back with any prisoners or some loot that was stolen, over $100,000. Instead, they tell the townspeople that Bickford, who was out in the desert with them, is now dead; and the sheriff's been shot and is dying. Of course, this leads to a flashback. But unlike most films, there are several flashbacks told from conflicting viewpoints about what really happened.
In some ways this is a western noir, since there are so many criminal elements competing against each other. And you could even say that it uses an experimental story structure to some degree, taking its cue from RASHOMON, where we aren't sure whose view is most truthful. We are meant to sympathize with John Derek's character, who was raised by a corrupt man...but when we learn at the end, he gunned down Bickford to grab the money and all the land, we realize he isn't much better.
What makes this western picture stand out is the nuanced dialogue in the most important scenes. Bickford, to cover up his own corrupt activities, cites Crawford's weakness for drink as the reason the town has criminal elements. He goads Crawford in front of Derek. Bickford says things mockingly, like: "We haven't had a sheriff around here in years." Later, when money's been stolen by men that Bickford wronged, Bickford uses the situation as an excuse to get in another dig: "Tell him after he swears in the posse, he can go back to bed."
Crawford fights to stay sober and joins the posse. At a campsite, he talks about the old days. Bickford is annoyed: "Why don't you forget about the old days. This is today." These lines are delivered matter of fact, yet humorously. Of course, the two actors were friendly when the camera wasn't rolling.
Incidentally, the script for THE LAST POSSE was written by Seymour & Connie Lee Bennett, a husband and wife team, who unfortunately were blacklisted the same year this film was made. What we have here is their last contribution, before two excellent Hollywood careers were cut short.
